The Measure of a Woman

Ida Marie 1918-2007

Blogging will be light. My dear mother-in-law passed away yesterday. An interesting life story... her mother died when Ida and her brother were toddlers. A few years later her father married a widow with a child, and they had a child together before her father disappeared mysteriously when all the children were still under the age of 10. Her (step)mother raised all the children by taking in other people's laundry and baking bread in the wee hours of the morning that the children would then sell door to door before school each day -- in the rain, the snow and the heat of the Heartland. Until she came to Arizona last year to convalesce, she lived her entire life within 20 miles of where she was born -- in a small farming community in Illinois. It is where we will return to lay her to rest.

She hated getting old and her body failing her. She lived on her own in her own home until she was 87 years old and she hated losing her independence and having to rely on others. Hated it. But she loved... She loved the color lavender -- not purple or lilac -- but lavender. (Girls will get that.) She LOVED extra crispy bacon. And strawberry ice cream with real strawberries. Kentucky Fried Chicken. That old Irish wool sweater. She liked sitting in front of our fireplace. She loved reading the newspaper -- any newspaper... cover to cover, every page... with a cup of coffee (instant only) with real milk --none of that non-dairy creamer stuff. But more than anything she loved her family.

I can't say anything that would adequately describe Ida Marie. You may judge a woman by her looks or her clothing or perhaps even her accumulated possessions or wealth. I would measure a woman's accomplishments by the legacy she leaves behind in her children... and their children. If the three wonderful, caring, intelligent and happy sons she raised and all the loving, happy and successful grandchildren with which she was blessed are how we measure Ida's life, then it was full and complete and an unmitigated success.

She leaves in mourning one sister, one sister-in-law, three devoted sons and their wives, eight grandchildren (and seven spouses) and one great grandson. Her husband of 55 years and her two brothers predeceased her. She is already greatly missed.

Copyright Some Soldier's Mom 2007. All rights reserved.