Presenting…. my grand-mother

As a member of the Ultimate Blog Challenge, I receive daily e-mails containing ideas for blog posts. Today the suggestion is this one -“Who Do You Admire & Why? “

This is easy – ma maternal grand-mother, Irène Fontaine Boissé.   She was born May 1st, 1905 and died suddenly back on November 6, 1992.  

During the teenager years, I didn’t want to spend more time with her.   Now – at age 42 – I wish I had… to learn more about her past, the years during the war, the life before I met her.  87 years and 10 months of life full of events I am sure.  She grew up  witnessing so many things – television, snowmobile (she lived in the town where Bombardier created the snowmobile), cars, two world wars, industrialization, computerization and much more.

She was raised in a wealthy family  but got rejected for her choice of marriage by her own father.   And when my own grand-father was not so perfect, she stuck with him. 

She raised eight kids – one died at a very young age, another when he was a teenager.  Lived on a farm.  Took care of her husband’s father in his old age.

(in the family picture below, my mother is the young girl between her parents!)  The family house had a wrap-around porch like I would like to have!   She baked a lot, made ton of canning, sew, a fed numerous people at her table.

When I came to the world, the farm has been sold.   They have moved back to the village…   I found this photo of her and saw her beautiful smile and remember the chair she is sitting in.   When I was younger she also sacrificed so that I can pursue thing like learning to play guitar.  She would give money to my mom to help with it.   I never really see that, never realized what a jewel she was until she was gone… and some years later when I had my own kids.  

My grand-mother was a hard-working woman who didn’t have an easy life I think.  Still she persevered, prayed regularly for her family, went to church on a daily basis, was very pious and faithful.    She trusted God from what I remember.   She crocheted and knitted for everyone.  Her Christmas gifts were always products made from her own hands, woolen socks, crocheted things for your desks/tables at home.    She made a beautiful crocheted bedspread for me when I was younger (see picture on the left) – btw I still have it!.   She made quilts too!.    And I still have some of the quilts she made.  My kids have some on their beds as well.   I have old woolen bed covers she made in a patch works based on clothes she had worn or I had word.   She was gifted in many ways.  And wise as an owl! 

When she was younger (16) she painted these painting on roller blinds.  They are now on a wall in my dining room.

Today I almost wished that she could meet my family.  She would love my husband and my kids I think.     When I think about it, she is a perfect example of the Proverb 31 woman.   

On November 6th, 1992 – she was going to church for the first Friday of the month.   Not wanting to walk on her side of the street (which was the church side as well) just because she didn’t want to walk in from of the hotel (where people go to drink), she crossed the street.    Someone driving came out between two buildings and not looking much hit her… on her way to church.    She was killed instantaneously.  I was 23 years old.   Today,  I miss her dearly.   I admire who she was and hope to be able to be as patient, as pious and as a hard-worker as her.