To my grandma, born 5/14/1916

[UrbScotty]

Ninety years ago today, my grandmother was born.

Grandma spent several years in a sanitorium after contracting tuberculosis. She survived, but lost two sisters to the disease.

Always an optimist, she was proud to be a Democrat. She and my grandpa (a WWII vet who staunchly supported Democratic Congresswoman Martha Griffiths) got married on Febuary 11 one year. (Grandpa passed in 1985, while Griffiths was Lieutenant Governor.) Grandma's mother died on February 14, 1975, and her father died on February 12, 1976. As you can imagine, the middle of February isn't the easiest time for my mom and I.

Her last birthday, her 84th, fell on Mother's Day in 2000. Duuring the last few months of her life, she cast the final vote - for Albert A. Gore, Jr., for President. Then, as the month of January came to an end, she was hospitalized - something that hadn't happened since she gave birth to my aunt many years earlier.

She went up to Heaven the day before Valentine's Day - between the anniversary of her father's death and that of her mother's death.

I'm disappointed that the last President she knew was Bush (she fell ill a couple months after he took office), but for her sake I'm glad she didn't make it long enough to see September 11, etc.

Her daughters - one of whom is my mom - are avid Democrats and love gardening.