KING, CATHERINE LYNN TANNER.   Beloved Catherine Lynn Tanner King of Dunnellon, FL, passed away at 57 years old, on Tuesday, January 10th, 2017. Taken too soon, she perished in a peaceful manner while under the comforting care of Ocala Regional Medical Center. Born on May 11th, 1959, in North Miami, FL, she moved to Dunnellon, FL with her then husband, Karl Grimes, from Pembroke Pines, FL. She was the proud daughter of Ryburn Tanner, of Ocala, FL, and Martha Drake, of Williston, FL. She was the eldest sister of three children, loved by her brother Gary Tanner of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and her sister Debbie Tanner of Titusville, FL. She was a loving and dedicated Mother of four children, Valarie Ann Ellsworth of Valdosta, GA, Tammy Lynn Yarber of Newnan, GA, Daniel Karl Grimes of Dunnellon, FL, and Emily Dawn King of Valdosta, GA. She was the proud Grandmother of Kate Lynn Yarber, whom is her namesake. She is now reunited with her late husband, Donald Bruce King of Newnan, GA. She will be cremated following a Catholic service at Robert's Funeral Home of Dunnellon, FL, on Tuesday, January 17th, 2016 at Noon. A celebration of life will be held under an outdoor pavilion at Rainbow Springs State Park, 19158 SW 81 Place Rd, Dunnellon, FL 34432, following the memorial service. 

Eulogy for Catherine Lynn Tanner King

Written with love by

Tammy Lynn Yarber

Thank you all for coming together today to honor our Mother, Catherine Lynn Tanner King.  There was nothing she valued more than her family and her friends.  She always wore a trademark smile, so I am sure that she is smiling brightly upon all of us here today.   

Regardless of who she was to you, I am sure we can all agree that she was one of the most compassionate and thoughtful people you have ever met.  The way she honored and adored her parents set the example for her children.  She loved her siblings unconditionally.  She was elated to become a grandmother and she cherished Kate immensely.  She was extremely proud of her greatest accomplishments, her four children.  She treated every child in her life as if he or she were a child of her own.  Her love had no bounds.   

Some aspire to be CEO's.  Some have dreams of becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but not our Mother.  Her dream was to one day become a dedicated and loving Mother.  At the young age of ten she was babysitting nearly every kid in her neighborhood.  During that time there was one baby in particular who inspired her dream of one day having eight kids.  She came to her senses about having eight kids after she had her fourth child.  The baby boy she cared for was named Daniel.  Twenty nine years later she named our only brother Daniel Karl Grimes, in honor of both our Father and the baby who inspired her to one day become the best Mother she could possibly be.  I speak for all of my siblings when I say that she certainly achieved that goal.  We could not have asked for a better Mom.  Towards the end of her life, her health set limitations on what she was able to do physically, but there were never limitations on her infinite love, advice, and quick wit.   

 Many women in their youth, including myself, strive to not become like their Mothers.  Even our Mother,  when she was younger, used to ask us to please tell her when she was being too much like her Mother.  Although,  we knew better than to ever say that!  As Mom grew older, she changed her mind about not becoming like her Mother.  Eventually she became honored to be as strong, smart, sweet, and as stubborn as our precious Grandmother.  As wisdom comes with age, today I am proud to say that in many ways my siblings and I are all just like our Mother.  She has blessed us with her spirituality. Mom showed us that a little charm can go a long way.  She raised us to be helpful and grateful.  She would always strive to make sure everyone was treated fairly and graciously. She taught us to be patient, and to always treat others how we would want to be treated.  She instilled in us her compassion and her humanity.  She inspired me to always be the best Mother I can be.  One of the greatest gifts she passed onto us was the ability to always laugh through life, no matter what.   

She raised us to be strong.  Her tenacity helped her jump life's hurdles with grace and ease.  She was a survivor.  She battled Pancreatitis and won.  Twenty percent of her skin was burned in a house fire. She lost everything she owned, but she still bounced right back.  She faced many trials and tribulations.  From poverty to the death of her spouse.  You name it, she has dealt with it before.  She never let anything keep her down for long.  She had a beautiful outlook on life.  She taught us to always see the beauty in the world.  Every plant,  creature,  cloud,  and human has a purpose and a right to be here.  Every action or gesture has a greater meaning.  Life is always balanced and everything happens for a reason.  She believed that God put her on this Earth to raise children to be good people.  She certainly did well.   

She has her own oasis in heaven now.  If it is anything like she imagined, then right now she is probably on a beach that is covered with shells.  The sun shines brightly as a cool breeze blows.  Her toes are in the cool sand and she has an icy drink in her hand.  She has her twenty year old body back and is relaxing to the greatest hits from the seventies to today on KTK.  She is in the company of both her late husband, Donnie and also Patrick Swayze in a paradise where jealousy does not exist.     

Mom, please say hello to Donnie, Grandma, and Grandpa Grimes for us, and all the other loved ones we have lost along the way, and of course, Patrick Swayze as well.  We miss you so much that it hurts, but we will get through this together, like you taught us.  We will remember the importance of family, and appreciate the bond you created.  We will take comfort in knowing you will always be with us, holding our hands forever.  Your sweet voice will continue to guide us through life, because it’s pleasant tone is unforgettable, just like your beautiful smile.  Every step we take through life, we will remember who taught us how to walk.   

We love you, Mom.  Heaven is lucky to have you, as were we.  Rest in peace.  

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