Grandma was never afraid to live. She did anything and everything that she was able to do. She would climb the Red Wing bluff, even with me when I was a teenager. She was in her 60s then.

Grandma was a nature nut. She knew every edible weed, plant and root in the woods. And she usually knew what food would cure an ailment.

Grandma was a seamstress. She was the first female in our family to make and wear “pants”! At one point in her 50s, I think, she managed her own business while living in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul)., sewing wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and more. At one point, she became quite stressed and overwhelmed. She was so well known for her quality work, that there became a very high demand on her.

It was time for Grandma to retire. I remember one day when we went up to fetch her and bring her back to Red Wing.

She resided in a little house by herself, growing her own garden and painting. Now in her 60s, Grandma started to take painting lessons. She kept painting everything she could see, from memory, from visits to beautiful country, and from photographs. She eventually was known as one of the area artists who proudly owned paintings which were hung in the nearest museum.

Later, she moved to the High Rise where she was able to enjoy communal mealtimes, games, and visiting. It was an area where she could go for walks and browse her favorite stores and the library.

It was there, in the High Rise, that she met a nice man named Ed. They eventually became boyfriend and girlfriend. She was like a school girl. One day they decided to drive to the Covill park by the Mississippi river. (Ed still had a car and a license.) While "parking" by the water, the clutch and brake let go. Much to their surprise, the car began to roll into the water. Once they realized, of course, Ed stopped the car. But they were too late. It had already gone too far, deep into the sand and about a foot or two into the water. As they climbed out of the car, they found themselves knee deep in the Mississippi River waters. Others came along to help them out. While telling the story, my Grandmother exclaimed with excitement, "Yes, the nice young man saved me."

Grandma was a feisty lady, always ready to try something new. Her energy and drive always moved me. It gave us kids encouragement to move on and not be afraid to venture out into the world.

Written in 2011