On this summer date in 1899, sweet Edith was born in rural Indiana.
She lived a faithful, unpretentious and hard working life within a few miles of her backroads birthplace, sprinkling her many friends and large family with the very "Mercy!" she frequently declared. She raised five children to adulthood without daycare, cell phones or air conditioning, crafted noodles from scratch and wrung her own chickens' necks. She claimed she could hear corn grow. My grandmother's meekness was a mighty testimony.
I inherited a hankie, her leather pocketbook, and a fond recollection of streaming dust down a dirt road on our way to church while Grandma steered the car with her knees, adjusting her hat with a sharp pin.
Hundreds of sympathizers swarmed our family with condolences when Grandma died 69 years young, strands of silver in her long dark hair. Such was her godly influence that when my grandfather passed on sixteen years later, he left instructions for his casket to be buried a foot deeper than hers and with his body turned, as if looking upward at a saint.
Her death ended my idyllic childhood and helped me realize that it's not where you've been that matters so much, but where you're headed. I'd like to know her better now that I'm willing to listen. No greater compliment have I ever heard than, "you remind me of your grandmother."
The intense grief I experienced when I lost the joy of knowing this woman is a painful glimpse of how God must have felt when his people moved away from His garden home. It's an earthly bitter taste--and immensely merciful preview--of how it feels to be eternally separated from One Who Loves.
posted by lee @ 6:53 PM
8 Comments:
received from another grandaughter:
What a wonderful tribute. I do wish I had known grandma better. I am so grateful that my parents made the biweekend trips to each set of grandparents so I would grow to know and be close to them all. I remember her and celebrating some of our birthdays together since they were only 4 days apart. One birthday we must have celebrated at a park because I remember a train we could ride on. I have a picture of her and I holding the cake.
I was eleven when she passed away on my little brother's 6th birthday. I remember the blouses for Christmas, cookies in the freezer and helping her in the kitchen. That old worn out country kitchen that I would give anything to be there again helping her make a pie crust. I can hear her shoo the kittens and cats and see her out in the garden picking vegtables. Oh, do I remember her smile and the comforting way about her. There are few things better than the comfort of a grandmother.
I too wish she were here today to impart me with her wisdom. To share a cup of tea and to talk about our King and Savior. To gleen from her life's precious secrets that only come from one who has lived a life like hers.
I thought of her yesterday quite a bit. When others are thinking of it being the first day of summer I am saying it was my grandmothers birthday and that cake and train always come to mind.
The day she died I did not quite understand. Death of a loved one had never entered my life until then. I remember going to stay with Mamaw and Papaw in Greenfield. Being one to get homesick I could not understand the separation very well. Grandma's funeral was the first time I had ever seen my father cry. That day I saw him different. In fact it was confusing for me. Usually he was was I thought a mean disciplinarian but that day I saw his pain and softness. I also remember [grandfather]HoHo singing to her by the casket the night before the funeral while everyone was out in the foyer planning for the next day. I will never forget the pain I heard. I had never been so sad in my life till that day. His voice sang of the kind of love that I had not yet experienced but I still tear up when memories of it return to my mind.
I don't know if you remember but during grandma's funeral visitation you walked with me around the neighborhood in Middletown for awhile. Dad wanted me to touch grandma I guess as a way of saying goodbye. I went into a panic attack and could not breathe. I was thankful that day when you took the time to be with me and calm me down. Thank you again 38 years later.
I hope I grow into a gentle spirit like grandma. I know each day and step I take with the Lord He is maturing me into His image. His love for me is the same love He had for Grandma and all of us. Are we not blessed to have someone care for us so much that He takes time and uses so much patience to restore us to Him. To kiss away our pain, takes us in his arms, calms us in our fear and blesses us with his presence. To me that sounds just like a Grandma.
Thank you so much for sharing your memories of her and helping me relive mine.
Email from a granddaughter:
Hello there! And I thought of her too, yesterday, on her birthday. Adjectives? Hmmm. Inviting ( I always felt so welcome at the farm). Delicious. ( I can remember to this moment poking holes in the leftover , HOMEMADE pie crust , then sprinkling "my" pie with cinnamon and sugar -yum!) I was only 7 when she died but I clearly remember we spent the day at the farm while others were at Middletown and feeling such a sense of loss but not really grasping what had happened. As I got older, I realized even more about her through the deep, deep love that [grandfather] HoHo had for her and spoke of often. Dad also shares stories now and then which I love to hear. I have also, over the years, realized how mischievious Uncle Ben and dad could and would be - probably took alot for Aunt Barbara to tolerate them during those teen years! lol It was wonderful to read your memories of Grandma. Thank you so much for sharing at this special time. Thank you for the very uplifting and thoughtful email.
From her oldest grandson:
I knew grandma better than any of the other grandchildren. She raised me for the first year of my life and I spend most of my childhood and teenage years around her. She was my second mother. She always supported me and took care of me better than probably her own children. When she died, it was a great lost to me, I could not talk about her for over ten years, the pain was too great. She was a very special woman of which many of her traits were past on to her children and grandchildren.
From her daughter-in-law:
We certainly enjoyed your email about Mother.
We also reminisced about her on her birthday. It is hard to think she would have been 107. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to talk
with her now after we have experienced our "grown up" lives.
I have often thought how sweet and kind she was on those week-ends (and there were alot of them) when our growing family of six arrived for the week-end. She always welcomed us with open arms as there was nothing she liked better than her grandchildren. She loved it when she found out another one was on the way. She had the perfect bosom for cuddling them too. I think now what an imposition that was to expect her to plan and prepare all those extra meals. Now I know what it took and I would tell her how sorry I am that we caused her that extra work - but I also know what her reply would be.
She was definitely what God had in mind when he made Mothers. And her last thoughts and words were of her family-
"Tell everyone I love them."
From her son:
Your description of Mother was beautifully on target. It will be a keep- forever item for me.
From another son:
Thank you for your wonderful email of memories of mom.
Letter received from her daughter:
In regard to your email, the adjective that describes Mother, the one that suits best is...Bestest.
Now I'll give you a few traits she had.
1. I don't recall her saying unkind things about anyone even tho some may have faulted her.
2. She loved to garden and work with flowers.
3. Mother enjoyed nature--animals, birds, walking in the woods, mushrooming.
4. She enjoyed being with people.
5. She was a sacrificing person--willingly. One example:
After caring for her mother for 8 months who was bedfast for the latter half of those months, on the afternoon of her mother's funeral she brought her in-laws into her home to care for them too. Grandfather was an invalid and Grandmother was a cankerous woman who had not approved of her son marrying Mother and had not lost much of that resentment.
And at that time when Mother accepted them in her home, she had her own health problems. But she never complained!
6. Mother enjoyed traveling.
[accounts of her trips to Arizona, California, New England states, Virginia and Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Florida, and Holland, Michigan]
7. She enjoyed family get togethers.
Doesn't it take a sacrificing person to eat chicken necks, using the excuse, "it makes one beautiful" so that others in the family can have the good pieces?
8. She liked to care for the grandchildren and show them off.
9. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.
10. Mother was faithful to God and loved serving Him.
What incredible tributes!
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