August the 11th 1984 my Mom your Granny slipped into Eternity. She may not have been "ready yet", but when the call came, she went just the same. There are a great many memories connected to this event for me. I thought maybe going over them with you might shine some light on what we shared.
My parents were a mixed bag. Dad, John Smith was an only child. His mother came to this country, but didn't like it and returned with Dad to England, leaving Charles here to work and make a new life. What happened to Eliza Bunn, we may never know. We do know that she gave Dad to his Grand Mother to raise. It was she who brought him to a new Step-mother in 1907.
I don't believe there was much of a difference between my parents. Dad had lost his Mother and was raised by a less than loving Step-mother, while Mom was raised by a Mother who loved and worked hard to keep her family together when the Dad up and left them to fen for themselves.
Both the folks had opportunity to learn how to work hard when they were young. They met on a blind date, and found themselves a partner who could understand their longing for a family and normal life.
Mom was always concerned for her Mother and Dad seemed to fall into step and do all he could to see Grandma Hall was cared for. I was shocked in later life when I was told by my Brother Ronald that Grandma Hall never liked my Dad. I just couldn't understand why. He certainly gave her no reason that I could see. I guess she was bitter about how she was abandoned, and Dad taking her Baby might have been some of the reason. Who knows?
Moving the family to California was for Mothers health, as has been stated before. I think he would have done whatever was necessary to see to her best interest. Both my Parents were possessed with above average intelligence, but had little opportunity for education. Dad became and avid reader and haunted used book stores in Los Angeles for volumes that would help him advance his knowledge. Mother took her own way of doing the same. She did beautiful hand work. Crocheting all sorts of things for the house. Her hands always seemed to be busy with one thing or another. She would sew for her and me. Back when I was a kid, they didn't have that many store bought clothes. Money was scarce and was needed for other things. I don't recall Mom ever using the colored flour sacks for material, but she did shop wisely, and bought Butterick Patterns. I don't even think you can find them anymore. They were the best however.
I guess you could say Mom was a club women. She loved being in the PTA and working with the Schools to see the kids had the things they needed. Of course you remember how I told you about the things she was envolved with when the War was going on. There was always something to keep her busy. Dad was always supportive and did the things that Husbands do to help their wives be successful in the out of the home activities. We all pulled together when she would go to the PTA conventions. She had a beautiful formal with silver slippers that I use to covet. They wouldn't seem all that fancy now, but then they were the ultimate end. She had an evening bag, in fact I still have it here in the safe at the house. It isn't all that glamorous now, but then it was pretty snappy. I remember she would go to the Beauty Parlor and have her hair done in a special set for the occasion. Oh, those were the days!
Once we kids were married and the "nest" was empty, Mom was a dutiful Grandmother. She would spend long hours at the sewing machine making "coveralls" out of cordaroy fabric for all the kids. They would have been a challenge for me, but she put the grippers down the inside of the legs, and measured oh so carefully for the shoulder straps. When the holidays would come around she was out shopping for just the right dress or pant outfit for which ever of the Grand Kids she was thinking of. I remember the first Christmas Dawn had. Jay and I wanted a Candy Strip dress for her. We could not find one anywhere. Ended up buying a light blue dress with Candy Cains on it. I believe we have a picture of her in it. Well, low a behold on Christmas day
what was the present from Grandpa and Grandma Smith? A candy stripe dress. I have no idea where she found it. But she did!
I don't believe there has ever been a Grandmother more caring than she was. She loved the kids and was always ready to do what she could for them. Baby setting was a special joy for her.
Dad loved it as well. What a very special lady she was, and is!
When she had to give up her home and move into that Senior Apartment Complex in Anaheim, she made the adjustment about as well as I think anyone could have. I was amazed the day we left the house on Belgrave, she never looked back. Her life was still in front of her and she was about to launch into it with all the jest she could muster.
We fixed her Apartment up so cozy and she had all her own things around her. I had gone through all the pictures and made up family framed groups so she had all her family, brothers, sisters, kids and grandkids around her everyday. She made friends quickly and except for the food, she seemed, at least for awhile content.
Her work in the Temple each week was a great joy to her and she enjoyed the travel with Sister Sorenson. We were fortunate that worked out so well when Mother didn't want to drive all that way out to Westwood. It was on that last night she worked that she came home tired. She had had her blood pressure medication changed that week, and that seemed to be the problem. On Wednesday she read to the blind in the Complex. That was something she enjoyed doing. Being of use to someone who needed her. Then in the evening she was asked to call for the Bingo in the Complex. I know she enjoyed that. I had made her a Bingo Purse. It had pockets for change and one for bills. It had a draw string around the top and was made of gold fabric with some sort of decoration on it, I don't remember just what now. I gave it with the money in it to one of her friends who had admired it so. Well following the Bingo she went into a friends Apartment to help her with the knitting project Mom had been working with her on. The friend asked Mom if she was feeling O.K.? Mom said she was just a little tired. Which of course seemed logical, it was late, but the truth was she was on the slippery slop then.
Following the knitting lesson, she retired to her Apartment and went to bed. Things seemed fine. When she awoke, she went into her bathroom and had her first stroke. She fell on the floor and was unable to get up because the side she was laying on was paralyzed. She was unable to reach her emergency cord to call for help. So she laid there, helpless from around 6 a.m. until they came up to check on her at 7:30 a.m. She was always down before then, and when she didn't show up, they thankfully went to see if she was alright. Of course she wasn't. They called Ronald, he had left for work, so Willetta went over, it was just a few blocks from where they lived. Willetta helped clean mother up and the ambulance was called to take her to Emergency.
Her Doctor was called, and after a preliminary examination he was satisfied that she was going to come out of things just fine. It was Thursday morning and he checked on her later to make sure she was O.K. She was still paralyzed, but her other symptoms were better, so he felt she would come along fine in a few days, and told us the worst would be a minor limp. Well, things took another turn on Friday night. Mom went into a series of strokes that just wouldn't stop. She sank into unconciousness from which she never returned. When I got to the hosptial, I had been in Atascadero with Dawn when the call came through the Sheriffs Dept. Mom was quiet but very feverish. Her blood sugar had elevated and they were giving her insulin shots to help. The nurse was very nice. She told us Mom could lay like that for any length of time, or if we felt we could help her, we could talk her through. That is what Dawn and I did. We encouraged her to let go and leave her body that had run into such difficulty that it could not respond any longer. It was both trying and inspirational. Slowly we saw a tear run down the side of her face. We knew then we had made contact. The hearing becomes pretty important at such a time. Both Dawn and I heard a faint sob, yet Mom did not move a muscle. The sobs became more noticeable. I believe I told you Mom was not able to cry. After a short period of time she slowly relaxed and slipped away. Ron and Willetta came in, but she was already gone. Ron thought she was still alive when he came into the room, but she was not.
We left the room and was standing in the hall outside talking. The Doctor called and expressed his amazment that she had passed away. He really thought she would survive this. It just wasn't ment to be. Ronald had his back to the door. While we stood there and talked over the whole incident, I noticed the number on the room Mom was in. It was 719. I gasped and Ronald asked what was the matter. I said: "look at the room number". We both were struck by what came to mind. Our Dad John Smith had been killed on 7-19 in 1955. Two Sweethearts were re-united, numbers farmiliar, saddness repeated.
When we met with the Sisters who worked with Mother at the Temple they said it was so like her to move on so quickly. I said: "yes, she had to be on duty on Tuesday, only on the other side of the vail." I am sure she still labors there, as she did here. With love for the Sisters and love of the work. What a wonderful life she lived, what a posterity she has left, and what a future we will all enjoy with her one day.
Written this 11 day of August 2009
by: Eileen Rosenberg
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