A Very Special Grandma

She grew up in Newaygo MI in a country house on a farm with two sisters and two brothers. Her name is Connie Ann Johnson, my Grandma. She married my Grandpa almost 50 years ago. And she still lives in Newaygo in a small house by a big pond. Connie loves to serve in the church, go out and shop in town and hang out with her friends. 

When she was little she loved the “thrashing”.  It was a big get together for harvest time. Other farmers would come to her farm and they had lots of food. Her favorite food was and still is strawberries. When she was little she used to pick them fresh out of her Grandmas garden. She loves corn on the cob fresh out of her garden.

My grandma’s saddest memories were of losing two of her siblings. When she was 4 her brother died of pneumonia. It was a very sad time for her whole family. She doesn’t remember it a lot and didn’t understand it. When she was older and her baby sister was just 16 she got hit by a drunk driver and was killed. This was very hard for her.  She is close to her other brother and sister who are still alive.

She said her happiest memory was when her cousins came over on Sundays. They always played kick the can, tag or some other chase game. They would have dinner and picnics together. When she was a little girl she loved to play outside with her sister (maybe thats why I love to play outside). She would play tag and swing and (get ready this is going to get gross) they would step in cow poop! She said that she liked to put in between toes! When she was playing with her siblings she loved to jump from the high beams in their barn and land into the hay pile. One time she jumped and fell between the barn wall and the hay pile. She said that it was very scary.  Connie’s favorite game was kick the can.  She never had board games.  One time her dad made a board game that was very much like the game now called “Sorry”.

Connie’s favorite book series when she was a kid was the “Bobbsey Twins”. She read all of them. She didn’t have money of her own, just think about that. You wouldn’t be able to buy candy at the store or new toys or gum or a new drawing book. I know it would be hard to have no money of my own. When Connie and her sister were little they were in a store and found candy on the floor. They took it. But the clerk found out and he ran after them!  They were so scared that they never stole anything ever again. Also she didn’t have TV until she was sixteen. Can you imagine not having TV! No TV, no Food Network and no video games!

  They didn’t vacation much during her childhood. She does remember camping once. Her sister dumped eggs and bacon all over her. I don’t think she had much fun camping. She has always wanted to go to Hawaii to see all the beautiful flowers. She is still hoping to go someday.

As a teenager she wanted to play volleyball but never got the chance. She did have a chance to go to school dances. In 10th grade she went to prom. She wore a white dress with tiny red bows on it, red high heels and red jewelry. Her favorite song that night was called “Stardust”.

So many things happened in her life good, bad and ugly. But she is the best grandma and always laughs and makes me laugh. I look up to her for pushing through those hard times when all seems to be bad. She can still laugh and smile.

 By Natalie Hawkins

  A Very Special Grandma