Grandma Strege was a seamstress. Her claim to fame was that she got to sew the jerseys of the Marquette basketball team during Al McGwire’s hey day. She lived through the dust bowl years in Kansas. During the worst of it, the family would close all the doors and windows at night before bed. And yet they would wake up in the morning and get out of bed only to see the outline of their body surrounded by the fine dust that came in even through those closed doors and windows.
She ended up in the tiny Wisconsin town of Theresa where she worked for Widmer’s cheese factory. To this day we buy Widmer’s delicious brick cheese in memory of Grandma. When Grandma Strege died last year, the Widmer’s showed up at her funeral. It was quite a tribute to her legacy that they would come to her funeral all those many years after she had worked there.
Grandma Strege lived through the worst of the depression, and became a strong, hard working woman whose priority was to see to it that he children were well-educated. It’s a legacy that lives on in our family. Thanks, Grandma. We miss you.
Grandma Eggebrecht was an entrepreneur, a secretary, and a check out clerk at the A&P. She helped her husband, my grandfather, run a coal business, and later, a liquor store. She did what she needed to do to see to it that the family had food on the table. And that wasn’t always an easy thing in a bad economy. But she worked…and she worked hard.
Christmas Eve was a magical time at Grandma Eggebrecht’s house. The whole place was decorated to the hilt. A whole set of choir boy candles sat on the table inside the door. Presents were scattered under the tree. Since there was one boy and two girl cousins on each side, we all got identical gifts to the opposite cousin. And Grandma’s humor always kept everyone laughing.
Now she’s 94-years-old, and still making everyone laugh. She lives in a nursing home, and people who visit her say that she’s an inspiration. She really is. Besides, I think our side of the family has been endowed with her “gift” for acting and entertaining. Thanks, Grandma. We love you.
My mom is a nurse. She retired a few years ago and is enjoying it immensely. She risked her own health and well-being to care for others for many years. I’ll never forget the time she came home from working at the Children’s Hospital emergency room, having been exposed to meningitis. I was worried. But she took medication to prevent getting the disease, and reassured me everything would be fine.
Mom worked hard and sacrificed her own time so that we could go to Lutheran schools and have nice things to wear. Mom has style, and always saw to it that we did, too. She must have cringed at some of the things I wore when I began buying my own clothes. Even though she was never able to look directly at me when I performed (she still doesn’t look at me when I preach…she’s just too nervous!) she was always there and always supportive. And one of my mom’s greatest characteristics is her generosity. I hope that I am, can be, and will be as generous as she is. Thanks, Mom. I love you.
My wife is a mom that any kid would love to have. I know our kids love having her for a mom. When they were little she played baseball with Ben, and dress up with Ashlyn. She nurtured and fostered their little imaginations. She read to them and sang with them. She encouraged them, and made it to every sporting event, concert, or play that she possibly could. She would always tell the kids, “I’m your biggest fan.” And there is no disputing that fact.
Being a pastor’s wife, she had to sit alone with them in church, which is no easy task. Her faith and faithfulness have been passed on to her children. They have become the people she prayed that they would be. Much of it is due to her modeling, caring, serving, and loving; literally putting them well before herself in most every aspect of life. Any husband would want a wife to be the kind of mother that Tammy is to her children.
Tammy is a teacher, and works hard each and every day so that our kids can get a great education. She wants them to be able to pursue their dreams; and that, in fact, is what they’re doing. Once again she sacrifices herself for the sake of our children and our family. Thanks, Tammy. I love you.
Happy Mother’s Day Grandma, Mom, and Tammy! I love you all.
What is your remembrance of or tribute to your grandmothers, mother, or wife?
