A Granddaughter’s Tribute
Granny was born into a big family during a time of hardship before the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression. Everyone fussed and fought so leaving home early with a dabber man named Don Dickinson seemed like a good idea! They were married for 60 some years even if you don't count the ones where they weren't talking to each other. But that's another story...
Papa and Granny owned a berry farm in Boring, Oregon at the foot of Mt. Hood. Lots of rich soil and rain made for the most luscious strawberries, black caps, raspberries and more. When they "retired" to a small house in nearby Gresham, she never stopped working. She was the hardest worker I've ever met and fast, too. She could pick a row of berries faster than my brother Dale could empty her buckets. She earned extra money year round by sewing and mending for ladies at the Gresham Senior Center. She made colorful quilts by hand which she sold and shared. Her garden was always brimming with vegetables and flowers and when she moved in with Mom she had even more space to fill with plants.
But she wasn't all work. She loved to travel and she figured how to do it for free! In her 60s, she organized and ran AARP tours. She took groups to Alaska, Reno, Las Vegas, Mexico (or as she called it "Old Mexico") and the Caribbean. She took so many cruises she was honored with a gold medallion by the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Arden and I once took a bus trip with her group to Reno - we couldn't keep up with those seniors!
In later years, she started traveling with a friend or two on their own. She toured Europe, Australia, New Zealand and China. Imagine going from dusty Oklahoma to the Great Wall of China. Her last cruise was 2 years ago to the Caribbean with Mom, neighbors Teresa and Brett and Uncle Donald and Aunt Joyce (her son and daughter-in-law). In fact, they were considering another one as soon as Granny was feeling better.
She had a stroke last year and was pretty skinny (she hated the word frail). She recovered pretty well physically; but her mind and mouth weren't in sync so she got pretty frustrated when out came jibberish. But that didn't stop her from loudly endorsing Barack Obama and admiring Michelle Obama.
She stuffed more into 96 years than most. She was always busy but she did love her naps as they revitalized her. She made great popcorn balls, fried chicken and bread without measuring anything. As we say, Granny's buns were in high demand! Through the years, she worked at a cannery, skinned hides at the local mink farm, grew the biggest begonias, canned strawberry jam, made me work all summer long, bought me coconut cream pie, potty-trained Josh (my son) in a day, stole berries with us, performed with a senior musical group, The Hot Shots, around the U.S., saved wisely, spent thousands of hours with her grand- and great-grandchildren, cared for Papa when he was sick, always remembered others, gave me the ugliest orange and white polka dot clown pajamas, subscribed to my handmade newspaper for 25 cents a month, my destination whenever I was running away from home, let me take a break from working in the fields so I could watch the Monkees on TV, hem mender and button sewer, stubborn (just like me so we did bump heads a lot when I was a teenager), made fluffy pink divinity, had a space-age aluminum Christmas tree that spun around with color changing lights, and weird gift giver - like the 3 wooden blind mice with glasses for Arden to put in the yard (we laughed later so hard we almost passed out).
I've been so lucky in my 54 years to have four wonderful grandparents. I lost my paternal Grandmother in September and now Granny is off to the most glorious eternal garden. I know she'll be weeding and hoeing her raspberry bushes and flowers with a little sweat on her brow and a smile on her face.
Good bye for now, Granny!
