Grandma, me and baby Matt
(taken in Chico,CA 1986)
Grandma Dear
I met my adopted grandmother in the fall semester of 1975, while I was a nursing student at CSU, Chico. The student-run CAVE (Community Action Volunteers in Education) organization was seeking a volunteer to read mail to a woman in her mid-70's who was legally blind. It just so happened that I had some extra time on my hands, and was looking for a volunteer opportunity in the Chico community.
From our very first brief meeting, there was an immediate and natural connection. Martha, or Grandma, was from Hamburg, Germany, and spoke fluent German and English. Her German heritage reminded me of my Germanic roots on both sides of my family.
Grandma was an artist, who in her younger days had gone to art school in Pasadena. The walls of her small Chico apartment were decorated with her acrylic and woven paintings. Now that her vision was relegated to shadows, she created woven paintings on a loom in her spare bedroom. She would occasionally sell some of her art at local craft fairs.
Grandma was well-read, and she loved classical music and healthy food. Long before the organic food movement, she only purchase the highest quality food and dairy products. One of my favorite memories is sitting at her kitchen table, enjoying a bowl of fresh peaches topped with plain yogurt and raw brown sugar.
My volunteer commitment was to visit Martha once a week for about an hour, and read her mail to her. Soon, Grandma and I were out and about, shopping, eating at local restaurants, and going to local plays or concerts.
Over the course of four semesters, Grandma and I became the best of friends. She taught me more than any nursing textbooks ever could about caring for the elderly. Grandma's wisdom, knowledge and wonderful sense of humor added a special dimension to my college days.
Looking back at my time with my adopted Grandmother, I know that I received far more than I ever gave. After I was married, my husband and I went up to Chico several times to visit Grandma, and to introduce her to our growing family. Sadly, Grandma passed away peacefully in her sleep in 1990 at the ripe age of 89.
~Kathy~
Acrylic flower painting given to me by Grandma
as a CSU, Chico graduation gift
