My five grandchildren lost their great-grandmother September 26, 2015. I have spoken of her frequently on this blog (see May 1 and 2, 1930 or Friday's Feature-Doris Tolsdorf) but had not posted her obituary until now. For three of these grandchildren she was their last great grandmother.
Our other two grandchildren still had their last remaining great- grandmother until January 2016. These were both extraordinary women who lived long full lives. One lived 97 years plus a few months and the other one was closing in on 100. One never lived more than 10 miles from where she was born. The other rubbed elbows with the Capones and danced with Donald O'Conner. One was country and the other city. They both lived many, many decades as a single woman. Similarities and differences, but they shared great-grandchildren. What traits might those great- grandchildren have inherited. Time will tell. What we do know is that they are both missed.
with words.
These two ladies are my dad's two grandmothers. His mother's mother is on the left of the picture and his father's mother is on the right in black with a hat. I would like you to meet Emma Susan DeHart Borden and Jennie Emily Olmsted Wright. The best part about these great- grandmother's of mine are that I actually knew them both.
G Grandma Borden used to come to stay with us. She slept with me which I thought was great! She liked to make herself useful by darning my dad's socks. I liked to watch her slide a lightbulb into the toes and stitch away. The thing was my dad didn't like darned socks. Mom didn't have the heart to tell Grandma so she just let her darn away and then disposed of the socks after she left.
What I remember about G Grandma Wright is one time when we went to visit. Mom, Dad, and G Grandpa Charles sat in the living room while G G Jennie puttered in the kitchen. The thing was she didn't know anyone anymore. I sat on a stool between the kitchen and living room watching both ways. I was fairly certain she was going to snatch me from my stool and stick me into the oven; the living room folks would not even notice because they were so engrossed in their conversation. I wonder if I had recently read Hansel and Gretel. I was truly frightened.
Later, I learned this was the first time Dad had seen his grandmother when she didn't know who he was. It was a hard day for him.
