Death

I have been fairly lucky growing up without experiencing much death in my life. As a child I was not exposed to it much. But here are some deaths that I did experience. Some affected me a little, some a lot, but some not really at all.

I must first start with my favorite little old lady. Granny Bishop. I called her Granny B. Her name was Florence. She was my Mom's Dad's Mother; so my Great Grandma. I loved this little old woman. She was little and old the day I was born! As I grew taller and taller she shrank more and more! I always could figure out her age as she was born the year the Titanic sank, 1912. We spent many days at Granny's house in Edgerton. I remember her house and yard and garage very vividly. I could draw a fairly accurate blue print of it. The 2 bedroom place was almost elongated like a corner trailer rather than a typical square set up of a house. There was a cellar. A deck ran along it. The yard was mature and well treed. In the back by her garden was a garage. I remember, we played Old Maid alot. Hung out with and without my mom at Grannys. I remember playing catch in the front yard with my brother. I remember staying with Granny, sometimes because of hockey; sometimes just because. We would drive or walk up town to get mail or go to the store or restaurant. She would always come to my hockey games I played in Edgerton. She was the sweetest old lady. I remember being about 12 and afraid of sleeping over by myself because what if I woke up and she did not. She was old you know! She would of been about 83 when I was 12. But she ended up living in that house until she was over 90. Then with Alzheimer's she went to a home and passed at the age of, I think, 96. She always kept any newspaper clippings and such about my hockey 'career.' I did not get to attend my Granny B's funeral as my vehicle wouldnt start on the blizzardy day her funeral was held.

A few years after Granny B passed her daughter Alice did. My Auntie Alice. I recall times when she was just leaving or coming from Granny B's as we got there as she was always checking in on her. After Granny B was in the home and after she passed I remember visiting Auntie Alice a couple times. I have 1 or 2 crochet blankets she gave to me for my kids. I remember attending Auntie Alice's funeral with my Mom and with my youngest child before she could walk.

Another member of my Mom's family that passed was my Uncle Terry, born Murray. He was this huge man. Was like 6'8" tall and 350lbs, I think. I know he had many issues in his life. Couple wives. Jail on and off. Alcohol use. I assume drug use. Once in a while he would visit or stay with us for short period. I remember when on the Dairy Farm he was there helping build our large tin roofed garage whem my Dad fell off the roof. Then I remember when I was in my early teens and Mom was with my Step-Dad that he visited and we played soccer. Sadly though, when I was in my early 30s he hung himself.

My Mom's Mother's parents also passed in my teenage years. I only slightly remember Great Grandma and Grandpa Pearson. I do remember their house when I was little. We had some small and large family gatherings there. Grandma Pearson passed before my Grandpa. Therefore, I don't really recall her demeaner. Kind of remember what she looked like but that may be just because of pictures. My Great Grandma's name, however, was Honor, which I honored her by giving my youngest child for a middle name. After my Great Grandma passed I remember my Great Grandpa, Alec, moved into a house in Wainwright. I remember hanging out in that house quite a bit. I remember watching Oiler games in the basement. I remember a few large family gatherings. I remember a large family picture of us in the basment. I remember playing cards in that house. Even having Christmas there before - not sure if a real recollection but I think I got an expensive hockey stick one year there. Not sure who it was from or if even a real memory as is a faint one. I remember Grandpa's chair though. Where it sat. He was such a large man. He could hold a small newborn in the palm of his hand! He, passed, I think from cancer; the same reason my Great Grandma Pearson passed.

Moving on to my Step Dads family there are a few deaths that I remember as well. I do not remember my step-dads grandma well at all as she passed when I was a teenager and I never saw her much. I remember being in her and her husbands house and that she was a smoker. Can not even recall her name. Her husband Ian, my Step-Dads grandfather, though, I remember. He was a mechanic at one point in his life. He, too, smoked. He came to watch and 'help' my Step-Dad and his Dad many times while they were working on the farm. I remember he ended up going to a home. And he passed there. I did not see him much in his later years.

Also, Grandma Lohr was the mother to my Step-Dad's dad. She lived with Uncle Donny a couple miles down the road from my Step-Grandparents when they lived near Rosalind. I remember spending some time watching tv there while my Parents visited. I remember having a couple meals there. Having cookies there. I never went to Grandma Lohr's funeral as the weather and roads were bad and I had young children.

The year I graduated college, I remember the sadness of my old teammate's Dad. The one who started and coached our Midget girls hockey team. He was a cool guy. Good hockey player. Great coach. I appreciate all he did. In 2006 he passed; way too young. I remember when I heard the news. It stung. The funeral ended up being on a weekend I was already commited to playing hockey in a tournament. I didnt know if I should skip the tournament to go to a good childhood friend's Dad's funeral. A funeral for a man whom I greatly respected. But this man loved hockey. I knew he would not want me to miss a commitment I had already made to my team.

Probably the death that has made me cry the most, personally, in my life was my Grandpa Skinner's. He was the best man that has ever lived, in my opinion. My Dad's Dad. His name was John. I got to know him for about 27 years. He was awesome with kids. He got to meet my oldest child but passed in Provost hospital while I was pregnant with my 2nd. I spent many times crying about my Grandpa being gone. I still do. Saddened that he didnt get to meet all my kids. But, honestly, mainly crying happy tears because he was so damn awesome. I have great memories of him. Some tidbits I remember is driving around with him in his old blue truck. Working on the garden or his lawn. Him doing his woodwork. Helping him with firewood. Helping him with miscellaneous chores such as weeds around young coniferous trees he planted. I remember a little bit of fishing with him. I remember being at a lake with him camping one time. I remember going goosehunting with him once. I remember his house perfectly. Where we would chill on the deck. Where he and my Grandma sat in the livingroom. Where we would watch tv. Where we would eat lunch and supper. I remember playing crib with Grandpa especially after he moved from the Dairy Farm to Lloydminster. I spent some weekends with Grandma and Grandpa there during my college years. I remember bowling with Grandma and Grandpa. They belonged to a bowling league. Great bowlers. Grandpa loved family gatherings. I remember crying before my sisters wedding a few times as my Grandpa would have so loved to be there. He was seriously just the greatest man who ever lived. He was patient. He was strong, but gentle and kind. He was a gentleman. He was fun. And funny. He was also good looking; remember pictures of him being younger and he had that Elvis look. I loved that man so very much. And I miss him to this day. I am so grateful I got to know him so well. Grateful he loved spending time with his grandkids. Grateful I got to be his next door neighbor for more than a decade. I do not believe in heaven. But if there was any chance of any type of heaven I know damn sure my Grandpa is there.

The pain of my Grandpa's passing was almost equal to the pain of My Mother in Law (MIL) passing. This pain hit me hard because my husband, and more particularily my children suffered. I remember my husband telling me the early morning when he came home from the hospital that she passed. In the morning I sent the kids to school; I went to work. After school is when I, in my bed, broke the news to them. I will never forget the pain amd tears of my then 8 year old and almost 7 year old. My MIL shared my first name and passed March 6th, 2017. She was sick and was disgnosed with cancer in the summer of 2016 which quickly took her life. My MIL loved the people she called family. My kids meant the world to her. She visited as much as she could; admittly too much while my oldest was a baby. I remember my MIL helping us out a lot, especially financially. At one point she even just gave us her car and bought herself a new one, knowing in reality, we would never be able to pay her back. She came on mini vacations with us. Specifically I remember the Calgary Zoo trips with her. One time while we lived in Bawlf I fractured my foot and called her and she immediately came to watch my kids and an aunt was able to drive me in to the hospital. I remember her taking the kids periodically so my husband and I could watch a movie or do something. I remember family gatherings she had at her house as they made her so proud. Especially Christmases. She was very big into Christmas. Many decorations and toys. Many gifts. She loved watching the kids open their gifts. She made many homemade gifts. She was very artsy and crafty. She painted. She sewed and crocheted. She did many crafts until her body failed her. Kids received clothes from her, blankets, slippers, hooded embroidered towels. She even made a weighted blanket for my son in my hopes it would calm him down. I was also looking into options for the carseat for my youngest and my MIL made this very nice warm poncho. I felt accepted into her home and her heart from the beginning. One thing I remember from before we had kids was a 25 year anniversary party her and my Father in Law had. During her 50th bday party I remember being in a speech she had written that she was grateful for me and for giving her her grandkids. I loved that woman for loving me so much. She thought I was better than I was. I still wish she was here. Yes for my kids, primarily, as her death was and is hard on them, but also for me, even though I am not with her son anymore I would still of course be in her life. I definitely did not have a bad relationship with my MIL like some do. Yes some issues; I have some issues with most people. She loved me like I was one of her own.

Then on July 31, 2021 I lived a horrible death – I lost my brother……to be continued