My Grandma

On Wednesday, June 12th at 1:54 PM I got a text from my Grandpa Kimball stating that my Grandma had collapsed that morning, possible heart attack and she was at the hospital. It didn't contain a lot of information but said that her vital signs were good and she was stable and he'd keep me posted. Definitely not the kind of text I was expecting from my grandpa at that moment but I responded saying I'd go see her later that night when I got off work. I forwarded the text to Tracy and he responded with "is this the only grandma we have left?" I had to sadly respond in the affirmative. My grandma Miller died 5 years ago and all of Tracy's Grandparents have passed on as well.
About two hours later I got a text from my cousin saying it might have been a stroke. I started to think this was a bit more serious than the original text from my Grandpa had stated and left work a bit early to go to the hospital. When I got there, I went to the ICU and found most of my family around her. She was being put into a hypothermic state to minimize any damage from whatever it was that happened. At this point they didn't know what but suspected heart attack although the enzyme was missing from her blood tests. My uncle Michael was speeding home from Vegas (he made it in 5 hours), my Aunt Diane was driving down from Portland and my Aunt Anne would leave the next morning from Phoenix. My uncle Robert flew in from Dallas, all of us anxious to know what was going on.  She would be hypothermic for 24 hours before being warmed up and more tests would be done to figure out the cause. She had not regained consciousness and was hooked up to every machine imaginable and was on paralytics to control shivering. The nurse was very honest with us and told us to prepare for every situation as sometimes people wake up from this just fine, and some people just dont wake up. Thats when I started crying. I'm the oldest grandchild and even at 31 was not prepared for a life without my Grandparents. The next two days were mostly waiting. It took 12 hours to get her body temperature down, and thats when the clock started ticking for the 24 hours, then it took 12 hours to warm her back up. I spent every night at the hospital holding her hand and visiting with my family. My Grandpa was so amazingly strong. Making inappropriate jokes is kind of a thing with our family and it didnt stop just because we were in the hospital. My great-uncle Dale told a hilarious ambien story, my uncle Brent over shared about his recent hemorrhoid operation. We all just talked and visited and prayed for the best. Friday morning my Grandma regained consciousness for a few moments, She recognized that people were there with her and cried and then was back to unconsciousness. She opened her eyes a few more times and made some non-reflexive motions with her arms but the level of consciousness the doctors had hoped for were not there. She was given a 30% chance of recovery. Saturday they moved her to a hospice. I went and sat with her for hours that night, it was my 11th wedding anniversary and lucky for me Tracy understood how important it was to spend time with my family. I asked my family how much time she was given and they said it would be a few days, a week at the most.  I left at about 9:00 to go home and be with my family, I kissed my Grandmas forehead and told her i'd see her tomorrow.  At 10:20 ish my cousin Jessica texted me and said they didn't think she'd make it through the night. Tracy and I called his mom to see if she'd take the girls and I literally drove 100 miles an hour on the freeway to make it back to the hospice. We had to ring the doorbell and my cousins Emily and Christina ran through the halls to answer the door for us. They simply said Hurry. I ran back with them through the hospice and walked into my Grandmas room. I glanced around the room quickly. My grandpa was there, my aunt anne and uncle matthew, my aunt diane, my aunt kathryn, my uncle brent and aunt raelyn, unlce michael and aunt laura, uncle robert, uncle douglas, emily, christina, jessica, uncle donald and aunt janice, Tracy and I all crammed into a tiny room to say goodbye to a most amazing woman. I looked at my Uncle Michael and he said "She just passed." I burst into tears and was passed around for a few minutes as different members of my family embraced me. I dont even know who all i cried on but i know that i ended up with Tracy. Then we started singing. All of us, together as a family, sang several songs including I need thee every hour, nearer my god to thee and god be with you til we meet again. It was such a special moment. I was so thankful that I got to be there for it. A few minutes after we finished singing my Uncle Michael commented, "If she was Joyce in this life, is she going to be Rejoiced in the next?" Everyone laughed and the hospice nurse came in a few minutes later. She was speaking to my Grandpa and said "i am sorry for your loss, but i have to say, this was such a beautiful passing. There is Joy in this room. I'm sorry that you guys weren't here longer because you're an amazing family."
And its so true. My family is amazing.
The funeral was beautiful, so many flowers. I got to take some home because there were too many to transport to the grave site. Hopefully I wont kill them. I took one with plants mostly in hopes of keeping them alive a very long time. I"m not the best green thumb so we'll see. I'm so very grateful that she was my Grandma, so very grateful that my children got to know her and appreciate her. I can't wait to see her again.

Joyce Lester Carlston Kimball

Joyce Lester Carlston Kimball
February 8, 1932-June 15, 2013
Joyce Lester Carlston Kimball, 81, died peacefully on June 15, 2013, in Salt Lake City surrounded by her loving family after a cardiac arrest at home. Joyce was born at home in Salt Lake City to George Reynolds Carlston and Eliza Lester Carlston. She was the youngest of her siblings. At the age of 13, Joyce was orphaned and raised by her oldest sister, Naomi Chipman. She missed her parents and is now joyously reunited with them and her siblings, all of whom preceded her in death. Joyce loved her family dearly and was a remarkable wife and mother who raised nine children.
She graduated from South High School and attended LDS Business College. She then served a mission in Mexico, when it was uncommon for women to serve. Joyce met her future husband, Griffith Lyn Kimball of Draper, Utah, while serving in the mission office, and they courted after their missions. Joyce and Lyn were married in the Salt Lake Temple on December 28, 1956, and enjoyed their newlywed years in Colorado Springs, Colorado, while Lyn was in the U.S. Army and then returned to Draper. In January 1962, the family moved to Temple View, New Zealand. Joyce served in the temple, on the Hamilton Stake Relief Society Board and in many other capacities. In 1966, they returned to Draper, Utah to raise their family. Her service in the LDS church included Relief Society President, Primary Presidency, Gospel Doctrine teacher, and many other loved callings. Joyce was office manager at Davis Benefits for almost 19 years where she enjoyed cherished friendships and associations. After her retirement, Joyce and her sweetheart served full-time missions together in Pennsylvania Philadelphia, and in the Utah Salt Lake City South (Spanish) Mission, which included service in the Hispanic Initiative and Daily Dose Program. At the time of her passing, she was serving as a temple worker in the baptistry of the Draper Utah Temple and as a Family Relations and Temple Preparation teacher. She retains a deep love for the Hispanic and Polynesian peoples.
Joyce was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Her family is her most cherished accomplishment. She was a dedicated family historian and helped prepare and publish family histories for the Kimball and Carlston families. She enjoyed children, cats, collies, flowers, gardening, cooking, sewing and baking. She was an amazing cook and loved making breads, Mexican food and Christmas candies. Her life was a legacy of love and service to all. We miss her dearly and look forward to being with her again.
Joyce is survived by her husband, Griffith Lyn Kimball; children David (Diane), Robert (Susan), Kathryn Shelton (Wesley), Donald (Janice), Michael (Laura), Brent (Raelyn), Anne Kirkham (Matthew), Diane Clark (Bryan), and Douglas (Sindee); 30 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; as well as Lyn's brothers Dale (Rachel), Gordon, and brother-in-law, Herbert Pedersen, and many other family members. She was preceded in death by her parents, and brothers and sisters, Lester Carlston, Naomi Chipman, Esther Cowan and Beth Bailey, as well as sisters-in-law Marva Jeanne Pedersen and Margaret Kimball.
Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, June 20, 2013, at the Draper 7th Ward located at 600 East 12300 South, Draper, Utah. Family and friends may visit 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 19, at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East 10600 South, Sandy, Utah, and 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., on Thursday, June 20, at the Draper 7th Ward. Interment will be at Larkin Sunset Gardens, Sandy, Utah. We thank the first responders as well as the staff at St. Marks Hospital and Care Source for their kind attention to and care of our dear Joyce. Joyce loved flowers, but if you would like to, please donate to the LDS Church General Missionary or Humanitarian Fund in her memory. Online condolences to www.larkincares.com.