Guest Blogger, Greg
Born in the early 20’s, she grew up in the middle of the depression, but established a great career in public education in the state of California. She later served in WWII, as did her husband, John. Soon after he returned from the war, he died in a tragic motorcycle accident on Thanksgiving day. My mother was then 5, her sister was a toddler, and my grandmother was pregnant with a boy. When the boy was born, he was named “John,” after his father, whom he would never meet. She never remarried, but poured her energy into raising three kids and taught each of them valuable lessons about faith, hard work, and perseverance. In the 1970’s, she retired from teaching, and at the request of her father, moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota to help him run his purebred Herford cattle ranch, one of the oldest homesteaded ranches in the US, nestled right behind Mount Rushmore. When her father passed in the mid 70’s, she took over the ranching operations and ran it successfully into her 80’s. One can only imagine what it was like to be a woman in this business. So glad I had the chance to know her!
I had a chance to attend the service for my grandma and to support my mom and her brother and sister. Here are a few pics from that memorable visit to the cemetery in Sturgis.
I also was able to spend some good time with family at the ranch. Nice walks at sunset with the cousins and Gary. Dinner for 10 around the table in the kitchen, possibly a record? Christmas carols with a nice hot fire with wood from the Hendersons.
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