Tribute to my Grandmother

[slick]

Her name was Rosemary but everyone called her Rose. A true "cockney" she was born in London, England on November 28, 1898 to the sound of the bow bells. Little is known about her childhood, for she refused to talk about it much. She loved the stage and when she was a teenager, she took every opportunity to act. When she was older she worked in a bomb factory.

I don't know when she came to Canada and I never knew her first husband (My mother's Dad). Apparently he was not a nice man. After that marriage dissolved, she married again and gave birth to my Uncle. Grandpa Don was not nice either. He was an alcoholic, a child abuser and used to beat up my Grandmother on a regular basis. I remember one Sunday morning, I couldn't have been more than about 7 years old, she showed up on our doorstep after taking the bus over and she had bruises all over her. Dad told me and my brother to go down to the basement...I guess they didn't want us to know...
Through her two marriages she was pregnant 13 times but only gave birth 3 times. The rest were either miscarriages or abortions. Her 3rd child was to a girl, Violet, who was given up for adoption.

After Grandpa Don died in 1965 she spent alot more time with us kids. My Dad and I share the same sense of humour and pulled many jokes on her. One day she wanted her front porch lightbulb changed so my Dad put in a red one...LOL Grams loved to laugh and share a joke and believe me, some of her jokes were quite riske, in fact I wouldn't repeat a couple of them. LOL

She was ALWAYS the life of the partee and was a vital part of family celebrations, and yes...she enjoyed a drink or two. Mom and I were with her when she died in 1997, just a few months shy of her 99th birthday. She had just finished her lunch then started to have trouble breathing. She looked up at Mom and I and whispered "good-bye" then she just closed her eyes and passed very peacefully. I cut off a lock of her snow white hair and keep it in a special box.

And so this November 28, I want to wish my Grandmother a very happy birthday and I just know that she's having the time of her life right now.

Sorry this is so long but I would be writing a novel if I were to tell everything. Thanks for listening.

Please feel free to use this thread to share special memories of your Grandparents.