Muriel J. Brainard

Muriel J. Brainard, 87, of Highland, CA died at home, Friday, January 27, 2012. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Chester F. Brainard, her parents Joseph and Katherine Kavanaugh of Ohio, and her brother, Ted Kavanah of Michigan. She is survived by a sister, Bette Coole of Belville, Ohio; daughters: Linda Herrick (Phil) of Modesto, CA and Dorothy Handy (Steve) of Highland, Ca; Grandchildren: Christopher Herrick of Des Moines, IA, Jason Licht of CA, Kara Herrick of Modesto, CA, and Ryan Handy of Highland, CA. Great Grandchildren: Ashton Herrick, Sabrina and Nathan Licht. She was a member of the Highland Congregational Church. Funeral Services will be Thursday February 2, 2012 at 12:00 PM at Highland Congregational Church with Interment immediately following at Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands. M is for the million things she gave me O means only that she's growing old. T is for the tears she shed to save me. H is for her heart of purest gold. E is for her eyes with love like shining. R means "right" and "right" she'll always be. Put them all together and they spell Mother, a word that means the world to me. I remember this poem from my elementary days and then teaching it to my students thought the years to write on Mother's Day cards. But they are true words about our mom. She was born October 14, 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio. She lived and grew up in the Cleveland area and graduated from Maple Heights High in 1944. She would laugh and tell us stories of how she lived right across the street from the high school and she was always in trouble because she was late for school. She married and moved to Mentor, Ohio where she lived until moving to California in 2002. Our mom was a homemaker for many years and later took a job in the housekeeping department of Lake County Memorial Hospital in Painesville, Ohio. After retirement she and dad spent time working in their yard and sitting on the front porch enjoying a good cup of coffee and a snack. To this day she still loved to work in her yard. She loved sun flowers and had write a collection of sunflower collectibles around her house given to her by family and friends. She loved books and word search puzzles, mayonnaise on french fries, mixing her food, "it tastes better that way" she would say, playing bingo with her friends on Monday nights, and watching Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo cartoons. Mom loved family and if you asked her about her sons in law she would tell you that God gave her the best sons in law in the world, Phil and Steve. She loved being spoiled by them. She adored her grandchildren: Chris, Jason, Kara and Ryan. She was so proud of them and always told them so. She was also a great grandmother to Ashton, Sabrina and Nathan. She loved being called great Grammy. Happiness was when we were all around her. Mom was a quiet, private person with a strong faith in God. She would always remind us to pray and God would be there to help us through our difficult times. She loved church and singing the old hymns she remembered from her childhood. Shen she moved here she began to attend this church and loved being here for Sunday service. One of her favorite hymns was, "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief's to bear, what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer. She leaves us with a legacy of unconditional love, faith and the importance of family. Mom, we'll do our best to pass your legacy along to future generations. We love and miss you. Your family, Linda, Phil, Dorothy, Steve, Chris, Jason, Kara, Ryan, Ashton, Sabrina and Nathan