Tink

This is Ben's step-grandma, whom her grandkids (except Ben) call "Tink." Sometime I need to ask why. Ben just calls her "grandma." Tink passed away last month.

Ben felt closer to her than he did his other grandparents. I would call them his "blood" grandparents, but he's adopted, so that doesn't quite work. :) Tink, or Lorraine, as I call her, lived with Ben and his mom and stepdad for awhile when he was in high school, so he and Lorraine grew very close.

Here is Lorraine at age 19:

She's the one that used to always brag that she was quite a "dish." I agree.

The one thing I remember most fondly about Lorraine is that she came to my temple endowment. I thought it was so sweet, because she has like ten million grandkids - blood grandkids - but she took the time to go to her step-grandson's fiance's endowment.

The woman never, ever rested. She never just sat and vegged. She was always up cooking and fussing over everyone. I don't know where she got all of that energy. She had to work as a single mom for most of her adult life, supporting six kids (I think), but she never complained. I think that's amazing.

I couldn't go down to the funeral, because I had to work (and I didn't want to ask for it off, because I had just gotten hired and didn't want to push it), but my mom graciously watched my kids all day while Ben went down to Salt Lake for the funeral. Ben's step-sister-in-law took these pictures at the grave site. Here are the three baldies - Ben's stepbrother Danny, Ben, and his other stepbrother Dave:

And below, Ben and a whole bunch of his stepfamily:

I really like Lorraine's casket - I think it's pretty. I'm so glad Lorraine is out of her misery. She really struggled for the past year or so; now she's in a better place.