My Mom

Tomorrow is my mother's birthday. She would be 74 years old. I can't imagine my mother at that age. She will always be 45 to me. She had just turned 45 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer. She died on September 29, 1979. But in her short life she taught me so many things.
She loved her daughters and her grandchildren so much. Yes, daughters because she didn't have any sons of her own, but the two sons-in-law she also loved. She was blessed to see two granddaughters and one special grandson come into her family. I remember so well the day she put those little booties on Barrett's tiny feet. The booties that had waited 25 years to be worn by the first boy born in the family. I cried when I saw little Maxwell wearing those same booties and hat on his blessing day. It was so thoughtful of Chantel and Barrett to have them saved in a beautiful frame so we can always remember Grandma Nell's love for her children.

Mom taught me to enjoy doing handwork. She passed on her love of crocheting and embroidery work. I didn't get her housekeeping genes that Ruanne received, but I do love to create beautiful afghans and keep my hands busy. I don't think I have her patience, either, but people say I have her looks. She woke up early every morning, something I do now as well. She loved to bake Christmas cookies and Linda inherited that talent with the raisin-filled cookies. She loved to do things with her husband, my dad, and enjoyed spending time with him. I follow her example in this, even riding to the dump with my husband just to spend time with him. Mom wrote poetry for special occasions and passed that talent on to Julie. She listened to my problems and tried to give me advice, some of which I took and some I later wished I had paid more attention to.

When I got married times were very difficult for all of us. There was a gasoline shortage and inflation was very high. The money just wasn't going very far. I was finishing up my last quarter of college at Weber State and not at home in EC for wedding plans. We decided that she would make my wedding dress using a pattern for a dress that I was currently wearing as I accompanied the Men's and Women's Choir at Ogden Institute. She knew how to fit the pattern for me so I didn't need to come for fittings myself. We met in Salt Lake and picked out the fabric. The rest was up to her. Because of the hard economic times, I couldn't see spending money on a dress that I wouldn't be able to wear again afterward. I wanted a dress that could be special for my wedding day, but that I would still be able to wear later to the temple. So we decided on the dress with an overlaid apron. She did a beautiful job and my dress was very beautiful. I wore it the next year every time we went to the temple. A great rememberance of my wedding day. (Then I was pregnant and it didn't fit any more!)

I am so humbled that I was able to have her sitting beside me at the Ogden Temple when I was married to my husband. That was so special to me. It was something I had always dreamed of, and I know she enjoyed every minute of that day.

I wished I could have spent more time with Mom the last few weeks of her life. But with a new baby and a one-year-old, I was only able to visit her once in the few weeks she was in the hospital. During that visit she was very sick, had just had surgery. But she wanted so much to hold Barrett. She stroked his head and kept saying "What a beautiful boy." Her passing was such a shock to everyone, so fast and sudden. We didn't have time to prepare but how do you prepare for something like that?
I don't know if my sisters ever knew, but that same day Garth was in a farm accident.
He had come home at noon with plans to take Tammy on the farm truck with him. He was hauling corn from the field to the barn and thought he would give me a break and take her along for the ride. She happened to be asleep when he came home, so we decided to let her sleep. He went to the farm and continued hauling corn. I got a phone call a few hours later saying to come to the farm, that Garth was alright but the truck had rolled. I still thank the Lord that Tammy had been asleep. She would have been with him at that time. We didn't drive with car seats for our children back then. She could have been standing up beside him when the truck went off the road. I think the Lord was protecting us so that I wouldn't have to go through the loss of my Mom and the possible loss of my little girl and husband.

I have lived longer without my mom than I did with her in this life. But I know she lives on and still loves me, watches and protects me, strengthens me when I need strength and comforts me. Many times I feel her presence when I wonder what direction I should take. I know she lives and I will see her again.

Please leave a memory if you would like.