Grandma

Lillian Agnes Stephen September 11, 1925 to July 24, 2011.


My Grandparents on their wedding day in the 1940s.

I have been somewhat offline here recently. My grandmother passed away this week. Today was her funeral and I started thinking about some of the part that she has played in my life.

Both of my grandmothers at my wedding in 1998.

She was a child of the depression a very thrifty person. She had more of a waste not want not lifestyle. She saved bits of used tin foil, was a bag washer, and taught me many other ways to pinch pennies. Today we would just call that being green! Some of this was from raising 6 children which must not have been easy at times especially with 5 boys and 1 girl.

The part I remember most is how she used to love to go to all the garage sales on Fridays and Saturdays. She took me along with her several times and I remember she would let me pick out some jewelry and some other odds and ends. If anyone was looking for anything in particular you could tell her and usually she would be able to find it for you down to a lid for your old Corningware dish!

She also had a back room in her house that would rival my stock room now. Our only difference is that I like to share my finds online while she would stockpile and then would have a garage sale every now and then. But, she understood that older and vintage items had value. In that way, she was ahead of her times. The last several years after her stroke she was unable to attend garage sales. I'd like to think that she would be very proud of me and my online vintage shop and had she been able to get out and do some shopping herself she would have made quite an asset to my shop!

Grandma with my daughter in 2001.

She was a fun loving person who had a strong faith, loved family, playing card games and dancing. Who always had a smile and she will be dearly missed by many.