So, nowadays people have a multitude of grandparents because of divorce, remarriages, and blended families. I was born in the 60s and my parents were born in the 30s and there wasn't as much of that going around. I had two grandpas and I had two grandmas. Growing up I was privileged to have had a great grandma while I was young as well. I remember thinking she must be 100 years old to have been Grandma's mom! My dad's mom was 15 when Daddy was born. Her mom was 17 when she was born. My dad was 29 almost 30 when I was born, and I was when I thought GGM was 100. Let's do the math. 5+30+15+17= 67. My great-granny was only 6 years older than I am now, and if you take away 8 years because that's when my sister was born, my great-granny was only 59-60 when she became a GREAT GRANNY! WOW. I can't even imagine.
Anyway, all that being known, written, and wondered over, my Grandma Stringfellow or Grandma Olivea was a beautiful woman. She was 45 when I was born, and just stunning to look at all the way up until her last couple of years really. She was just as gracious and trim, and she always dressed to the hilt. She was pristine, to be honest, and that went for her house as well. Nothing was out of place, it looked as if it had been "done up" as they used to say, by the Merry Maids on a daily basis. She didn't cook that I remember; she may have, but not for me. We never had dinner at her place because there were too many of us. Dad and Mom had 4 of us. Grandma Stringfellow married at age 14 to a man older, but too much older. They had 4 boys before she was 20 years old. Again, I can't imagine that. Let's contrast.
My maternal Granny, Grandma Edwards, Nancy Melvina Free Edwards, was born in 1894. She was 65 when I was born, making her 70 when I was 5. She was older than my great granny on my daddy's side. When you're a kid that sort of math can be really confusing. Mellie or Granny as we called her because we didn't need to be backhanded for calling her by her middle name; was always (and I do mean always) cooking, cleaning, moving about, and getting ready for something going on at the church. Both ladies were born-again Christians, but my Grandma Stringfellow only attended church, she wasn't really into the social side of it. Grandma Edwards was the reason people socialized at the church, she was the cook! I was born on Wednesday, and in the church that following Sunday, and in the nursery with my Grandma Edwards rocking my crib. It never really went downhill. She continued to love me wholeheartedly until she went to see Jesus and let me just say I'm sure she still does love me.
Grandma Stringfellow died in 1987 at the age of 70. Grandma Edwards died in 1993 at the age of 99. She had 10 children, 24 Grands I think, and who knows how many other faces showing up for dinner, parties, celebrations, and gatherings. Her house remained spotless too, and there was a reason for it. If we made a mess of any kind we cleaned it up immediately. If we even thought about NOT cleaning it immediately, we were met with a spanking, and it didn't matter how old we were. I remember a cousin once, a foolish child, saying she was going to tattle on my granny for having spanked her. My granny grabbed that girl, turned her back over the knee, and spanked her again, then told her to tattle that one too! She told the little girl, my sweet cousin, that if she didn't do what she was told she would be dragged to the mess and shown how to clean it up and any number of her children and grandchildren would assist in the instruction. She was not wrong.
My Grandma Stringfellow never once, not one single time, told me what to do. She told my dad, and he told me or had my mom tell me. She didn't want to be hated or thought of as being mean. I can tell you this, I liked Grandma Edwards WAY WAY better than I did Grandma Stringfellow and it's because we were kids and she understood that. She corrected me. She instructed me. She cared enough to see that I knew what I was doing. She was pushy, bossy, in your face, and very direct, but she never once mistreated me or caused me to think she was going to harm me. Far from it. She would have defended any of us to her last breath. I think I had two or three actual conversations with Grandma Stringfellow because when we kids would try to talk to her she would remind us that the adults were talking. We were to be in the other room playing. With Grandma Edwards, until I got too big to do so, I sat in her lap and she read the Bible to me and explained it. There's a difference right there.
When Grandma Stringfellow died I can honestly say I was sad for my dad, but I really didn't have any true emotional reaction. When Grandma Edwards died I did. She hadn't been able to cook for 3 years, so at 96 she fed all of us again, but we let her rest up after that Christmas. When the gates are opened and we all get to the place(s) where we meet people and know them again, I will likely have to look pretty hard to see Grandma Edwards. She'll be "Mellie" to us then, but she'll be pretty popular, to say the least. I'll stand in line. I'm good. It's eternity after all, right? I have the time. Can't wait. (I'll hug Aunt Wilma and Uncle Marvin while I wait.)
Photo Credit: Mom
No comments:
Post a Comment