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My Grandmother, Shirley Jane (1927-2007)




My dear, sweet grandmother, Shirley Jane passed away on Friday, December 14th at 2:00AM in the morning, in the state of Wisconsin. She was born on November 13, 1927 to a school teacher named Mary and an civil engineer, named Edwin, in the medium sized town of Big Rapids, Michigan. She was the last of five children to be born. There were the older sisters: Mary, Mildred, Margaret and a boy Jack, who has passed away at an very early age.

Shirley, grew up in Big Rapids staying in the same two-story green house until she went off to nursing school in Lansing, Michigan. She was part of a World War II nursing program at Sparrow Hospital (where I was born). She started working for Michigan State University (where I got my degree) and she meet my Grandpa, Robert, a school teacher, while working at the infirmary. My dad, was born at Sparrow and then the small family of three moved up north to Penneconning. A second child was born to Shirley, a little girl they named Barb. Later they moved to Tawas City and a second girl was born to the family whom they named Brenda. My grandma got to know the community of Tawas City by working for a local doctor's office. Everyone loved my grandma and knew her by name. My grandparents divorced when the children were teenagers.

My grandmother never remarried but was well loved by the community and her children. She continued working for the local doctors office and then moved back to her home town of Big Rapids in the 1970's and worked for a big hospital. She only stayed a few years before moving back to Tawas to again work for a local doctor. Later on in life she left the doctor and went to work for a series of local nursing homes taking care of the elderly.

Besides working to care for others she had a great love for traveling and seeing the world with her sister, Margaret. She had been all over the world but her favorite places to visit were Spain and Portugal. She would always come back from a trip with great stories to tell and little gifts from the countries she visited. I don't think I would have known much about the world if it wasn't for her stories. She also enjoyed watching theatre and would always make an annual trip to Stratford, Canada to watch the great Shakespearian plays.

My grandmother was also a great reader of books. I don't think I ever knew a time where she wasn't reading some murder mystery, biography or cheesy romance novel. She introduced me to my favorite author, L.M. Montgomery who wrote my favorite book, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. When my grandma was a little girl she owned a first edition. She had that first edition until she loaned it to a person who had never read the book. She never got that book back, but in her loaning such a valuable possession, it showed the kind of person she was.

Her favorite book was a novel called THE BLUE CASTLE also by L.M Montgomery. She gave me a copy of the book as a kid but it sat on my bookshelf for years until I was putting away my ANNE OF GREEN GABLES books and noticed the book was by the same author. She could recite the first chapter by heart and after reading it I can see why. I now have that copy of my grandmother's THE BLUE CASTLE BOOK book. Another first edition, this copy has seen it's wear and tear. The book that is sitting on my bookshelf was a book that was truly loved much like the lady who read it over and over each year.

Shirley Jane was a kind, sweet woman. She always thought of others and always cared for those less fortunate. She was always around to give a helping hand and a warm smile. As a little girl, my grandmother would come to visit us often and we would go up north to visit her. She was a good cook whose recipe for BBQ chicken is close to my heart. I haven't made it for fear it wouldn't be as good as hers. My brother and I used to fight to see who would be her card partner; whether it was for a game of GO FISH or CANASTA. We would stay up for hours playing cards at her kitchen table when we visit. There was always a trip to the local dime store, Ben Franklin to buy little gadgets. She made sure we always have a new toy or gadget. Then we would walk to the ice cream shop for a double scoop. While my brother enjoyed Superman or the latest flavor of ice cream, my grandma and I always got the chocolate.

My grandmother also liked to sing and play the piano. She was always humming a tune and loved to go to church to sing a hymn. My Dad and I must have inherited her love for singing as we both joined our church choirs. She loved dancing and visiting her friends. She never failed to find the fun in life.

In her last years she struggled with Alzheimer's. After my brother's wedding she was moved from the nursing home in her town of Tawas City to be near my Aunt in Wisconsin. It was after that move that it was discovered she had gotten an infection that would take her life. Although sadden by her sudden death, I am happy to know she is dancing in heaven and freed from the confines of a horrible disease.

I am so very grateful that I was able to see her one last time at my brother's wedding. I will always remember the conversation we had as we walked around my brother's neighborhood hand in hand. Secondly, I will always remember seeing her in that pretty purple dress (as shown above) dancing arm in arm with my Dad and dancing a gig with my cousin, Shane at my brother's reception. You knew she struggled to remember people's names and faces but in those moments when she flung off her shoes to take a spin on the dance floor, you knew her soul was happy.

I am sad to learn she is gone from this world but happy to know she is at peace. I love you grandma and I am forever grateful you were in my life.

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