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R.I.P. Genevieve Gay
Grandma died last night at the age of 88, peacefully in the presence of her three children, Eric (my father), Pamela, and Barry. She is survived by 4 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild. She met the youngest of the family last year on a trip to California (and Hawaii).
She was a strong, independent woman who worked as a telephone operator until they changed to automated switching. After she had her children she went back to school (the University of Michigan) and became an English teacher. When I was young she gave me a signed copy of Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, and a copy of Summer of the Monkeys to my sister; it was my impression he'd somehow been a student of hers though I'm not sure.
My grandfather died when I was 2. As grandma got older she did a great deal of traveling on her own, with tours and with her choir, making it to China, Russia, Israel, France, England, (&etc) as well as many points this side of the Atlantic. She was an active volunteer at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Flint, and refused to move from the small house where she'd raised her kids, despite the decline of the neighborhood as the automobile industry left Flint in severe economic downturn. She sang in the choir, performed with the bell choir, and managed hundreds of weddings in that church.
She was much loved, and she will be missed.
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She sounds like a great person.
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Let me know if there's anything I can do.
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My best to you and your family in a difficult time.
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I planted those snapdragons (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54739181@N00/473023268/in/photostream/) in my front planters yesterday as therapy. She loved snapdragons. She also kept roses and lilacs.
I also just removed most of the more antisocial plants from the front garden and cleared the dead leaves off the hostas. It looks much better. Gardening is so therapeutic at times when you feel otherwise a little on the helpless side. Especially when the person you're mourning was also a gardener, and would appreciate the results.
Thank you for your kind words and thoughts.
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Thoughts and hugs to you and your family.
Take care of your garden.
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She sounds like a truly remarkable lady.
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Your grandmother reminds me of mine, who passed away two years ago - she was also widowed young, and did a lot of travelling, to many of the same places that you list. Coincidentally, she also worked with telephones - she gave out schedule and fare information for Grey Coach Bus Lines.
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I admire her for sticking to the city.
Does the "G." in your name stand for one of her two G's? (You don't need to answer that, sorry.)
My mother (1928-1985) also worked as a telephone operator in the days before automatic switching. I remember her talking about how difficult it was to connect up long distance calls. I wish I had asked her more about this when she was alive.
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thinking of you and your family
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Dad's been taking audio recordings of grandma telling stories about her life. I'm sure glad he has and have long wished I had gotten a camcorder earlier in life so I would have some video of my parents from when they were younger. I encourage people to interview their parents and I have recorders if anyone wants to borrow one.
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