Thread: Important Departed People...Share your Stories!

Thanks for this thread Chris. Here's a story about my girlfriend's grandmother:

I met Momsie on Easter Sunday 2001. Scarlett told me the family always called her grandmother “Momsie” and so should I. We were introduced in Momsie’s kitchen. I had heard Momsie was a tough woman but I would have known that as soon as I saw her. From her wheelchair, Momsie was directing the entire household’s preparation of Easter dinner, which in Momsie’s house always included a leg of lamb. Momsie said, “Brad, Scarlett tells me you can cook”. I told her I do my best and some folks like what I cook. Momsie moved our conversation along until I found myself actually cooking the lamb, including the gravy. She would ask me questions about cooking and I’d answer as well as I could. Some of the questions were about the roast leg of lamb, some were about other recipes. All the while I knew, although Momsie was asking these questions, she already knew the answers. Momsie was testing me. I was very nervous while I was cooking, especially the gravy. But when she tasted her dinner, Momsie said, “Brad you can cook”.
Momsie had grown weaker over the last two years but she was still a tough woman. Only this Easter, Momsie was directing from a hospital bed. When Scar told me we would be visiting Momsie on Easter, I prepared a leg of lamb and made some lamb broth so her Easter menu tradition would not be interrupted.
We were told she hadn't eaten and is refusing to eat. However, when Scarly told Momsie I made some lamb broth for her Easter dinner, Momsie grew noticeably more alert. She said to sit her up so she could taste it. A cup with of warm broth was held so Momsie could take it through a straw, which she did, several times. Scarlett, being typically over-protective, asked Momsie if the broth was "too spicy" or "too hot". Momsie slowly and carefully took another sip before she said (surprisingly loudly), "It's good Brad". Then she lay back down and drifted off to sleep. I was told that my broth was the last thing Momsie ate before she passed on last night. I'm glad she liked her broth. I hope it brought her a little pleasure.

Great idea, I have enjoyed reading your stories. I would have to add my Dad to this thread. He was my hero. A man of integrity and a true Gentleman. He and Mom married on December 7, 1941. As they left the Church after their wedding they heard the news that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. Dad joined the Air Corps at the ripe old age of eighteen and served until the end of WWII as a Tail Gunner in a Liberator. Mom was a aircraft riveter in a converted Detroit auto plant.

Dad later continued his service to community as a Fire Fighter - EMS working his way to retire as a Lt. He was the type of guy who would give his shirt off his back if you were in need. Care and concern for others was always a priority. Even as an adult, I never heard a derogatory remark of anyone or a cuss word from him.

I stayed with him during the last weeks of his life in and out of the hospital dying from congestive heart failure. Once during the night I heard him call out to me; he was having trouble breathing. I got him sitting on the edge of the bed holding him upright as we waited for the ambulance. His only concern was that he had woke me up and how hard it was for me to hold him up.

Firefighters stood at honor guard at his funeral, and many spoke with us sharing stories of Dad. One veteran told the story of a incident when he was a new hire and still on probation. He had backed the ambulance into the station without raising the door enough and ripped the light bars off the top, leaving a shattered mess everywhere. He feared his 'punishment' from Dad who at that time was the officer on duty. Dad looked at the ambulance and the shards everywhere, said to him 'you sure have a big mess to clean up' and that was it.

He taught us kids values to hold dear for a lifetime. Dad was truly one from the greatest generation.
Sue
(photo of Dad sitting at the top from WWII)

Thanks Chris for the thread. And thanks Icedog for your story, it reminded me of my great aunt who lived to be 103 years old, and was sharp as a tack all the way (I was actually at her bedside when she passed away).

She broke her hip at like 95. By force of will she said she wanted to go home after a certain period of recuperation. "You'll need a nurse to visit and care for you, etc..." was a requirement for them to let her go. Once home she promptly dismissed the visiting nurse and resumed her business as usual!

Another time, we were over at her house and she busts out all of these old pictures of her life. Amazing stuff from someone who was over 100 years old! She had been a young woman serving in the USO during WW2, all sorts of stuff...

Anyhow, one thing your story stirred up for me was the last Christmas when we brought her some dinner and my mom's pumpkin pie. She was eating it, and knew the spicy pumpkin pie would give her some severe heartburn. "Ah well, it'll be worth it!" she said!

She was quite a woman!