MeMaw

After a long battle with cancer, Buddy's grandmother, MeMaw, passed away on Monday, June 27th. Funeral services were held yesterday in the small west Texas town in which she spent so much of her life. Due to the degree of travel complexity and timing of the funeral service, Buddy and I were unable to attend, but we were, of course, in attendance in spirit.

What can I tell you about this delightful woman who I had the pleasure of knowing for over 22 years? She was married twice, the first being to PaPaw, with whom she celebrated over 50 years of marriage until his death in 1989. MeMaw and her second husband, Wayne, were married for almost 10 years, and were gentle companions for one another. She was a devoted homemaker, loving mother, and a capable help-mate as a rancher and farmer's wife. MeMaw is survived by her daughter, Delores (Buddy's mother), son, step-daughter and their spouses, 6 grandchildren (and their spouses and partners) and 12 great grandchildren.

All of these are important contributions and achievements to be sure, but do not really do justice to the person that I remember her to be. Her devotion to family was amazing, whether that devotion was to help a family member in crisis or simply to be interested in the activities, jobs, and hobbies of her clan. While fiercely proud of her children and grandchildren, she recognized the unique traits of each and never attempted to compare them. Each was a special gift from God and treated as such by her. She had a great sense of humor, laughed well and often, and could find the humor in many situations. And while she found great joy in the “growing” of her garden, whether it be vegetables, flowers, or fruit trees that she was never without, it was the "feeding, watering, and nurturing" of her family that gave her the most satisfaction.

While many special memories of MeMaw will always be with us, my favorite recollections will be the ones of her sitting on the porch of the Aquarena Springs hotel during the annual family reunions and visiting with her many brothers and sisters. They would all congregate on the veranda under the shade of large trees in the late afternoon of the Texas summer heat to visit with one another, catch up on the lives of each other and their families, and reminiscence about earlier days.

Perhaps her children and grandchildren will have other memories, and certainly an abundance of stories to share. The loss of her presence will be missed by all who knew and loved her, whether family or friend. And while she was not my mother or grandmother, nor did we share any blood bond other than my marrying her grandson, her presence will be missed by me as well…Simply stated, she was my friend.