My Grandmother
Grandma gave birth to 12 children and had 5 stepchildren. My Grandfather, Henry O'Neal died when the 12th child Lane was just a baby. Shortly after my grandfather died, Lane also died.
My grandmother never remarried. She went to work and supported and kept her children together. Things were hard for he but she kept going. She worked as hard at home as she did at work but she didn't complain.
When I ask her how she did it, she says I did it because it is what I had to do and the good Lord helped me.
When asked why she never remarried, she says because she didn't have time and because my grandfather was the only one for her.
I can remember spending many nights with grandma, and she didn't take just one of us at a time, she had two or three of us, sometimes four or more! I don't remember my Grandmother ever yelling at us or getting mad at us, well maybe once but we won't go into that, let's just say sometimes kids do dumb things, right Rhonda?
At 90 she is still going, maybe not as fast as she used to, but she is still going. She still lives at home with two sons, one is paralyzed and the other has mental problems. She still does things around her house (more than she should)! She has seen a lot of pain in her life, she has buried her husband, half of her children, several grandchildren, son-in-laws who were like children to her and she has buried some of her brothers and sisters. And seen many changes in her lifetime.
She has always helped anyone that she could and still does. Grandma's philosophy on life? "There's always someone worse off than you." I have never heard any one say one bad thing about my grandmother, just the opposite. Grandma never said anything bad about anyone, if she couldn't find something nice to say (which was rare), she didn't say anything at all.
There is so much more to Grandma than what I have written here, so much more that she has done. One of the things I am most grateful for, is that she raised my mother, a wonderful woman in her own right!
I know there is a special place in Heaven for my Grandmother and when it is time, the Lord will call her Home and she will be ready.
My grandmother is admired and respected by all who know her. If I can be a fourth of the woman my Grandmother is, I will have accomplished very much in my life!
I love you Grandma! Written for my grandmother, Jennie O'neal,
On June 2, 2000, my Grandmother left us to go to her Heavenly Home. She touched so may lives during her 90 and a half years on this earth and will be missed by all who knew and loved her. |