Grandma Irene Hyatt

Thursday night, the world said goodbye to one of the sweetest women in all of its time - my grandmother. Irene Hyatt was an amazing lady who touched the lives of everyone she met. She was peppy and had a passion for life. Growing up, it was always a treat when our little family would make the 9 hour drive to Grandma and Grandpa Hyatt's. Their house was on a quiet block in the middle of Cedar City, UT. It was the same house that my dad was born and raised in, along with his brother and 2 sisters. We would all pile down in the basement to claim our beds. Every morning, I would wake up to the smell of cheese on toast. Grandma made the best bread in the world! We'd all sit around the table with our colored, plastic cups full of juice. Then we'd get dressed, grab a toy from the toy drawer and run outside to play. Grandpa hated it if you'd slam the door, so if you forgot and slammed it, you better believe you'd run faster down the street so he wouldn't come out and remind you. We'd take walks with Grandma down to the university campus or up the street to the elementary school. I loved swinging on the tire swing. That was the first place I ever got stung by a bee. In the late afternoon, we'd come back so Grandma and Grandpa could watch Jeopardy. They were so good at it. Grandpa would sit back in his recliner and do his daily crossword puzzle. For dinner, we always found our way to Chuck-A-Rama. One of my cousin's little boys nicknamed my grandma "The Chuck-A-Rama Gramma." That suits her pretty well. She could also be named "The Burger Queen." Every afternoon, Grandma would walk to Burger King to get her Whopper with extra vegetables. She confided in me not too long ago that she always gets the extra vegetables so she could tell her doctor she was eating lots and lots of veggies. Love her! Grandma played the piano like no one's business. She's had the same calling for 60+ years in her ward as the ward organist. Every time the ward would get a new bishop, she would try to convince him to release her. They just told her that she wasn't going to get off that easy. Of course! Who would really want to release a woman who brightened up the entire congregation with her prelude trills and unique arraignments. At home, she would play at request. She said that she could play any song you could think of, up until the 1940's without sheet music. And she always could. At nights, the adults would all sit around the 'big kid' table and play Progressive Rummy. It was a big deal when I was informally invited to play with them. It was almost like a rite of passage with the Hyatts. Grandpa cheated a lot. As a kid, I remember sitting on the floor watching them. I had a better view than most people would think. Sometimes I would see some of my cousins put a card between their toes and trade it with a card they needed from someone else, under the table. I didn't tell. After a long day of pure childhood bliss, all of the kids would retire to the downstairs to one of the many beds. Beth and I always seemed to get the same bed. Above it was a small shelf which held this little gem. A giraffe that was weighted with water and when you would push it's neck, it would bobble back and forth forever. We thought it was the greatest invention ever. Anyone in their right mind would agree with us! Days spent at Grandma and Grandpa's were always carefree and innocent. No responsibilty. The biggest question of the day was what toy to play with from out of the toy drawer - the frisbee or the sand oval. Gone are the days! Grandma Hyatt - you will be missed. You filled with the world with your music and ultimately your love. It was quite the reunion with Grandpa on Thursday night I'm sure. There isn't a better place to be than with your Father in Heaven and your eternal companion!