SeanPaulMurphyVille: My Family: My Granddaugher Emma Renee Schwalm

Sunday, November 12, 2023

My Family: My Granddaugher Emma Renee Schwalm

I can't believe I'm writing a genealogical blog about someone who was supposed to outlive me by sixty years, but here I am....

On Friday, October 20, 2023, my wife Deborah and I lost our precious eight-year-old granddaughter Emma. Emma was a beautiful, intelligent and sweet girl. She was a wonderful sister to her older sister Claudia and her little brother Ian, and she was like a sister to her cousin Mara. We called them twin cousins. I always wondered what Emma would achieve in her life. She was bright, kind and independently minded, and not without a little playful mischief in her heart. She certainly had grandpa figured out. I would see her and Mara in pool whispering and looking at me. Then Emma would swim up to me with a smile and say, "Grandpa, can we have a snack?" The answer was always yes. I could never say no to her.

Here's one story that summed up our relationship. Early this summer, she had a sleepover at our house. Emma came over and sat beside me on the sofa and asked, "Grandpa, who do you love the most?" "Grandma," I answered. "Well, who loves you the most?" Emma continued. "Grandma," I replied. "No," she answered. "I do." (I'm not intimating that she loved me more than anyone else in her life -- only that she felt that she loved me more than anyone else in my life loved me!) About a month ago, I recounted that conversation to her. "You remember that?" she said quietly. "Of course, I do," I replied. "I'm going to remember it the rest of my life." And I will.

I always wondered what Emma would achieve in her life. Now I know. It was a short life, but she managed to bring love to everyone she knew. That's a great accomplishment. I will miss her everyday of my life.

Here's my daughter Elizabeth's Facebook post about Emma's death:

On Friday October 20th at 11:48 am the world lost one of its most beautiful souls that has ever walked this earth. Emma was a perpetual source of light, positive energy and love, as anyone who was blessed enough to have met her already knows. I don't have the words to express the true blessing that was my daughter, or the loss I (we) feel as a family. All I can really express is that she made me truly happy to be a mom. Emma , you are sooo missed and soo completely loved by me, Claudia, Ian and all who knew you. I love you forever and you'll always be in my heart, my angel.

Emma's neighbors held a candlelight vigil for her.

Here's the official death notice from the funeral home:

Emma Renee Schwalm, age 8, sadly passed away on Friday, October 20, 2023. Born in York, PA, a beloved daughter of Elizabeth Fry of Parkville and Christopher Littlefield of Baltimore; cherished sister of Claudia and Ian Schwalm; loving granddaughter of Deborah Murphy and husband Sean of Baltimore, Robert Fry and wife Joanne of New Windsor, Roger Schwalm and wife Linda of Shippensburg, PA and the late Claudia Schwalm; dear niece of Erica Hicks of Kansas City, KS, Jason Kinnear and wife Carolyn of New Windsor, Jessica Garthley and husband Neil of Brick, NJ, Christine Fry and husband Josh Harmon of Cockeysville, Wesley Fry of New Windsor, Roger Schwalm of Savannah, GA, Scott Schwalm and wife Linda Tausin of Cincinnati, OH and Melissa Littlefield of Waynesboro, PA. Also survived by cousins, other relatives, classmates and friends. Emma will be lovingly missed.

Family will receive friends on Thursday, November 2, 2023 from 5:00-8:00 PM in the family owned Parkview Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 7527 Harford Rd, Parkville.

Here's a memorial video I made for her. I think it captures her spirit:

Elizabeth wanted the memorial video made to the song Somewhere Over The Rainbow. However, that was not Emma's favorite song. Her favorite song was Counting Stars by OneRepublic. Here's a memorial video to that song. I hope you like it, Emma.

I don't know what we're going to do without our little Emma. Everything I do reminds me of her. Plus, she had offered to come to the nursing home when I got really old to watch horror movies with me.

I'm going to miss her.

Click here for more of my genealogical blogs:

My Family: Christmas 1967

My Family: My Granddaughter Emma Renee Schwalm

My Family: The Diaries of Mary Elizabeth McLane, Part 1
My Family: The Back River Tragedy

My Family: My Three Nuns
My Family: The Murder of Adam G. Robertson
My Family: Uncle Buzzy and The Boys In Company B
My Family: 1st Lieutenant Charles Edward Farber, KIA
My Family: Cousin Tillie's Balcony
My Family: The Public Suicide of Carl "Ernie" Stark
My Family: The Public Suicide of Frank Kostohryz
My Family: Mary Marshall Mirfin, Hero
My Family: Rita Cecilia Rosenberger Protani Pollock
My Family: Vincent Klima and the Spanish Influenza
My Family: A Festival of Fathers
My Family: The Honorable George Farber
My Family: A Celebration of Mothers
My Family: The Mystery of Frank John Murphy
My Family: Kristina Bednar Kostohryz
My Family: Great-Grandmom Assunta's Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Be sure to check out my memoir The Promise, or the Pros and Cons of Talking with God, published by TouchPoint Press. It is my true story of first faith and first love and how the two became almost fatally intertwined.

Here are some sample chapters of The Promise:

Chapter 1 - A Photograph

Chapter 2 - My Death

Chapter 3 - Childhood

Chapter 4 - Saved!

Chapter 5 - The Promise

Chapter 6 - The Mission

Chapter 7 - Mission Accomplished
Chapter 15 - Quarter To Midnight

Be sure to check out my novel Chapel Street. It tells the story of a young man straddling the line between sanity and madness while battling a demonic entity that has driven his family members to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting my family experienced.

You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.

Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer: