Are you looking for a poetic tribute to a great-grandmother who has died?
Here’s a selection of great-grandma quotes and poems. Whether you’re planning a funeral speech for your great-grandmother or you just need words of comfort, take a look and see what you think.
Great-grandma funeral poems
This section includes a variety of great-grandmother poems for funerals. Some are tender and loving while others are more solemn and reflective. We’ve also included some short great-grandma death poems that might suit a condolence letter or card.
Rest in peace (RIP) great-grandma poems
Great Grandmother by Courtney Redmond
‘Great Grandmother’ is a sad and serious religious poem that ends on a positive note. The poet’s great-grandma might have left a small mark on the world – but she left a big impression on her loved ones’ hearts.
Read ‘Great Grandmother’ here.
Great Grandma by Anna Heiar
Here’s another great-nan funeral poem with a religious feel. This one tells the story of a widowed great-grandmother who dies in a nursing home. The poet is sure that she’s gone to join her husband in Heaven.
I Dream of My Grandmother and Great-grandmother by Maria Mazziotti Gillan
Maria Mazziotti Gillan is an American poet of Italian heritage. In this poem, she reflects on her ancestors back in Italy. Though she never met her grandmother or great-grandma, she feels their loving presence as she thinks of her own daughter.
Read ‘I Dream of My Grandmother and Great-grandmother’ here.
Great-grandmother poems from grandchildren
Cleaning by Camille T. Dungy
Have you ever found yourself thinking deep and emotional thoughts as you carry out a mundane task? That’s what ‘Cleaning’ is about. The poet washes out an old jar of tomatoes and feels a sudden connection to her great-grandmother, who grew and prepared the tomatoes years ago.
The Day After My Great Grandmother’s Funeral by Mona Hagmagid
‘The Day After My Great Grandmother’s Funeral’ is a poem about losing a great-grandmother and coming to terms with the immediate aftermath. Hagmagid feels that the world is ‘buzzing’ with grief, as she reflects on her identity as a Muslim, an American and a human being.
Read ‘The Day After My Great-Grandmother’s Funeral’ here.
Request to a Year by Judith Wright
In ‘Request to a Year’, Judith Wright shares a story about her great-grandmother’s life as an artist and mother. Then, as she signs off, she wishes for a single Mother’s Day present – the firm grip of her great-grandma’s hand in hers.
Read ‘Request to a Year’ here.
Short great-grandma poems
Great Grandmother’s Ring by Olivia M
Are you looking for great-grandma poems for funerals that also pay tribute to a great-grandpa? ‘Great Grandmother’s Ring’ might fit the bill. It’s a poem about a wedding ring – a simple treasure that holds memories of dreams and promises from long ago.
Read ‘Great Grandmother’s Ring’ here.
My Grandmother’s House by Kamala Das
Kamala Das was a famous Indian poet who often wrote of love and loss. In this tragic poem, she longs for the unconditional love she received at her grandmother’s house as a child. Now, as an adult, she feels like she has to beg for scraps of love from strangers.
Read ‘My Grandmother’s House’ here.
A happy birthday poem to Great-Grandma in heaven
Happy Birthday in Heaven by Ron Tranmer
This might not work as a great-grandma funeral poem – but it’s tender and heartfelt all the same. With its ‘heavenly happy birthday’ message, it might suit a birthday memorial service. You could always read it to yourself for comfort, too.
Read ‘Happy Birthday in Heaven’ here.
‘In memory of Great-Grandma’ quotes and sayings
Here are a few memorial quotes that talk about what it means to be a grandmother or great-grandma. You could use one in a funeral speech or write it in a sympathy letter or card.
A quote about food and wisdom by Michael Pollan
"Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognise as food."
Michael Pollan is a journalist who often writes about food and eating. He probably didn’t mean this as a great-grandmother death quote. However, it works because it hints at something we all know is true: Great-grandma knows best.
A long quote about family by Gayl Jones
"My great-grandmama told my grandmama the part she lived through that my grandmama didn't live through and my grandmama told my mama what they both lived through and my mama told me what they all lived through and we're supposed to pass it down like that from generation to generation so we'll never forget."
This quote comes from a novel called Corregidora, which tells the story of a blues singer in the American South. The key part is ‘we’re supposed to pass it down’: the quote is about respecting tradition, as well as the wisdom of our elders.
A humorous quote about being a great-grandparent
"Just when grandparents think their work is finished someone calls them ‘great’."
We don’t know who said this originally – but it’s funny and meaningful nonetheless.
A quote about a grandmother’s love by Janet Lanese
"Grandmother-grandchild relationships are simple… Grandmas are short on criticism and long on love."
Janet Lanese wrote several books about being a grandmother. This quote is one of her best.
