A Grand Lady!

Circumstances of life left me with only one grandparent I actually grew up knowing.  My paternal grandmother died of cancer before my parents were married, and I was only two years old when my paternal grandfather passed away, so I have no memory of him.  My maternal grandfather died of blood poisoning when my mother was only eleven, leaving my maternal grandmother alone to raise their four children.

Some may say I got gypped having only one grandparent.  Instead, I feel it gave me the opportunity to know her in a more intimate way, since she was the only one.  Special isn't an adequate word when trying to describer her.  Blessed we were to have her here on earth until God took her home one month after her 100th birthday.

She came to the United States from Norway when she was only four years old, and settled in Minnesota.  From there, she moved with her husband to the plains of North Dakota where they homesteaded in Frederick Township, just south of my hometown of Crosby, ND.

Early memories of my life include many visits to Grandma Ellen's farm.  It still amazes me when I look at the early pictures of the farm, void of any trees, and compare them to the beautiful yard she transformed it into.  Just last week I was telling my own granddaughter about her farm, describing the trees all around the house, interspersed with flower gardens, a vegetable garden, and a strawberry patch.  An opening on one side led to the orchard she developed,  and in the corner was a quaint little spot we called "the three bear's house," complete with three stumps and a log to use when bringing the story to life.

She didn't have an easy life, and experienced a lot of sadness.  Besides losing her husband, she also lost a daughter five years later to a heart defect.  She would go on to bury two more of her children over the course of her lifetime.  She was given many opportunities to become bitter and angry with the circumstances she found herself in.  Instead, she apparently had learned well from her own mother, who gave the following as her mantra at the age of 100:

Keep calm,

 take everything as it comes, 

work hard, 

and stay close to God 

Grandma Ellen was a friend to all, and never spoke ill of anyone, that I can remember.  She was a model of grace and humility, and lived out the fruit of the Spirit as an example to all who knew her.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control pretty much sum up the kind of life she lived.  Her own advice at 100 was to "Read the Word, and stick to it!"  How blessed I am, and so much richer because of her influence in my life!

"Happy Grandparents Day, Grandma Ellen!"