My great grandmother, Mabel Davis, passed away in the early afternoon today, just 9 days before her 93rd birthday. She was the last of my great-grandparents, and a wonderful and loving person. She had been in poor bodily health for a few years, but was generally still able to get around, socialize and even go candlepin bowling until a year or so ago. I’m not sure when the last time she went bowling was, but I know she told me this about regular bowling such as we have outside of New England: “Oh honey, you can’t help but get a strike with those big balls!” Even at her advanced age, she had a very sharp mind, and always worked through the word puzzles in the newspaper (I think she avoided the crosswords) and really liked watching Jeopardy.
She was featured toward the end of an episode of This American Life back in 2001, which is wonderful because it means I can just go back to the recording and hear her voice. If you’ve never heard it (or even if you have), take a listen. It’s a good story, and in my unbiased and highly objective opinion, my great-grandmother is the star.
She gave me the photograph above just a couple years ago. I had never seen it before finding it in her apartment while visiting her, and I love it. She looks very happy in that photograph (in the middle), and that’s how she was just about whenever I saw her. She was full of love, and I miss her.
My word, you'd never heard this? I wish I'd known — I would have pointed this out long ago.
Posted by Joe Chellman at April 20, 2008 5:58 PM
Joe,
Thanks for posting that episode. I have heard about it several time, but I never actually heard before. Nana is awesome- she's certainly the star!
Posted by Brother at April 20, 2008 5:46 PM