She kept a journal for the first 50 years of her marriage. Not every day, but every Christmas she would sit down and write her thoughts of the year. She lived through both World Wars, the Great Depression and raised four amazing children.
My second cousin Joni pushed grandma to have the journals published. So a couple years ago Joni got it all together and now we all have a book by Grandma. It has all her journals, some other stories and lots of her poetry. I read through it last year and I am so glad I did. Grandma was such a feisty woman. She was full of spunk and zeal. At the end of the day what mattered most to her was family and caring for those around her. This world is a better place because of her 100 years.
She left 4 children, 11 grand kids, around 25 great-grand kids (I lost count), and one precious great-great grandson Eli. We did not get a five-generation picture but I will always know that he came from an amazing line of good, hardworking and loving people.
At the end of my life I hope that I can say I stood for the same things she did. We were not able to attend the funeral because Eli had hernia surgery at the same time here in Kentucky, but we did make it to the viewing. As I looked around the room on Sunday during her viewing I was overwhelmed by the happiness in the room. She loved to laugh and tell as well as hear good stories. She had lots of funny stories...making dandelion wine, smoking a single cigarette a day, watching two of her sons go to war and return home. The list goes on and on. I just hope at the end of my life people think of me as fondly and as happily as I do her. I wish to put a smile on the face of others, live loving others more than myself, serve my creator and be happily married to my husband for a lifetime.
These pictures are from Grandma's 97th birthday.
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