Remembering Anna

Once again, our family has been touched by the pain of loss. On September 18, 2008, Benjamin got to meet his great grandma for the first time. My Gma S passed away at the age of 88. She was a great woman and I always loved her sense of humor. I remember going out to the farm when I was little and helped her chase cows. In her high pitched voice she would wave her arms and yell, "Sooo eeeh! Bessy, Bessy, Bessy!" I'm the one in the red on the right. Didn't anyone tell her that bulls charge red?

I remember at lunch time she would call out to my dad, once again in her high pitched voice, "Ronnie! Time for lunch!" and we'd all squeeze around a tiny table for two in the kitchen eating egg sandwiches. For you city folk, meal times at the farm are breakfast, lunch, dinner, lunch, supper, lunch. And most of the "lunches" were brought out to the field. I spent a lot of summers sun tanning on the fender of the Oliver as it drove back and forth across the field. Good times.

We spent every summer on a "day trip" with the grandparents and the cousins. Generally it was another look at the Grotto of Redemption in West Bend, or we picniced with the indians at Pipestone. Lots of good memories. Once she moved to town her broiled cheese rusked buns were the lunch of choice. Yum! That was, of course, after our delicious dinner of grandma's famous meat loaf and mashed potatoes.

Once she moved to the nursing home the great grand kids got a kick out of visiting her in "Omaha" (must sound like nursing home?) and coloring with her. She always handed them candy and they will miss not playing Bingo with her any more.

The other day LiviJ and Bman were looking at her picture and Bman says, "Gama, bye-bye." and LiviJ says to him, "Yeah, she died. She lives in heaven with Jesus and Benjamin now." Couldn't have explained it better myself.