Friday, October 22, 2010

Oma Elisabeth

I didn't post yesterday because I got some bad news Wednesday night. My maternal grandmother (and last surviving grandparent) passed away at the age of 95. She would have been 96 on November 3rd.

My Oma (grandmother) was born in Europe in 1914 and came to the U.S. in the 1950s. She wasn't fluent in English, and I'm not fluent in German. That made it hard to communicate at times. But she loved cats and flowers, and we used to play a German game whenever I visited her. She lived independently until just a few years ago, when her failing health forced her to move in with my parents. Even then, she still sat outside as much as possible and helped take care of the garden. She developed cancer about twelve years ago, and she also had diabetes and circulation problems. We found out earlier this month that the cancer had spread, undetected, into her spine. The doctors originally thought she might still have a few more months, and my parents made plans to care for her at home. Unfortunately, her condition worsened more quickly than we would have liked. We drove up to see her on Sunday; she smiled when Alex waved at her and seemed to follow what was going on, but she wasn't able to say much, if anything.

I was planning on posting a picture of her, but I'm having some server issues with Blogger.

Oma was lucky enough to see not just her grandchildren, but great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren. If you're lucky enough to still have your grandparents, be sure to talk to them and treasure the experiences they can share with you.

I'll return to my normal blogging topics on Monday. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

8 comments:

Maria Zannini said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your grandmother, Sandra.

They are real treasures. Even after so many decades, I still miss mine.

I'm glad you had the chance to have her for so long. And that she had a chance to know Alex.

Take care.

Carolyn V. said...

I'm so sorry about your loss. (hugs)

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

Sorry for your loss but she'll never really leave you, will she?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I's so sorry about your loss. Amazing she got to see great, great grandchildren though.

Unknown said...

I'm sorry for your loss, Sandra. To have a relative who lived through such an amazing time in history is a gift, and I'm glad she was able to know your son. I am quite sure he warmed her heart just as your memories ofher will warm yours.

PK HREZO said...

I'm so sorry for your loss. But she sounded like a really neat lady who lived a very full life.

BTW Thanks so much for the book Writing the Other.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Thanks for everyone for your kind thoughts. I went back to work today. It was a little odd, but I think it helps to keep busy.

Eric said...

I'm so sorry, Sandra. It sounds like she lived for a very long time, which means you were able to enjoy a great deal of memorable moments hopefully. May those memories stay with you for a long, long time.

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