Slides
Granny
When I was younger, we didn't call her Granny, we called her Grandma Leona. I don’t remember exactly when or how it changed, it just stuck and she’s been Granny ever since. It was hard to pick just a few memories, because the more I thought about her, the more I realized how many memories there really are. Granny was caring, strong, intelligent, and resilient — a true fighter, even down to her final days. She was frugal, crafty, and a problem solver. Once Bob came along, she became even happier. She laughed more, and she found her perfect travel partner. Growing up, her house was full of unique little things that we played with— her old typewriter, the old label maker with the hard plastic labels, the rotary phone, hidden coins in the mini grandfather clock, and the big box TV on the floor. Since she was diabetic, she usually had candy or chocolate nearby… and always a pack of Trident gum. She loved being in the pool, even though she couldn’t sink. She made sure every grandkid learned how to swim. My sister and I spent many summers with her at the pool, eating giant pixie sticks and what she called “sweaty fish.” I don’t think anyone would be surprised that one of the first things that comes to my mind about her is her cheesecake. It was the best in the world. She tried to teach me how to make it recently, but I’m still working on getting it just right. Food was kind of her thing. Christmas cookies, Easter sugar bunnies, Thanksgiving dinner with the best and my favorite mashed potatoes and gravy. But it wasn’t just about the food — it was the traditions. gingerbread houses, Christmas Eve dinners, baking cookies, cutting down real Christmas trees, seeing Christmas lights, Painting eggs, blueberry picking, and watching Babes in Toyland as kids. When Savannah was little, she watched Elf every single day at Granny’s — all year long. Granny even potty trained Savannah… and honestly, I don’t remember having to do any of it myself, so she must have done a pretty great job. She created these little moments that turned into lifelong memories. Some of my favorite memories are the trips we took — grandparents camp, the mountains, and the beach. At the mountains, there was always Yahtzee, walks to the store for ice cream, and a lot of laughter. Bob learned early on that you do not pre-cut the fudge. It stays in Granny’s pan so everyone can cut their own piece — however big they want. On her 80th birthday trip to the beach, she ended up getting rescued by a lifeguard because she was laughing too hard to stand up and was too slippery from sunscreen for my mom to help her up. She loved telling the life guard that she was 80 years old and just laughed and laughed about the whole story. She also raced Savannah down the boardwalk walking as fast as they could, got everyone on the Ferris wheel, and joined us on an 8-person bike ride where she couldn’t even reach the pedals — so she just cheered us on. It was a great family trip. That was her though. She was always doing something — always moving, always helping, always finding a new adventure. Even later in life, she stayed busy with tutoring, the food pantry, church bells, Bible school, visiting friends and family, and traveling. If someone needed help, she showed up — and she volunteered Bob, too. And they always showed up. For every game, every event, every milestone — for her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. I honestly don’t remember a single event where Granny wasn’t there, cheering us on. She was always supportive. Even if our ideas were a little wild, or she didn’t fully agree, she still wanted to be part of it. She met and loved both of my Shepherds, even though dogs were definitely not her thing. She even let Rex come inside for a visit last month. At the center of all of this was how much she cared about her family. Even if it was just a post card while she was away traveling, she still kept in touch. And at the end, that never changed. She wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of. She made sure people were included, remembered, and looked after. The weekend, before Easter, we were all together — the whole family, painting eggs and spending time with her. She even got to take a picture with her birthday buddy and step great great grandchild. And that is exactly what she enjoyed most… all of us together. So while we’re going to miss her more than we can put into words; we’ll still see her everywhere — in the traditions she started, in the recipes we try to recreate, and in the holidays that won’t feel quite the same without her. The best way we can honor her is by continuing what she gave us — showing up for each other and taking care of one another. We will keep making the recipes, painting the eggs, taking the trips, gathering for the holidays and telling these stories… and in that way, she’ll always be with us. Love you Granny -Danielle "Dani"