G is for Mrs. G (as she was so fondly known by her sons) and G is also for the special Grasshoppers that her grandson Dave made for her.

R is for Remembering.  Gram had a fantastic memory.  She remembered all our birthdays and special events, and always had stories to tell of past memories of all her travels.

A is for Afghan.  One of her favorite pastimes was crocheting afghans, making towels, and making hangars, which she passed out to everyone in her family.  She also liked to play cards, especially “500”.

N is for Not wanting to depend on anyone.  She took great pride in being independent.

D is for her Daughters whom she loved so dearly.  D is also for her Dresses.  When we would compliment her on her nice dress, she would always say, “This old thing!?”

M is for Milwaukee, the city she called her home—and when anyone came to visit her, her favorite and first question would always be, “Which way did you come, Lincoln or KK?”

O is for Old—a word she detested and emphatically claimed not to be.  She refused to ride the chair-lift at church. That was for old people, she claimed.

T is for Tough.  If there’s one word to describe her it was tough and/or stubborn!  She reminded me of the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

H is for her Honesty.  Gram would always “tell it like it is.” She was never one to mince words.

E is for her favorite food: Eggs.  Not!

R is for ROSE—Rose Groleau: mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother—very special to us all.

In closing, a song by Frank Sinatra called “My Way” came to mind when I was thinking of Gram.  The final verse goes like this:

And now the end is near,
I’ve come to face the final curtain.
My friends, I say it clear;
I’ll state my case of which I’m certain:
I’ve lived a life that’s full,
I’ve traveled each and every highway,
but more—much more—than this,
I did it my way.