God's Faithfulness in Grandma's Life

Dear Grandma,

90 years ago today, your mother gave birth to her 15^th child and 10^th girl. She gave you her name.

You were one of the “four least ones,” and grew up working on your New Mexico mountain farm.

Your dad left when you were five and you thought everything would be better if he just came back.

You walked to a one room school house, met Indians, rode 14 miles in a covered wagon to church every week and worked and played with your sisters who have been lifelong friends.

You practiced your spelling words down rows while picking cotton. And witnessed FDR’s

destructive reformers slaughter the neighbor’s cattle and left them to rot, in order to bring meat prices up.

You moved to California to go to Bible school, lived with your sister’s family in an orange orchard, worked for an elderly and particular women for school money, and married Grandpa, one of the Bible school teachers from Illinois.

War brought shortages and you were thankful for Grandpa to get a war time factory job building airplanes, instead of being a soldier.

Your first baby was born cesarean. You named her Fama, after your closest sister.

Popular psychology advised that spankings were not good for children, but you remembered your mother and the Bible and decided you would go with the Bible.

Your early marriage was full of job moves, new babies, and caring for a very germ conscious mother-in-law who you did not know had TB in Illinois.

Back in California, you and Grandpa borrowed from your brother-in-law, Arnold & Fama Seeger for a down payment for your house and property where you lived for fifty years.

After your youngest was born you nearly died from blood loss, and stayed in the hospital for weeks. You asked God to spare you for Steve’s sake. We are all grateful He did.

You worked cleaning the church while Grandpa helped engineer the county roads in the National Park, often being gone all week.

All the family gathered at 6am for devotions each morning to read the Bible before school and work.

You urged all your children to get their driver’s licenses as soon as they could, not wanting them to be in your shoes.

You cautioned Mom with every young man that she brought home until Dad. Then you were happy for her.

You welcomed us into your home with the big yard and telephone poll swing set and old cow pasture gardens. At meals you delighted in the food from your own land.

When my siblings were born, we got to stay with you and then drive to the hospital in the night to see the new baby come. We watched with excitement while you prayed for Mom.

Because of God’s work in you, 50 of us have life and many more can look to you as grandparents.

Happy 90^th birthday Grandma!

I thank God for giving us every year with you.

Thank you for praying for all your descendants and for training your children to obey you and the LORD. That is the greatest gift you could give us.

Thank you for encouraging me to hope in God and telling me His work in your life, when I cannot see how He is going to work.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children,

To such as keep His covenant and remember His commandments to do them.

Psalm 103:17-19

I love you!

Your granddaughter,

Regina