Geneva Ellen Price

There are 5 open spaces in the Bell family plot. It was purchased back in 1890 (or just prior to that) by the Bell family. The first to be buried in it was baby Bernie in 1890. Because it was already paid for by the Bell family, the only cost to use the open spaces is to pay the $800 that the funeral home charges to open and close the grave. (If a person chooses to be cremated then that cost is only $500.)
The Bell family plot has an East Side and a West Side. On the West Side are the graves of Indie, Orion, Jessica and Roy. It appears there is an open space between Jessica and Roy, but she doesn’t think that was intended because it is a small space. On the East Side, the only space taken is baby Bernie. Then there are 4 open spaces next to him. All Grandma needs to do is choose which spot she wants and let the funeral home know her wishes. She can choose to be across from her mom, or her dad, or her grandparents.

January 4, 2023
TRIBUTE:
Geneva Ellen Bell Price. My Grandma. My best friend. My secret keeper. Some might say I'm lucky to be 40 years old and still have my Grandma. All I know is I've lived 40 years with you in my life, and now I don't know how to live life without you. Anyone who knows my Grandma knows she's tough. She was born in 1934 during the Great Depression. Her dad was a school superintendent, and her mother was a teacher. (I was named after her mom – my Great Grandma Jessica.) Grandma never had an easy life. She raised two daughters as a single mother, one of whom has special needs. But Grandma never let challenges stop her from achieving her goals. She became a teacher like her mother and went on to earn her Master's degree as a young, working single mother. She taught many subjects, including high school English and drama, but the majority of her career she taught special education.Grandma told me last July that she didn't feel she had accomplished enough in her life. Throughout her career, said she felt other teachers didn't see her as an equal because she taught special education. She felt they looked upon her as less-than. A moment later she recounted a story of shopping at the local Walmart a couple years ago and having a man approach her and ask if she was Mrs. Price. "Yes," she said. "How do you know me?" The man proceeded to tell her who he was – a former student of hers – and what a positive difference she had made in his life decades earlier. I told her surely her career mattered if a student would remember her and thank her so many years later. She also still receives Christmas cards from some of her former students – a testament to the lasting impact she made on their young lives. Grandma was more than a grandparent to me and my sisters. She was a parent. My sisters and I grew up without a father in our home, yet we never felt the loss because Grandma was there to fill in all the gaps. For many years while my mom worked overnight shifts as a nurse, we would spend our nights at Grandma's house. We wore that sidewalk out between her house and ours. Countless meals were eaten crowded around her kitchen table. We didn't have a TV at our house, so we'd watch our favorite shows at Grandma's. Not only did she care for us – she also cared for her adult daughter (my Aunt Lynita) with special needs as well as Lynita's two disabled children. She made many personal sacrifices to better the lives of those around her. We were a dysfunctional family of 8 for sure, but with Grandma as the matriarch, we never felt that way.Grandma loved planting flowers in the spring. I remember how she'd call me over to look at a snapdragon and gently squeeze it to show me how it could open its mouth. When we were little, she would sprinkle water on our heads and joke about how she was making her flowers grow. She enjoyed politics and loved her country and the 4th of July. She also loved Scotland and Scottish music, especially bagpipes. Christmas was always special at her house because she would buy a live tree. Sometimes it wasn't until a day or two before Christmas, but she'd always come through and get the tree up in time. We kids would help decorate it, and in our eyes, it was grander than any fancier tree simply because it was ours. Grandma taught us to make Monkey Bread and mini apple pies, meatloaf and chili soup, goulash and beef with noodles. She even showed us how to make butter using glass jars and heavy cream. She took me and my sisters prom dress shopping and splurged to buy us the dresses we really wanted even if they cost more. She helped pay for our ballet lessons and came to every recital. Once she booked a Walt Disney Cruise and took all 8 of us on an epic family vacation. She made us wear bright orange shirts with IOWA printed on them so she could keep track of us. When we started thinking about college, Grandma took us on college visits, even out of state if we had our eye ona particular university. I'll never forget riding the Greyhound bus from Ottumwa, Iowa to Nashville, Tennessee with Grandma to visit Belmont for the first time. Lucky for us, Grandma was always up for an adventure.Grandma was a cat lover. Some of her most loyal cat friends over the years were a feisty calico named Callie, Rambo, Teddy and Penny. Grandma retired from teaching when she was 59 after more than 30 years in the classroom so she could care for Great Grandma Jessica full-time. By then, Great Grandma had dementia and required round the clock care until she died at age 99. It was a labor of love because Grandma couldn't stand the idea of putting her mother in a nursing home. She feared that might happen to her one day, even though we all assured her it wouldn't. One of her greatest fears has been losing her memory since she saw that happen to her mother. She practiced brain exercises to try to keep her mind sharp, and at 88, she still had her memory and knew the ones she loved.Grandma became terminally ill in the spring of 2020 with Pulmonary Fibrosis. One of thehardest challenges she faced was adjusting to life connected to oxygen. A year later came another difficult blow. Small bowel cancer. Inoperable due to the delicate condition of her lungs. Now, in addition to being on oxygen, she had to be on a liquid diet for the remainder of her life. I cried buckets when I heard the news, but Grandma was so strong. She was scared, but she did her best not to show it. I'm so blessed to have been able to go to Iowa and spend a month with Grandma in July 2021 and then again to spend three weeks with her in July 2022. We didn't know how much time we'd have together, but we knew time was of the essence. We drank our coffee together every morning and reminisced. We looked at old photos. We got out all her fancy china and had a tea party in her front yard. We drove out to the country to visit Mars Hill Church, which her ancestors helped build in the 1800's. We took a few car rides to Graham's Dairy Freeze for ice cream. We planted flowers in her front yard. When she got weak, Bryce, Brett and Brielle planted the flowers for her while she sat and looked on.In less than a year, Grandma lost 80 pounds. When her doctor encouraged Hospice, Grandma adamantly refused. "I have so much left to do," she said. "I'm not ready to leave this beautiful world." Some of the items remaining on her bucket list included riding on a dog sled and seeing the Northern Lights. But the truth is none of us has enough time to accomplish all our dreams, because we are limited to our human bodies. So I'm convinced God saves some of those dreams for heaven. Grandma believed in Jesus Christ and that he died to take away the sins of the world. For that reason, I know she'll spend eternity in heaven. I told her when I get there, she'll be the first person I'll be looking for. She said, "I'll be looking for you, too." Until that day comes, I'll grieve. But I'll also celebrate the woman she was and the life she lived because there was no one like her. She was a champion for the underdog. An advocate for those marginalized by society. She was fiercely independent, but incredibly loyal to her family and friends.
Until we meet again, Grandma, I hope you're riding on a dog sled across the hills of heaven. I hope you can look down and marvel at the Northern Lights. Most of all, I hope you always know how much you are loved. Yours truly, Your Granddaughter Jessica