James Dorothy Beard

Grandma went to be with God around 5 am this morning.  She slipped away peacefully in her sleep which is all we could hope for.  She had not been able to respond to us at all the last few days.  It made the few days before even more bittersweet.  I am so saddened by her passing, but at 95 years young, it felt selfish to pray for more time.  She lived a wonderful life.  She was a blessing and a handful.  She is loved and missed by 4 generations.  She was more my grandparent than any of my blood grandparents.  My kids adored her.

The first time she met me she greeted me with, "Oh, you're a big girl!"  This endeared her to me forevermore.  I had met a fellow lady with no filter.  The filterless must stick together, LOL.  I know in my heart she thought of me as family, not just married into it.  She was a delight to be around and she loved her family exclusively.  She liked other people OK, but her family was IT.  She did allow a few non-family members into her family...and it meant alot to have that distinction.  Her church family was just as important to her.  She went to every service except when she just absolutely could not-like when her back was broken.  She went at times when it was physically painful, because that is what you do. 

She said exactly what she thought-if you had gained weight, she noticed and told you that you were fat.  Then she offered you some cake and a coke.  She loved to call people a 'hussy' when she didn't like what they did.  I don't think she knew it wasn't a nice word until I told her.  She tried not to say it...unsuccessfully, I might add.  She called herself, 'the old lady that lived in the shoe' and collected all kinds of shoe knickknacks.  Until one day she announced-ENOUGH, no more shoes.  Now she wanted coca-cola stuff. 

She loved motorcycles and had memories of riding them when she was a young girl.  She was from the city and moved to the country when she got married.  She didn't love it.  She had a hard life in many ways, but she was always content and made up her mind to be happy.  As the girls and I cleaned for the last time the other day, my eyes watered alot.  She really had nothing fancy at all and she was content-she didn't want anything...except better hearing.  Health.  Visits from her family.  She spent Mother's Day surrounded by her three children that live here.  I am positive she spoke to her son, Roy in Texas, by phone.  Her house was filled with flowers, cards and presents.

She lived independently in her own home until this stroke.  She wanted to be independent.  She had some setbacks in the past few years, but she did return home to care for her own needs.  She was mom to 4 kids and grandma to, hmmm, a bunch, and great-grandma to, hmmm, a bunch and a great-great grandma as well.  She was our matriarch.  The glue that held all of our family functions together.  The holidays revolved around her.  Today is a very sad day for us still here, however, I know the angels are rejoicing to have her home.