My Grandma, Judith Darlene Vaughn was diagnosed with lung cancer in January of 2000. It was something I didn’t really understand at the time. Although I knew cancer was deadly, my grandma was such a strong-willed woman that I viewed her as invincible. I never thought the cancer would take her away from us.
My grandma’s death in May 8, 2002, wasn’t unexpected and yes, it put an end to her suffering. But call me selfish; I wish she were still alive. She spent only one week in the hospital before she passed and then she was gone. I regret not visiting her during her last days, but at the time, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to see her in that condition, I wanted to remember her as healthy and strong. I talked to her on the phone during her last hours. What she told me is one thing I always keep with me. She said although I may not be here to see your high school graduation or when you get married, I will always be with no, no matter what. I will be in your heart.
I never realized how much I loved her until she was gone.
There are many things that I will always remember about my grandma Judy. I will always remember her huge homemade breakfasts after us grandkids would stay the night and family dinners on Sunday, where she never failed to burn the rolls. Her homemade deserts were especially amazing; pineapple upside-down and strawberry dump cakes in the summer and fudge from scratch every winter. She also used to make soups and she would always make enough for everyone to take home leftovers. For her, giving food to her family was giving love. And she gave a lot of love.
I will always remember the stories that she would tell me of her childhood. About how she walked to school barefoot (up hill both ways of course) and chewed tar and rode raced ponies bareback without even a halter. Some of her tales put pictures in my head like an old western movie.
I will always remember how Grandma Judy loved playing cards, especially Spades. I can remember her and my mom teaming up against my Grandpa and dad late into the evenings, Grandpa diligently keeping score. I can remember her love of fishing, and an even greater love of playing bingo. Another hobby of hers was putting together puzzles. I can’t remember a time that my grandma didn’t have one puzzle or another sprawled out across the snack bar in her kitchen. When she was well, she loved to crochet and would make blankets and for friends and family. She tried to teach me years ago, but I never got the hang of it. She also had an undying love for animals. She and my grandpa raised an entire litter of displaced baby squirrels. The squirrels were sent out into the wild when they were old enough and they would always come back to the door for pecans. I can remember sitting by the door for hours feeding the wild squirrels with my grandparents and it is something that I will never forget.
One of my favorite things to do at her house was dust her small collection of “knick-knacks” and when she let me play with her hand painted Russian stacking dolls. She always told me not to tell the other grandkids that she let me play them, but I think she secretly let them too. Until now, I did not know that the nesting dolls are a representation of motherhood and fertility. I will always remember the smell of the Wild Sweet Williams that I would pick for her every spring that grew in the field between her house and mine. I will always remember the Sunday suppers at her house with all the family. My cousins and I spent hours playing in her house.
My grandma always had a wonderful sense of humor and was always quick with a wisecrack. Her speech was unique, she referred to the sink as the "zinc", the refrigerator was an "icebox" and the restroom was referred to as “the tarlet.”
I loved my grandmother, not for what she was, but more for what she wasn’t. Grandma Judy was actually my Grandpa’s second wife but she loved all of us like we were her own. Grandma gave me more than material things, she gave me her undying love and taught me many life lessons; like not to smash green beans into the holes in the deck, because they will only come out the other side and she would always find them, or not to throw playing cards through the furnace vents from the upstairs to the basement, because “that could catch the house ‘a’ fire!” and she would always find out.
She remained independent up until a few months before her death, not wanting to bother anyone or put them out of their way. She was hard-headed and set in her ways and I think that was one of her finest qualities. I miss her feistiness and strong will. Maybe that’s where I get it.
As the pastor said during her funeral, she led an ordinary life, but to those who loved her, she was extraordinary. Although it’s already been six years since Grandma passed away, it still feels like it was yesterday and I miss her very much. I will be forever grateful and thankful that she was my Grandmother.
Ashley Holton
My grandma’s death in May 8, 2002, wasn’t unexpected and yes, it put an end to her suffering. But call me selfish; I wish she were still alive. She spent only one week in the hospital before she passed and then she was gone. I regret not visiting her during her last days, but at the time, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to see her in that condition, I wanted to remember her as healthy and strong. I talked to her on the phone during her last hours. What she told me is one thing I always keep with me. She said although I may not be here to see your high school graduation or when you get married, I will always be with no, no matter what. I will be in your heart.
I never realized how much I loved her until she was gone.
There are many things that I will always remember about my grandma Judy. I will always remember her huge homemade breakfasts after us grandkids would stay the night and family dinners on Sunday, where she never failed to burn the rolls. Her homemade deserts were especially amazing; pineapple upside-down and strawberry dump cakes in the summer and fudge from scratch every winter. She also used to make soups and she would always make enough for everyone to take home leftovers. For her, giving food to her family was giving love. And she gave a lot of love.
I will always remember the stories that she would tell me of her childhood. About how she walked to school barefoot (up hill both ways of course) and chewed tar and rode raced ponies bareback without even a halter. Some of her tales put pictures in my head like an old western movie.
I will always remember how Grandma Judy loved playing cards, especially Spades. I can remember her and my mom teaming up against my Grandpa and dad late into the evenings, Grandpa diligently keeping score. I can remember her love of fishing, and an even greater love of playing bingo. Another hobby of hers was putting together puzzles. I can’t remember a time that my grandma didn’t have one puzzle or another sprawled out across the snack bar in her kitchen. When she was well, she loved to crochet and would make blankets and for friends and family. She tried to teach me years ago, but I never got the hang of it. She also had an undying love for animals. She and my grandpa raised an entire litter of displaced baby squirrels. The squirrels were sent out into the wild when they were old enough and they would always come back to the door for pecans. I can remember sitting by the door for hours feeding the wild squirrels with my grandparents and it is something that I will never forget.
One of my favorite things to do at her house was dust her small collection of “knick-knacks” and when she let me play with her hand painted Russian stacking dolls. She always told me not to tell the other grandkids that she let me play them, but I think she secretly let them too. Until now, I did not know that the nesting dolls are a representation of motherhood and fertility. I will always remember the smell of the Wild Sweet Williams that I would pick for her every spring that grew in the field between her house and mine. I will always remember the Sunday suppers at her house with all the family. My cousins and I spent hours playing in her house.
My grandma always had a wonderful sense of humor and was always quick with a wisecrack. Her speech was unique, she referred to the sink as the "zinc", the refrigerator was an "icebox" and the restroom was referred to as “the tarlet.”
I loved my grandmother, not for what she was, but more for what she wasn’t. Grandma Judy was actually my Grandpa’s second wife but she loved all of us like we were her own. Grandma gave me more than material things, she gave me her undying love and taught me many life lessons; like not to smash green beans into the holes in the deck, because they will only come out the other side and she would always find them, or not to throw playing cards through the furnace vents from the upstairs to the basement, because “that could catch the house ‘a’ fire!” and she would always find out.
She remained independent up until a few months before her death, not wanting to bother anyone or put them out of their way. She was hard-headed and set in her ways and I think that was one of her finest qualities. I miss her feistiness and strong will. Maybe that’s where I get it.
As the pastor said during her funeral, she led an ordinary life, but to those who loved her, she was extraordinary. Although it’s already been six years since Grandma passed away, it still feels like it was yesterday and I miss her very much. I will be forever grateful and thankful that she was my Grandmother.
Ashley Holton
