Kramer posted a touching tribute to Instagram and asked fans to keep her family in their prayers.
One Tree Hill alum Jana Kramer mourned the death of her grandfather on Thursday, posting a touching tribute to Instagram and asking fans to keep her family in their prayers.
"💔Heaven has a new angel. My grandpa, Jim Kauffman," the 38-year-old actress and country singer wrote. "Our hearts are broken💔. Please pray for my beautiful grandma @margekauffmann who said goodbye to her love of 72 years this morning…. and all of my family." Kramer paired the post with a collection of photos of Jim with his family.
"We didn't know if he was going to make it to the 4th of July but he hung in there for all of us to be around him one last time… To kiss and hug him one last time….I know we are all forever grateful that God gave us those final memories with him… And then he took him home… My grandpa was the funniest man I've ever met."
She continued, "He would have us laughing until we cried at the campfire with his jokes and stories. He was the euchre king and taught me everything I know about that game. He was a tough man but he loved my grandma since 4th grade. Thanks for all the love you gave us grandpa. Also, No one will ever be able to make stuffing as good as u on thanksgiving… EVER. I hope you are playing all the euchre and cribbage in heaven, with a beer and a shot of whiskey on the side. Rest in Peace Grandpa. We love you so much💔"
Kramer also spoke up about her grief on her Instagram Story, where she posted a photo of a mountaintop view with the words, "Heart is very heavy as I got the news 20 mins after landing in LA... but I sat up here for about an hour and just prayed. Listened to his favorite Willie Nelson and tried to get as close to heaven as I could up here."
Kramer added to her Story's carousel with several more videos of her grandfather and then thanked fans for their outpouring of love.
"No matter what age, loss is not easy," she said.
Kramer’s loss comes just a few days after she opened up about her ongoing mental health journey with a photo of her new tattoo, an ampersand symbol on her wrist. She posted a photo of the new ink, writing "felt so good to be back at therapy today. Focusing and working on mental health is just as important as physical and I'm so grateful to have a sacred place within @refugecenterforcounseling."
"I'll forever be grateful for my therapist Amy. She has helped me get back to the Jana I lost a lot time ago," she continued.
"This leads me to my new tattoo. I got the ampersand on my wrist. The symbol for me is my symbol for the healing work I've done and continue to do. You can be happy AND hurt/struggle. It's holding space for both. It's saying this is hard AND it's going to be okay. Holding space for both. Holding space for all of you….AND my story is not over yet."
Earlier this month, Kramer shared snapshots from her family’s vacation to her home state in Michigan.
"Being able to watch my kids up north Michigan at my happy place and where I had all my favorite memories as a kid has me so thankful and blessed. Until next time…" she wrote in one post.
Kramer shares two children, Jolie, 6, and Jace, 3, with her ex-husband Mike Caussin. The couple separated last year after six years of marriage, and Kramer confirmed her relationship with Ian Schinelli in January.
"Sometimes you just have to stop fighting it and listen to your heart," she captioned a series of pictures and videos with her new beau at the time.
"I don’t know what the future holds and honestly who does," she added. "Everyday I continue to heal and I know there is still lots of work to do, but damn it feels really nice to find happiness along the way. To find someone who doesn’t look at your scars as a challenge or problem but rather helps you hold them and stands there to encourage you with love, strength and empathy along the way."
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