My Grandmother & Uncle
Rena Beck
My grandmother was a wonderful, hardworking and loving little lady. She always believed that if she didn't work, she would die. She had her own upholstery shop for several years. Making wonderful works of art, out of material. There was never a project that she wasn't able to make. NEVER was not a word in her vocabulary. There was always a way to make something come out to what she wanted if it took a few more hours to do it. Patience was definately one of her best qualities.
We always lovingly teased her by calling her "Shorty". She was the shortest person in four generations. Standing at only 4'11". She always made sure to point out this fact. Due to nothing ever being built small enough for short people in this world. So, whenever she needed for something to be reached that was out of hers, she would call on one of us "Tall People".
I remember as a little girl, how when my sister and I would get bored and sit around with nothing to do. She would ask us what was wrong. We'd tell her we were bored. The response we'd always get for this was, "You girls are way to intelligent to get bored. Find something to do." After a while it would turn into a way to just get my grandmother riled. Because if we did, we always knew she would sit down with us girls and play a game of 10,000.
My favorite holiday with my grandmother was always Christmas. This holiday was never for the gifts. It was always for the precious time we would spend together making fudge. This is when we would spend several hours talking, playing, or even just cleaning up after ourselves. Plus, the fudge was always a plus in the end. This is the hardest time of every year that goes by without her. But, she did pass on her recipe to me on how to make marshmallow candy for my mother. I spend all the time and care that she did to make this for my momma every year. Remembering every time all the things that she told me to think about while doing so.
I also remember the times when she would take us girls with her to pick blackberries. We'd all get our own bucket, jump in the car and drive around till we found some blackberry bushes. We'd stop, get out and start picking. This would usually be an all day excursion. The chance to talk, spend time together, and even get into a few blackberry wars was very dear to me. After our buckets were full, we'd hop back into the car and head back to grandmothers house to clean them and make pies. But, we could always count on grandma to make a little extra dough for the pies. Turning this excess dough into pie cookies. Our favorite part of the whole pie making process.
Now I look back and cherish those times with my little grandma. Wishing how much I could bring them all back. Or how my daughter, niece and nephews could experience all these same experiences with her. Knowing that they would have appreciated her as much as I did, and still do.
Rest in peace my little grandma, and may you always know how much you were and always will be loved!
View her favorite song
George Beck
My uncle George was a very musically talented man, when it came to playing the piano. He would come in all hours of the day or night and play whatever he felt the mood for. Whether it was in the morning, afternoon, evening, or even the middle of the night. You always knew what kind of mood he was in by the way he would play it. If he was in a good mood he would play the song the way it was supposed to be heard. If he was in a bad mood he would play it very loudly and with power to the strikes of the ivory. If he was in a sad mood, for some reason or other, he would play it soft and gentle barely audible to others. It also showed in the songs he would play.
In my own opinion, he had a much better talent than that piano though. It was being an uncle. Us girls never had a father growing up. So, he did his best to be that role model. He always made us girls the first thing in his life. Whether it came to his girlfriends, friends or even a job.
He would come get us girls ritually once ever month from the bus stop in the morning. Making us girls skip school, and take us out for a day of fun. We would usually start the day off with breakfast and conversation. From there we would usually go to a beach (a different one every time). We would run and play, climb rocks, play a little frisbee, or even fly kites. This would always be an all day excursion. At the end of the day he would take us home, write us a note to get back into school the next day and tell us girls to keep it our little secret. Which we did faithfully. Knowing that if mom ever found out, it would put an end to our fun with our uncle.
Then we would have our weekly breakfasts also. He would pick us up from the bus stop and take us out to breakfast before school, and then drop us off at school right afterwards.
During the summer time he would take us girls swimming while our mother was at work. We would head up river with our bathing suits, towels, and a lunch. We would spend the day swimming, chatting about our days and just whatever was on our minds. He always made sure to get us back in time for mom to be home from work.
We never did tell our mom about these little excursions we went on until after he was gone. Cause we felt she couldn't punish us any more than we were already being punished by the lord taking him away from us. She was a little mad, but at the same time was thankful for what he had given us girls to remember him by.
Recently I have found out some information about my uncle that I find very interesting, and would like to share it with you.
My uncle George was called "Twig", because his daddy was the big tree, and until he grew up he was just a little "Twig". His daddy always called him "Twig".
Well uncle George. I wish two little things. One being, that you were still here on this earth so that you and our children could have met. And that you could have been the uncle to our children, that you were to us.
REST IN PEACE! And look over us, always knowing we are always thinking of you.
View his favorite song