Grandma Martha

This song reminds me of my grandma Martha Van Hoy. Not so much as a little old lady, but as one who is always going. I love both of my grandmothers, but my mother's, mother Grandma "Mac"  went to heaven in the 1985 & I didn't get to know her as well. Grandma Martha turned 95 this May. When she moved to Fairview in 1998, she was still walking 2 miles a day. To me she is the epitome of a "sweet little old lady".

 She moved into the house right across the street from me, I think God had his hand upon those circumstances. Up until my accident I would mow her yard and try to help her out with anything that I could. Many times she would come out when I was in her backyard and bring me a cold glass of water or tea. We got to visit 20 or 30 minutes most of the time. She would enlighten me with stories from her youth as well as telling me how my dad was in his early years. She would talk about my grandfather, "Grangran" we don't know exactly how we came up with that name but I'm sure there are many grandparents with nicknames like that. His real name was Earl Boyer, but was known as Banty because of his feisty nature, like a Banty rooster. Here is one of the Wikipedia definitions.

"Banty" is short for bantam rooster. In reference to a person, it means someone of small size but aggressive and spirited. He passed away when he was 56.

Grandma Martha then married Delbert Van Hoy, after a short few years, Delbert also died. She has gone through some tough times in her life, but it's very seldom to see her :-(

She would tell me about the times in her youth  when she pumped gas, did sewing from her spare bedroom, including a few wedding dresses and worked at C. R. Anthony's. She also was the manager of a small nursing home. There were things about her, from her youth that really surprised me. That's when I really got to appreciate what a treasure she is. I don't think there was a time in her life when she was just sitting around doing nothing.

In the last six months or so we have been noticing some small instances of short-term memory loss. Last week hit us very hard. She became confused about everything.

It's hard to see someone that you are very close to go through what she was dealing with. Arrangements have been made and now she is living in the Fairview Fellowship

Home. My Dad, Stephanie, Andrew, and Cheri have been fixing up her semi private room with some of her favorite things from her house. We all know that this is the best decision, even grandma, but this is a part of life. I really believe that in the next couple of weeks she will be much happier where she is, because she likes to be around people. She's not across the street now, but she is less than a mile away.

Much love, Dennis