While skiing in Colorado, I found out that my grandmother passed away. She was a very exceptional woman, strong, and very opinionated. She had lived a long life, passing away at 85 years old. My grandmother had been married to Jack Allen for 57 years before he passed away almost 11 years ago. During her life she enjoyed many things not limited to her family. She had four children, two boys and two girls, seven grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. (There are some step grandchildren and great-children, too)
She loved to tell you whatever she thought no matter how mean or rude it came across. Whenever I would tell her that she said something mean I would always get, well someone should tell them. One thing that never failed was that she loved to tell people they were overweight. I used to joke with her that at least I could count on her to tell me if I gained weight. She loved to play jokes on people, especially around the holidays. One year she found the largest pair of jeans imaginable. I believe they were a 60” waist. To describe how big they were, the year she got them, over 11 years ago, my brother, father, and I all climbed into the jeans at one time. A year ago at Christmas I took a pair of 50” pants from where I was working and gave them to her for Christmas. I don’t think she liked that I did it, but it was a joke. I remember her and her sister, my Aunt Teenie, when they got together were funny. They had tons of stories, but they would always pick on each other. Teenie was two years older than my grandmother and when they got together they would compare who had more age spots or who looked older.
Over the years, she had been in and out of the hospital several times, bi-pass surgery, broken hip, strokes, and the latest falling and hitting her head. No matter what she was in the hospital for, she would always talk about the nurses and how they would beat her and stick her with needles constantly. She was always complaining about how mean they were, and trust me she was mean back. We were reminding her all the time that they were helping her.
She was the strongest woman I have ever known. She fought through tough times throughout her life, from the Great Depression to her final days. I will remember her best for many things. She was stubborn, hardheaded, full of energy, she loved her dog and her family. I will miss her personality, humor, and her strength. I will miss most Christmas and Thanksgiving cooking her white bread stuffing with her every year. Hopefully I will be able to carry on that tradition without her.
She held this family together for years and she will be missed dearly. We all loved her.
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