Happy Birthday, Granny

Good Morning All,
I hope all of you are having a good morning! Today is my beloved Granny's birthday. She was born in 1911. She passed away in 2002. Words cannot describe the love I had for her or the kind of Grandmother she was. Extraordinary, I guess would come close. She was the most loving, non-judgemental person I have ever known. She loved people. Granny married my Grandfather very young, they had three sons. He was never around much, as he was not a responsible husband or Father to his family. He was killed(hit by a car) around 1950, so I never knew him. In the midst of the depression, Granny was bascially a single Mother, raising three young boys in the small town I live in today. In the picture below she and her boys are standing on the corner of their yard which occupied their tiny three room rental house. She used to tell me she had everything she needed right there, her three boys, her workplace, the school and a church. Behind them you can faintly see the school where my Dad and his brothers attended and I attended until through 5th grade and to the back of the house was the shoe factory where she worked for a living and the church was across the street opposite the front of the house.

My Dad and his brothers had one white shirt each, but boy were they white and crisp. Granny always said that they didn't have any money, but me and my boys were clean. She would wash those shirts out every night and press them. Granny took no charity. Sometimes they had to pick greens in the yard to eat. They had beans, alot. One time a person came to the door to offer her aid, I suppose such as food stamps as we have today, she told them no thank you and shut the door. She believed you worked for whatever you could afford.

Granny taught me so many wonderful values. Loving people, being KIND to one another, work ethic, cleanliness for yourself and home, pride, respect, I could go on and on. I will end this with her best advice to me. She would tell me, "Honey, you can make it a good day or a bad one, it's all up to you." I love you, Granny.

Below is Granny and as she would say, "my three little boys." ca. 1947 My Dad is on the far right and his brother Frank on the left and Buddy, the youngest next to Granny. Dukie the dog is on the far left :) All three of her boys were very successful in life. Uncle Frank, ended his career with Sears as a top executive in the company. Buddy was a well respected accountant for Sun Oil Co. and my Dad was an outstanding electrician. One of the best in his field.