Gertrude Riggs
This memorial was written August 16, 2019, by her granddaughter, Raine Riggs when we were told that Gram had hours left to live; never did we think that Raine would precede her in death.
We will miss you Gram but we are so happy that you’re at peace and with Pap, Raine and Richard.
Til we meet again…….
How do you go on when the heart of your family is suddenly gone? Hopefully, you do it with the same quiet dignity, humility and strength that she has always shown you. You go on knowing that a piece of her lives inside of you and always will. It’s the part of you that keeps going no matter how tough times might get. It’s the part of you that always welcomes a family member, neighbor or friend with open arms, a cup of coffee and something delicious (and homemade) to eat. It’s the part of you that never stops worrying about or caring for the people you love. It’s the part of you that can tell a good story and the part that listens with interest to the stories of others. It’s the part of you that knows how to grow a garden, do a cartwheel, play “pretend restaurant” for hours with a young child and bake the most delicious buns anyone will ever eat. It’s the part of you that can bake an award winning pie. Just kidding. None of us ever mastered her pie crust.
As we move forward through our grief, we will take comfort in our memories. We’ll remember all of the hours spent on the front porch swing with her. It was everyone’s favorite seat in the house, the honor of sitting next to Grandma and watching the hummingbirds flit around the generously filled feeders a coveted spot. We’ll remember the Sunday dinners with the entire family gathered around the table while Grandma hovered around the edges, making sure everyone else was taken care of and insisting that she wasn’t really hungry anyway. We’ll remember spending every Christmas Eve at her house, the absolute beauty of her tree, the presents waiting beneath and the smell of Christmas Eve ham wafting in from the kitchen. We’ll remember the Easter egg hunts in the front yard and the full size candy bars she handed out at Halloween. We’ll remember how she patiently taught us how to cook and bake and harvest a garden. We’ll remember the steam filling the kitchen as she lined the counters with perfectly canned beans and tomatoes and other goodies from her garden. We’ll remember how she carried on for 26 years after her beloved husband died.
Her three granddaughters, Raine Riggs, Heather Kuhn and Renee Riggs will remember the nights spent camping in the front yard with her. They’ll remember how she used dish soap to fill her bathtub with giant mounds of foam for them to play and make a mess. They’ll remember how the popcorn that came from her special pan was better than anything they could possibly get at the movie theater. They’ll remember how she let them drink “coffee” on the chair in her kitchen while she cooked. They’ll remember how she patiently taught them to make buns, giving each of them their own dough to knead and shape into tiny versions of her own. They’ll remember all of the garage sale treasures she brought home for them, the old bridesmaid dresses and fancy hats, the oversized pumps for them to stomp around the yard in and the dolls and buggies for them to push up and down the sidewalks in front of her house. They’ll remember how she gave them sheets of wax paper that made the slide in her side yard so fast that they were airborne when they left it. They’ll remember the Sunday mornings they spent in the back seat of the car on their way to church, singing along to the gospel music playing on the eight track, and their grandparents telling them they were so good that they should sing it in front of the whole church. They’ll remember how a word of praise from her could make them feel like they had really accomplished something extraordinary. Her eldest granddaughter, Raine, the only one to move far away from home, will always remember stopping to say goodbye to grandma at the end of every visit back home. She will remember her standing at the end of her sidewalk smiling and waving goodbye until she finally vanished from sight in the rear view mirror.
Most of all, the family of Gertrude Riggs will remember the love she gave them, the gentle curve of her smile, the soft country twang of her speech and the way her eyes would twinkle when she was really happy. They will remember that what made her the happiest was their happiness. And, they will do all they can to honor her and carry the best parts of her on within themselves. Thank you, Ma, Memaw, Grandma for this life you have given us. We hope you and Pap are sitting on a porch swing somewhere together once again, watching the hummingbirds flit around the feeders.
Gertrude Marie Riggs passed away peacefully, October 20, 2020, with her family by her side.
She was born November 22, 1927 and married Herbert Riggs August 16, 1945.
Gertrude was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert Riggs who passed away March 21 1994; son, Richard Riggs who passed away November 19, 2019; and her granddaughter, Raine Riggs, who passed away October 5, 2019.
She is survived by her son, Herbert Riggs and his wife Jane; daughter, Darlene Kuhn and her husband Donnie; daughter-in-law, Rinda Riggs; granddaughters, Heather Kuhn and Renee Riggs; great-grandchildren, Connor, Sunnee, Ryleigh, Samara and Grayson. Her family takes comfort in knowing she is with Pap, Richard and Raine in Heaven.
All services are private and under the direction of the Lee & Martin Funeral Home, 73 Highland Avenue, Burgettstown, PA 15021.