Cindy Anthony Pens Eulogy for Slain Granddaughter Caylee

Feb. 8, 2009 — -- Cindy Anthony, grandmother of slain Florida toddler Caylee Anthony, wrote a eulogy for the little girl in which she said Caylee "now has her angel wings and will be watching over so many other children."

The eulogy, first published in the Orlando Sentinel, marks Cindy's first public comments since investigators confirmed last month that a child's remains found less than a mile from the Anthony home were Caylee's.

"Caylee's life may have been short-lived on this Earth," the eulogy read, "but her life will not have ended without a purpose. She will be sadly missed but never forgotten."

Click here to read the full eulogy.

The statement also announced the Anthony family's plan to establish the Caylee Marie Anthony Foundation, whose purpose "will be to continue to generate awareness for missing children and to establish programs to assist in the well-being of those children in need of comfort and support during difficult and stressful times."

A public memorial service is scheduled to take place at the First Baptist Church of Orlando on Tuesday. The church boasts a seating capacity of 5,000, but one face will be strikingly absent from the expected crowd of mourners -- Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony.

Casey, who was charged with her daughter's murder in October, will not be allowed to attend the service.

Casey originally reported the child missing in July, but said the two-year-old had disappeared a month earlier.

Click here for a timeline of the case.

The day after she reported the child missing, Casey was arrested on charges including child neglect. During a bond hearing July 22, authorities named her a "person of interest" in Caylee's disappearance and said they were treating the case as a potential homicide after discovering "evidence of decomposition" in the trunk of a car that Casey Anthony had driven.

On Oct. 14, with Caylee's body still missing, Casey Anthony was officially charged with first-degree murder.

Casey's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, have steadfastly maintained Casey's innocence and have called her a "victim" in the case.

The discovery of Caylee's remains took a heavy emotional toll on the pair and even pushed George Anthony to the brink of suicide.

Cindy Anthony's Eulogy for Slain Granddaughter Caylee

ABC News obtained a copy of the eulogy which reads as follows.

Caylee Marie Anthony has captivated the hearts of so many people over the course of the last several months. Many feel a great loss for a beautiful child that they never had the opportunity to meet. They quickly fell in love with her beauty and her charming ways, as she read a story to her ailing great-grandfather, whom she loved very much.

For those who fell in love with Caylee Marie on national TV, their grief is only temporary, their hearts will soon mend, and their memory of her may eventually fade. But for those who actually had the honor to meet Caylee Marie, it will be much more difficult for them to say goodbye, and their hearts may never heal.

On Aug. 9, 2005, God blessed this Earth with one of his most beautiful children. Caylee Marie was born at 7:14 a.m. in an Orlando hospital. From the moment she was born she forever stole the hearts of her family. Caylee was not only a beautiful baby, but she had a beautiful spirit that will live on in those that truly knew her and loved her.

She is survived by her mother, Casey Marie Anthony; her grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony; her uncle Lee Anthony; and her great-grandparents, Alex and Shirley Plesea and Ruth and Lee Anthony.

Caylee's life will be honored in a memorial service open to the public Tuesday at the First Baptist Church of Orlando beginning at 10 a.m.

The family is requesting that those with only the purest of hearts and truly honorable intentions attend the service for their beloved child. This service will be a tribute to her life and a time for her family and friends to finally be together to openly express and share their love for her.

The family is requesting, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to Eastside Baptist Church, 1900 Conway Gardens Road in Orlando; Orlando Rescue Mission; or Kid Finders Network.

Because of Caylee, so many other children have been the recipient of the kindness and generosity from those who have donated on her behalf. Donations have been made to numerous organizations such as Toys for Tots, Shriners, St. Jude's Hospital, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Orlando Rescue Mission and Kid Finders Network. Another child will receive a new smile after receiving multiple reconstructive surgeries to repair a cleft palate.

Because of this outpouring of compassion, the family will continue to honor Caylee's memory by establishing the Caylee Marie Anthony Foundation. The foundation's purpose will be to continue to generate awareness for missing children and to establish programs to assist in the well-being of those children in need of comfort and support during difficult and stressful times.

Caylee's life may have been short-lived on this earth, but her life will not have ended without a purpose. She will be sadly missed but never forgotten. Caylee Marie Anthony now has her angel wings and will be watching over so many other children.