March came in like a lion with rain and wind, but it brought with it Women’s History Month….one of my favorites. Although I desperately wanted to focus on the greats that have made incredible contributions to the world, my mind zoomed on my grandma and her life in the 1900’s. Sometimes you just have to look close to home for the wonderful women who made a difference to many people, struggled themselves and survived, or made an impact on your life. Those characteristics define my grandma.

My grandma was born in 1907 to an Irish immigrant and her husband, a Philadelphia native who’s family owned a huge dairy farm on the outskirts of Philadelphia. As it was in those times, my great grandpa’s family did not like the fact that he fell in love with an Irish Catholic immigrant, and they disowned him from the family. He didn’t care, he married the love of his life, and together they had four children. One of the daughters was my grandma, born at home and was the oldest of the four children.

My great grandpa, being of French stock and determined to make something of himself, became an outstanding mason. As most women did in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, great grandma became a homemaker. Once the four children came along, she had her hands full. My grandma, being the oldest sibling, would help her around the house and care for the little ones, as needed. My great grand grandma was always a tiny frail woman. The extra help was dearly appreciated.

Times were tough around 1917, and my grandma had to quit school with only a sixth grade education. She went to work at the Whitman’s candy factory filling boxes with delectable morsels of chocolate. I remember her telling me that one of the benefits of working at Whitman’s was they could take pieces of candy off the line and eat them. A few pieces, not many. She liked that as she had quite the sweet tooth.

Just a year later, the Spanish Flu came to America. Philadelphia was hit hard. Luckily, my grandma’s family was not effected by the pandemic, but it made life very difficult for them. My great grandpa’s family did fine because people still needed their milk, and the dairy flourished. So, a couple times a year or so, his family would send clothes and money to his home by chauffeur but they never visited. They still held that ridiculous grudge over my poor great grandpa.

Around 1927, when my grandma was just about twenty years old, she met a German man from the area. He was a bit older than she was, but they fell in love and married. Together, they all lived in the one house with my great grandma and grandpa, and the three other siblings. When times were hard financially, that was what families had to do until they could save enough money to get their own place. But for my grandpa, I really think the arrangement was not to his liking. In 1930, my mom was born, and shortly after that my grandpa left leaving my grandma to raise my mom.

Grandma and my mom lived happily with their immediate family. My mom knew nothing else, and she loved living with her grandparents. Sadly, my dear Irish great grandma caught pneumonia while Christmas shopping in the rain and passed away right around the holiday season. That made my grandma the head of the household while she was around thirty years old.

She was true to her family, always caring for them, and giving them the best she could. She cleaned houses to bring in extra cash for the family when she could. After mom left the house when she married my dad, cancer struck my grandma. First, it was colon cancer. She was in the hospital for a long time with a colostomy bag. Luckily for her, she was one of the first patients in America where the surgeons were able to put the colon back into her body. Grandma was in her late forties at the the time, so she was young enough to withstand the surgery. And it worked!

Starting around the time I was about three years old, I began living with her in the summers. I loved every minute of it. She couldn’t spoil me with gifts, but she lavished me with love and attention. Memories flood back of those years with grandma. Grocery shopping was an all day event because she had to talk to every person or every baby she saw. Grandma was the most gregarious person I ever knew. Through her hardships or ill-health, she was strong-willed and determined. Because the next thing to hit was uterine cancer. And after that breast cancer. Time after time, she got back on her feet because she was a survivor.

I continued to stay with grandma in the summers until I was about fourteen, and then we moved to Delaware and transportation became more difficult. My family would go to get her for an extended stay, or we would go to visit her. Anytime we were together she was full of good cheer no matter what her health status was.

When grandma was in her mid sixties cancer struck again. It was the other breast this time, and finally cancer spread throughout her body. Seeing her just a shadow of what she had been was hard on my mom and me. However, one night she fell asleep and went with the angels. And today, she is my angel, my hero, my woman in history.

When you reflect on Women’s History Month, please think of all of the women today and those that went before us who made a huge impact on society, the world, and womankind. However, also think right to your own roots and your grandma and her mom. Think about life a hundred years ago and put yourself in their shoes. Just reflect. Ponder. Until then…. have a thoughtful Thursday, be safe, and I love you.