In April of 1999 "Granny" became my Grandmother-in-law.... but in reality, she was the only "mother- in-law" I would know. She had raised Thayer from the age of 13. The fact that she had taken in two boys, after raising her own kids, made her a saint in my eyes. (not to omit the fact that Thayer's paternal grandparents also had an earlier role.)
Thayer's Grandparents helped to build a solid foundation on which Thayer and his brother became the men that God intended them to be. And I am thankful for their investment.
Granny embraced me as a granddaughter, and spoiled Thayer and I with frequent home cooked meals during our first year of marriage. The weekly meals and fellowship continued when my babies were born.
As great-grandparents the Jantzes became known "Papa and Granny Jantz".
Papa and Granny would frequent our family events. I remember taking them to the park for a play date and picnic when my kids were young.
Granny spent a lot of time in the kitchen. A lot. She introduced me to swiss chard, rhubarb, her famous cranberry salad, her standard ham with pineapple, and a plethora of pies. My favorite was her apple pie, yet interestingly... her favorite seemed to be Marie Callendar's Razzleberry pie. :)
The Jantzes were gardening geniuses. They had a prestinely landscaped yard. They grew a ton of veggies and wasted not. Granny canned and canned and canned. Thayer and I never had a shortage of green beans or jelly. Crab apple jelly was always on hand... and quite tasty.
As the Jantzes aged, the garden and yard became too much for them to handle on their own. Thayer would take care of the yard work. And it was a somber day when grass was planted over the garden.
Granny was the extreme example of someone with a servant's heart. She would bend over backwards to serve, help, encourage and love on people. It's been rumored that she never complained. And I believe it. I never witnessed her complain about anything.
She was a very loving and submissive wife. I can still hear Elmer say, "Marie!" and she would run to his side. She was patient and kind.
In 2004 Thayer's job took us to another city. Thayer would return to help with the yard.
At some point, early 2006, our visits became very frequent because Papa Jantz was battling cancer and we knew his time was short. Granny was running herself ragged taking care of him. Best nurse ever.... though her own body was growing weak and the physical labor was taking a toll on her.
As hospice came in, she still cared for that man until his last breath.
One of the most precious memories I have is sitting with Granny all night, on Elmer's last night. I had never been on death watch before and our conversation topics were very interesting, to say the least. Being with Granny while Elmer passed is one of my most vivid memories.
She was darling.
(As age stole Granny's memories, she had no recollection that I was with her that night. But it's a memory I hope to keep.)
After Elmer's death, she moved out of state with her son and daughter-in-law. Our visits were less frequent. Maybe twice a year while Thayer was alive. I kept that up for a few years and then our visits tapered off to once a year, these past few years.
Over the past several years age had stolen Granny's ability to cook and to remember certain things.
I recall one time when we were visiting and her prided pies didn't turn out "quite like they were supposed to". It was obvious that she was loosing her "touch" and I could see the concern in her eyes.
A few years ago Granny came to stay with us for several days. I remember how excited she would get as she watched her baseball. She personally knew her Braves. And come to think of it... the only time I ever saw her get a little cranky was when she realized that I didn't have ESPN.
During that visit, the reality of her age, her physical, and her mental limitations hit me. I started to understand the care and dedication that her son and daughter-in-law were exhibiting on a daily basis.
The last few times that I visited with Granny, her memory was hazy.... but she would talk at length about how she had met Elmer. He had come to work on her family farm and had taken an interest in her. I wish I had documented the details... because those things... she remembered vividly.
She had a "young" picture of him in her room and she would point out how good lookin' he was. :)
Upon jogging her memory, she would tell me about being a seamstress and about how she would sew costumes for plays at the university.
Her long term memory was very selective. Other major events, she didn't recall, or didn't want to discuss. For instance... I think I had heard that she once had brain surgery...?? But she didn't seem to remember that.
She lived a long, full, heartbreaking, joyful life. From my perspective I see that she endured so much heartache over her 93 years....yet she was still joyful. I know her faith in Jesus carried her through.
The last time we visited Granny, (last November).... I remember thinking that it might be the last time we see her. It was.
Granny went to be with Jesus, and a slew of family members... and friends, on Monday.
I know she was ready.... but she will be missed.
I am thankful for her life and her impact on our family.
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| Photos from Granny's 90th birthday, 2012. |
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