It was a bright and sunny day in June 2011. A perfect day for a graduation party. Justin and I had our BS in Computer Science and we celebrated with his family and friends. One of the first people I got to meet was an elderly woman with the biggest smile I have ever seen on a person.
"Eryn, I'd like you to meet my grandma, Elsie Wutzke." This was proceeded with a giant hug from Elsie. Then Justin got a hug from her too. I learned a few things about Elsie that day. 1) She smiled always. 2) She hugged everyone. 3) She spoke her mind no matter what!
Over the course of the next year I got to spend more time with grandma. She came to our wedding and was full of smiles, love, and advice. We stayed a night with her in Myrtle Creek and met half the town at dinner because they all knew her by name. With each encounter I learned a little, and sometimes a lot, more. Not just about her and her way of life, but about how life should be lived and what should truly be treasured.
Grandma's life was NOT easy. Born in 1924 on a farm in North Dakota, her mother died when she was only 14 days old from pneumonia. Her father remarried a widow, and all told there were 18 kids between them! She grew up on a farm, as well as married a farmer whom she worked side by side with, and knew what the definition of hard work was first hand. Grandma had to quit school after the 6th grade so she could help support her family. This didn't stop her from getting a High School Diploma in 1974, graduating the same year as her youngest son Nick. After which she continued her education in knitting and oil painting, among other things. She also taught bread making, one of her special culinary talents. Grandma went to church every Sunday morning, senior Bible study every week, and joined a diet club. But she never went alone, even after Grandpa died 7 years ago. Grandma picked up any elderly lady that couldn't drive and took them with. If they needed a ride, and there was room in the car, Grandma was there. Every birth, graduation, and marriage meant another quilt lovingly made by grandma, and the guarantee she would be there to give it to you in person and share in your joyous day.
Hard work, perseverance, education, teaching, service to others, fear of the Lord, love of the Lord, family, forgiveness, speaking your mind, and many, many other things were all very important to grandma. And she made sure to pass the importance of those things down to her children and grandchildren, instilling in them the same values she exemplified throughout her life. Getting a message that a loved one isn't doing well is never easy. And while grandmas readiness to meet the Lord, her daughter lost at birth, her mother, and to see her granddaughter Sara Lynn again was comforting, it doesn't ease the pain of those words. Monday December 3, 2012, 7 years and 2 days after her husband passed, Grandma Elsie R. Wutzke passed away in her son Ken's home with her daughter-in-law Pat by her side. Her celebration of life was held on Sunday December 9, 2012.
Grandma, you will be fondly remembered, and greatly missed.
