Saying good bye to Grandma

Grandma Hutchins, born Margaret Jane Wingfield died last Friday.  Today is her funeral.  Her beloved JB died one year ago. She was my motherinlaw (X mother in law now)
Grandma had a pretty hard life. She grew up poor in a small town in Texas.  Her mother died when she was very young, as I remember there was a newspaper article, in that same year 3 members of the family died,  2 brothers and the mother. Margaret was raised by her sister Martha.

At 17 she graduated from High School and traveled by train all the way to Alaska.  Grandpa was stationed in Alaska and loved that little girl.  She worked at a Kodak film developing store and they were married in 1943 (on Columbus day because it was the only day off he had).  They were married 66 years. 

Grandma had 4 children.  In the 60's Grandma developed schizophrenia.  She came to be known as crazy Grandma.  She heard voices.  She talked to her self all the time.  She loved her grand kids more than anything and was very protective over them.  She was a loving grandma, except when you were bad or called her Crazy Grandma.

I lived next door to her for 28 years.  She certainly brought an 'excitment' to our lives. 

I'll just mention a few of her crazy thoughts: they were busing the children to the submarines and taking them away, Weber Bomb (several visits from the police for that little phrase), Taxation without representation (she loved rhymes), The campbell soup kids, the fact I had birthed triplets-2 boys and 1 girl- when Lauren was born which prompted gifts of boy's underwear for the next 5 years, Patty Hurst, The Pope, and the phone lines and refrigerator talking to her (that small hummmm you get from them, they were her voices), and I was Queen Elizabeths daughter and my snot was too hot.  (she had names for all her daughter and son inlaws).

She would do anything for you, and what she really wanted to be was a fine artist.  She took college classes in her 60's, yes crazy as she was she 'could' hold it together to take classes (she loved plant and flower arranging classes).  And she drove, although NOT very well and she got in frequent fender benders (usually because she was going too slow)!

Later in life she became blind, about 1999 (complications of glaucoma from diabetes).  She had a fear of doctors (well who could blame her after all those weird things that happened to her in El Paso in 1964)  so she didn't want to take the pills or suggestions they gave her. 

She was a great Grandma to the girls and I hope the family can unite in her love today.