Remembering My Mother
Yesterday was my mother’s 90th birthday. She passed away last Sept. 1 at 
the age of 89. This coming Sunday we will celebrate Mother’s Day, so I decide to write about some of my memories.
Mother was born May 3, 1919. She was the oldest of three girls.
She married my dad when she was 17 years old. Together they raised 9 children, 6 girls and 3 boys.
I am the fifth girl in a row.
When I was about eight years old my Dad bought a dairy farm. My mother would trade milk to pay for my piano lessons. I’m sure my sister’s lessons were also paid for with milk.
Mother could cook about anything. My dad was a rancher and some of the things he would bring home for Mother to cook were not too pleasant, but she prepared it anyway.
She loved to can or bottle all kinds of fruits and vegetables. In later years I asked why she continued to can all the things she did. She told me she loved the way the finished product looked in the bottle.
When I was in high school, Mother made pies and cinnamon rolls for a local café. All the truck drivers loved to eat there and have some of those delicious goodies.
In exchange for some of those pies and cinnamon rolls my lunch was paid for. The café was only a few blocks from the school and I would walk there each day to eat.
I learned through osmosis to make pies and cinnamon rolls along with all kinds of other things. Mother never formally taught any of us how to cook, we learned by helping and watching. All of us girls turned out to be fairly good cooks.
She could also sew and most of my clothes were made by her. As I was the fifth girl, I got plenty of hand-me-downs. Mother always remade them for me. I was smaller than the other girls.
Some of my prom dresses were prettier and better than many of the store bought gowns of the day.
When I started my in-home business, Mother became my biggest fan, greatest cheerleader and support. I once asked her why she used the products in the beginning. It was because I was her daughter and she wanted to help me.
She soon became sold on what I was doing and for a while had her own business going. Even today her downline is using products and providing income to my dad, who at this time is still living and using the products I market. He will be 96 soon.
One of the things Mother enjoyed doing was hanging out her laundry. Even though she had a dryer, she liked to see her clothes on the line and always remarked that whenever she hung out the clothes, a breeze would come along to quickly dry them.
After all of us kids were grown, Mother returned to school learning many things including the computer which she said did not like her.
She learned to play the piano after making sure all of us had the opportunity first to learn to play.
She loved to sing. In her younger days she played the guitar and sang on the radio.
Each year the community college presented the Messiah. At the age of 86, she was the oldest member to sing in it.
The Sunday before her passing, she sang in her church choir.
Her last instructions to her family were: “My children have gladdened my heart! Be true to yourself. Keep on singing no matter what. Exercise your mind and your body everyday.”
She could still do the splits when she was 86. She wouldn’t try after that. All of us know what “Stand like a Tree” means.
At the time of her passing she left a legacy of 9 children, 46 grandchildren, 117 great grandchildren, and 41 great, great grandchildren.
Mother was only 4 feet 10 inches, but she was mighty in spirit. All of us will miss her and look forward to a future glorious reunion.
Hi Grace. I am the daughter of Susan Clawson Blake, and the grand-daughter of CB and Olive Clawson. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your memories of your mother. She was such an awesome person. She always made me feel welcome and remembered at the Busby reunions, even if I only came a few times. Aunt Florence always had a smile on her face and a kind word. Thank you so much for sharing.