Grandma Perk

My Great-Aunt Perk is 90 tomorrow. I have so much admiration for her. One day I was thinking who my hero is and she is the person I came up with. I have always thought of her as my grandma. Growing up her and Uncle Jack lived next door to us. Or we lived next door to them, I guess as they were there first :0). I doubt there were very many days in my childhood I did not see them every day. I grew up on a horse, literally before I could even walk. My dad and Uncle Jack were in Posse together and so it seems like we were either at the Posse grounds or in our arena ridding. When her daughter Sandy got divorced and moved back here with her daughters I spent even more time there. My cousin Lynn and I were practically inseparable, especially in the summers. If we were not at the Posse grounds for my dads practice, our own practice,or doing 4H I can grantee we were on our horses in the arena for endless hours.

Grandma would make us the best chocolate milk shakes ever and she introduced me to chocolate chip pancakes as well.

Grandma has been through so much pain in her life, yet she held her head high when her heart was breaking over and over. She has a quiet dignity about her and loves her family with a heart of gold. She had 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. They lost a son when he was an infant. They lost a granddaughter at a young age as well. My Uncle Jack died when I was 17 of cancer. A few months later her daughter Pat, lost her husband to cancer as well.

She continued to live next to my parents. My dad helping whenever she needed anything and her only son John also there everyday checking on her and helping her. Then a few years latter tragedy struck and John was killed. The police ruled his death as suicide, but we know without a doubt he was murdered. That left her with her two living daughters. She moved in town because the yard and acreage was to much for her and they owned the house in town John lived in. Then tragedy struck yet again. Her daughter Sandy ended up with breast cancer. After a very long hard fought battle Sandy lost her life. She was in her 40's or 50's. She left behind her three daughters

Perk stepped up and carried her family through her own grief and their grief. I often wonder how she was able to put one foot in front of the other with all of her loss. She was both Grandma and mother when her grandchildren needed her. Her health and mind was great, she was active. Volunteered at the hospital, went on trips, drove, went to church, went to paint class with my mom. She was a very beautiful artist.

Then she had a stroke and has suffered since. While she recovered some life has not been the same. She no longer could drive, lost most of her vision in her left eye, and her daughter Pat moved in with her. She is now almost all the way blind and life is coming to an end for her.

My hero has lived a long courageous life, always with her family first, always with dignity and so much love. When the Lord is ready he will call her home, where she will joyously reunite with her sweetheart and children.

We love you Perk. Happy 90th Birthday! You have lived a full life, showing us all what an amazing woman you are and how very blessed we are to have you in our lives!