Remembering a Remarkable Woman...

With me on September 4, 2004

On August 5th, 2009, my great-grandma passed away, and I lost a major part of my heritage. I don't know many people lucky enough to have a great-grandmother that they remember, let alone have in their lives for 30+ years.
Since the day she died, I've been writing this post in my head over and over, trying to think of the best words to put together a tribute to someone so special. At her funeral, my dad (her grandson) and 2 of his sisters shared their memories of a grandma who was far beyond just the title "grandma" to her grandchildren. It was said many times over the 2 days of visitation and funeral that she was "the family matriarch...the glue that held our family together".
Most, if not all, of my memories of holidays as a child revolved in someway around Grandma. Many of my Christmas mornings were shared with her, as she usually spent the night with my family and woke up with us Christmas morning.
My grandma was strong...she was not tall or big, but she had strength. She was a widow for over 20 years, and lived alone until the last 5. She kept a remarkably clean home, and even moved her furniture once a week (it was on rollers, of course) to clean under, behind and over it.
She survived breast cancer, the loss of her husband and son, the depression and many life altering changes to her and her family.
Her laughter was contagious...the first thing I thought as I stepped up to her casket for the first time, was how much I will miss her laugh. She had this cackle that just echoed through any room. She loved to be teased and tricked. My sister used to call her every year on April Fool's day and try to sell her windows, siding, roofing or shutters. Sitting on the other end of the phone, I could always hear her say, "Jessie, is that you, I knew you'd be calling today", and then the cackle would come.
She loved her family well. Do your remember this post I wrote about the sixth love language? Not until Grandma passed away, did I realize where I got this passion for food from. Grandma loved to bake and cook for her family. I spent almost every Sunday with my 7 cousins and aunts and uncles at grandma's house. She would prepare homemade noodles and beef; roasts; and a plethora of cookies, cakes or pies...did you get that I said every Sunday. She never complained (that I know of) and loved that all of us were at her house to eat her cooking. I am now convinced, more than ever, that food is the 6th love language, and I'm pretty sure that was Grandmas dominant love language.
There is so much more that I could say about this amazing woman and the ways that she impacted me are too numerous to mention. I realize how lucky I am to not only have had a great-grandmother in my life, but one whom I knew well and loved much. She certainly will be missed!!

Holding Baby Levi, one of her 9 great great grandchildren!