Obituary Examples for a Grandmother
Grandmothers collect names — Gogo, Ouma, Nana, Granny — and each one holds a household of memories. These examples show how families write a grandmother's obituary at three lengths, from a brief printed notice to a story that smells like Sunday lunch.
Short and loving
Esther Mokoena, 88, beloved gogo of the Mokoena family, passed away peacefully on 10 July 2026 in Soshanguve. Born on 25 December 1937, she raised six children and helped raise fourteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, ruling them all with soft slippers and an iron spoon. She is survived by her children Grace, Samuel, Ruth, Peter, Naledi, and Josiah, and generations who will keep her recipes and her rules. The funeral will be held at her home on Saturday at 08:00, thereafter at Lutheran Church Soshanguve.
The storyteller's version
Winifred "Winnie" Adams, 91, died on 16 July 2026, outliving two husbands, one hip, and every prediction her doctors ever made. Born in 1935 in the Bo-Kaap, she measured nothing and burnt nothing for seventy years of cooking; her koesisters funded half the church roof and all of its gossip. She taught her granddaughters to play klawerjas and her grandsons to iron their own shirts, holding that both were survival skills. She leaves 4 children, 11 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and a recipe book nobody can read because, as she always said, "the amounts are in my hands." We will miss her hands most of all.
Faith-centered
Martha Dlamini, 84, faithful servant and prayer warrior, was called home on 22 July 2026. For fifty years her 4 a.m. prayers held her family up before any of them were awake to know it. A founding member of her congregation's women's league, she kept a Bible whose margins held the names of every child, grandchild, and neighbour she prayed for daily — three generations, none forgotten. She is survived by her daughters, Thoko and Beauty; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and a legacy measured in answered prayers. "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." — Proverbs 31:27.
Writing tips for a grandmother's obituary
- Count the generations — "14 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren" is the proudest line of a grandmother's obituary.
- Food is memory: naming one dish she was famous for will make the whole congregation smile through tears.
- Include the name the grandchildren actually called her — Gogo, Ouma, Nana — it is the truest name she had.
- Grandmothers' obituaries are often read by great-grandchildren decades later; write the version worth keeping.
Common questions
Who is the obituary "from" — children or grandchildren?+
Traditionally the children write or approve it, but a grandchild's voice often carries the warmth. Many families draft it together — the editor's share-nothing autosave means one person can type while everyone contributes.
How do we handle a very large family list?+
Name the children individually; count the grandchildren ("14 grandchildren") unless the family is small. A programme page stays readable when the list stays shorter than the story.