07/26/2026
It’s coffee time.
Get a really big cup. I’m feeling extra emotional today.
Really big one. Maybe two.
Have you ever wondered about, when you die, how long you will be mourned? Or if you made a big enough impression while you were here?
Strange question, I know.
When I was a little girl I had two favorite grandmas.
Mamaw, my grandmother (Helen) and Nanny, my great grandmother. (Erin)
They lived in Kansas, where I was born, and we moved to ND in 1972 (I think, pretty sure)
I went back to Kansas most summers growing up; I would usually spend at least a month.
I spent more time with Nanny because she was retired and Mamaw still worked.
My earliest memory of Nanny was at a burger joint.
I was about 4 years old so I don’t know if it was McDonald’s or tasty freeze or whatever, I just know I wanted a burger with the seeds on the bun.
I stayed in the car and nanny went in to get me a burger with seeds on the bun.
When she came out to the car and gave it to me, I opened it up, and there were no seeds on the bun.
I didn’t throw a fit. I just simply told her there were no seeds on the bun and she went back in and got something different.
Still no seeds on the bun. She went back in again!
Are you kidding me?
My Mamaw would’ve thrown that hamburger at me and told me to sit down, shut up and eat my burger 😆😆😆 as she should!
When nanny could drive, I would sit in the backseat of her little green car. She had this plastic over the seats and they had things that looked like bubble wrap in them, but they were hard plastic. I would sit back there and press on them, thinking it was some kind of bubble wrap.
Nanny would look in the rearview mirror and say, Rhonda, with her little southern drawl, Rhonda, you’re not back there pushing on those things now are you?
No… 😊
And she would say; you better not be.
Through the years we made great memories. She lived in a quaint neighborhood in Gardner Kansas. Perfect small town living, absolutely perfect. Everyone knew everyone. My pediatrician lived right behind her. She would even take me to the community pool.
Everyone knew me.
She talked about me constantly, this will be confirmed in a bit.
The ice cream truck would make its rounds through the neighborhood, I would hear that sound I would go running into the house for money. I always got the popsicle with all the different colors, the one that looks like a rocket.
She lived in a three bedroom house, but she lived on the edge of town and I was a little nervous sleeping in the other rooms by myself, so I would go get the great big cushions off the patio furniture and lay it down next to her bed and that’s where I would sleep.
She slept like a rock and would snore like a lumberjack so I would kick the side of her bed until it jolted her awake and then I would pretend like I was sleeping 😆😆
We watched stories, we had her little old lady friends over and I would sit there for hours, listening to the gossip. She would make me a big batch of what she called “spaghetti red” to munch on whenever I wanted and she would get pissy if I flushed the toilet if I only p*ed.
Gross.
But she was a single parent during the depression, my great grandfather died quite young so I tried to be understanding.
Nanny’s house was my safe place.
I didn’t have to be scared, I knew I was loved and protected. Even to this day, I don’t think that I have felt as safe and secure as I did back then, with her, in her house.
She would have been 119 years old today.
I had her until I was 30 and she passed 2 weeks before her 91st birthday.
I was shocked when she died, and yes, I was there. I could not fathom my life without her in it. 
As soon as I got the call that she was not doing well, I got in the car and drove all night.
She opted to go off of all life-saving measures. She had her wits about her up until her last breath. She was transported from the hospital to the nursing home on hospice.
Before she left the hospital, her doctor came to see her. She looked at me and said, you must be the great granddaughter Erin always talks about 🥰 I’m so glad you are here with her.
We were all there.
My mom, my uncle’s, aunts, cousins, her lady minister, there was a whole lot of us.
Everyone was going to leave except for me. They were going to take care of some things and be back in a bit.
To be honest, I was horrified to be left alone with her in case something happened while everyone was gone. She had the “death rattle” and could only have thickened liquids.
It scared me to pieces for fear she would choke while I was trying to give her these liquids.
I smoked back then and decided that I was going to go outside and have a few ci******es before they all left, you know, to calm those nerves! I was so scared.
As I was sitting outside by myself smoking away, her lady minister came out and sat by me.
We chitchatted a little bit, had a nice conversation, she told me that she needed to get going, but asked me if I would like to pray for Nanny. I honestly wasn’t sure what we were going to pray about for her because she was leaving and she was going to be in eternal bliss.
Whatever.
Let’s pray, then you can get away from me and leave me alone to smoke and be upset by myself.
All I remember, is crying and looking up at the sky.
The sky was especially blue that day and the clouds were beautiful and slowly moving around.
She was saying something like, send your angels and your great chariot to pick up Erin.
I was a little taken back because as I was staring up, I could see clouds that resembled a chariot, going over the building.
I knew that I was just upset, I was seeing things, but I thought it was really cool.
The lady minister left, I lit a cigarette, and from behind me I hear my mother yelling my name.
I turned around and she said, she’s gone.
It nearly killed me.
She left without me.
I understand now that she didn’t want me there.
She left before anyone else could leave so she could say goodbye, surrounded by family.
My uncle was holding her hand, she looked at him and asked, can I go now?
He replied with yes mother, you can go. She closed her eyes and left.
Erin, Nanny, Grandma Suzy, grandma, all the different names she was known as had left.
It still brings tears to my eyes 28 years later.
It feels like it was yesterday.
She left July 14th 1998.
September 2nd, 1998 I found out I was pregnant. The following May my little blonde haired blue eyed Erin was born. 🥰
It’s true.
God doesn’t close one door without opening another.
I will be 58 in a few weeks. So we can say nearly 60, and I am still mourning loved ones from so long ago. They are still alive through me and will be until my dying breath.
We get one life.
One journey, one book to write, one bus to drive.
Make every moment count, make the memories and leave the impressions with those who love you so much.
Trust me, they will treasure the memories. 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Happy heavenly birthday Nanny 💕💕