I am here today to honor and pay tribute to my grandmother Marie Rosa Mason. I stand before you today as a symbol of my grandmother's hard work, determination, and great love. She is survived by her 3 children (Nick, Vic, and Teresa), 7 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. My grandmother had many names that we all knew her by: Marie, Rosie, Mom, and dearest to my heart Gaw-Gaw.

My grandma was born on February 2, 1932 in Long Beach, California. She was the eldest daughter of 6 children. Her parents were Frederico and Bernabel Hernandez. She was also raised in Long Beach and told us many stories of the Pike and Saturday night boxing matches. In 1961 she bought her first and only home in HB where she lived up until she passed away. In this house she raised her sons Nick, Vic, her daughter Teresa and later on myself and my sister Aubrey.

My grandmother was the backbone of our family. She kept us all together and made us a close knit family. Some people might say my grandma was odd, but I think her eccentricities are what set her apart and made her special. Once you met my grandma you never forgot her. She left an everlasting impression on everyone she met. Either you loved her from the beginning or you didn't, there was no in between.

She was a combination of so many things. She was independent, she was hard working, she was strong willed, at times she was onry, she was beautiful and yet she could tell a dirty joke better than any man. She amazed me time after time.

My grandmother worked hard her whole life. She worked at Rockwell for over 40 years and had countless other jobs on the side. It was her hard work and her unselfishness that helped raise her children and her grandchildren. My grandmother would work 2 or 3 jobs so we wouldn't go without and we never wanted for anything. When she saw something she wanted, no matter what the cost, it was her determination and hard work that allowed her to acquire it. However she did say we would have to eat beans and tortillas for the next 6 weeks. My grandmother never took a vacation, not because she couldn't but because she put us first. My grandma gave all that she could and more to us and we loved her all the more for it. I think we all worked so hard to please her because we knew she physically worked so hard to please us and take care of us.

There were so many things that my grandmother loved. Without question, her favorite activity was shopping. When my grandmother wasn't working, you could find her at the mall. It was her home away from home. I bet you could go to any mall within a 30 mile radius and someone there would know my grandma. She loved beautiful things and jewelry was one of them. Her jewelry brought her a lot of happiness. Partly because she bought it herself and partly because of how it made her feel. She loved to get dressed up and loved to go dancing. She loved her high heels and would often buy her shoes and then the outfit to match. She has a shoe collection that rivals that of Imelda Marcos. She loved to go to the movies. She loved to watched 3 or 4 movies during one session. She would often go into the movies during the day and not come out until it was dark outside.

My grandmother taught me so many values. She taught me that with hard work and determination you can accomplish anything, and with her love we all did. There is nothing my grandmother couldn't do. She was the #1 fan of all her children and grandchildren. She was always rooting for us to win the game, or pass the test or get the job. You could count on her love, support, and understanding whatever the task at hand might be. She taught us to keep our eye on the prize and to never give up.

I know in my heart that my grandmother is up in heaven right now, probably in the nursery, and watching over all of us. She is young, and she is beautiful again and she is in perfect health. I will miss her terribly but I know that I will be with her again someday but until then I just want to tell her how much I love her and that I would not be the woman I am today without her love and support. I think that the main verse of Celine Dion's "Because you loved me" epitomizes my grandmother's love for us. I would like to end her eulogy by reading it to you:

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
Brought out the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You taught me faith cause you believed
I'm everything I am because you loved me

I love you Gaw-Gaw!

Sommer