An Ode to My Grandmother

Yesterday we celebrated my Maw-Maw's 80th birthday with a big party at her church! She has attended that church since she was born (now that is commitment)!

 A lot of our cousins and family members flew in and drove from all over just to help celebrate! They came from California, South Dakota, Colorado, Georgia and of course from all over Alabama!

As part of the party my Aunt Vicki put the grandchildren in charge of entertainment. Now, allow me to back up a little bit... Every year we all get together on Christmas Eve and every single year my grandmother asks us to put on a "play" in the spirit of the season and every year we comply--albeit while grumbling!

Well, knowing how much she loves our little Christmas productions my cousin Amanda and I decided to write a poem narrating her life and have our cousins enact mini scenes in the background as the poem was read. It was cheesy but fun and she loved it! Which, really, is all that matters! So, I wanted to share the poem with you to honor her:

Sarah Ruth “Pat” Miller Fitzgerald's Life

August 24, 1930 our story begins

As John & Lydia Miller have child number 10

Lydia was fresh out of ideas for names

And gave John the responsibility when the little girl came

But two weeks later the little girl was nameless

“John, ain't you never gonna name this baby”? Lydia asked

So, Sarah Ruth Miller was the name her daddy gave her

But Pat was the name that her sisters' preferred

So Sarah or Pat whichever she was called

She was a little blonde haired, green eyed doll

…................................................................................

FDR was president when she was a resident of 220 G Street

Where there was a young fella she happened to meet

It was 1942 during World War II

And the fella's name was Bill and his eyes were blue

Little did she know what was to be

From meeting Bill there on G Street

…........................................................................

Now she was 14, it was 1944

And she had a job at Grant's Dime Store

She worked weekends and holidays

When she'd rather have been riding roller skates

From 9 to 9 she worked night and day

And 70 cents an hour was all she was paid

Saturday was the stores busiest day

And those little pennies were not enough pay

To miss a day at the fair

With her Uncle there

Her boss said no

So she just didn't show

But worry, she did not,

she batted those eyes and was rehired on the spot

A few years later in the 11^th and 12^th grades

She worked for a while as a hospital aid

And before too long it was 1949

And Sarah Ruth graduated from Anniston High

….............................................................................

Her romance with Bill began in 1950

She was head over heels at the age of twenty

Two years later they said “I do”

It was March one of 1952

She worked at Southern Bell operating phones

While also being a wife and caring for their home

A short while later in January of 1953

She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Vicki

Although Sarah Ruth didn't slow down during her pregnancy

Vicki Lynn Fitzgerald graced the scene

Yes, she played on softball and basketball teams

All the while she was pregnant so it seems

But not too long after a son arrived

David Anderson Fitzgerald in 1955

1958 another girl was born

Nancy Elaine Fitzgerald came into the world

Connie Sue Fitzgerald was born in 1961

While the family lived out West under the California sun

Now here was the family Bill and Sarah had

Three little girls and a little boy who was mad

No brother to play with just girls everywhere

Oh how sometimes life was unfair

Not too long after back to the South they moved

Home to Alabama to raise their brood

…....................................................................................

1967 to 1979 Sarah worked hard for Coca Cola while raising her kids

And every Sunday, Carpenter United Methodist was where they'd attend

….....................................................................................

In 1978 she became a grandmother to a little baby boy

Phillip Michael Twilley was the family's pride and joy

The 80's rolled around and more grandkids arrived

Five little girls and one little boy from 1981to 1989

She was after all still a wife and a mother

But now she was called Maw-Maw or Grandma as her role as Grandmother

On holidays and birthdays the house in Oxford was filled to the brim

With her husband and children and seven grandkids

Whether Easter egg hunts or Christmas 'round the tree

The family would gather, good food on the table, together we'd all be

Now it was the 90's and her family still grew

A third grandson born in 1992

1994, '95 and '97

Two more boys and a girl made eleven

A husband, four children, four inlaws she had

And now eleven grandchildren to the clan she could add

Surrounded by family her best friends being her sisters and her nieces

Sarah, Pat, Mom, Maw-Maw, whatever she's called, she is loved to pieces

….............................................................................

The year 2000 came and we all survived

Y2K wasn't the end as some had surmised

But 2000 and 1 had a lot in store

September 11^th our country was floored

Then September 29^th came with a chill

As that was the day the Lord called Bill

To Sarah he was Bill, Husband and Dear

To his children he was Daddy, always near

To his grandchildren he was Pop-Pop

And in his passing all suffered great loss

But amidst all the pain there was hope at least

That one day in heaven again we'd all meet

…....................................................................................

2005 came with a gift

August 16^th was born Lily Beth

Now she was a great grandmother

With a little girl to smother

With love and affection

For Lily was perfection

Since that time 3 more great grandchildren have been born

Bringing to her family love and joy

…...............................................................................

Here we are today all together once again

To celebrate your life and all that you have been

80 years of life surrounded by friends and family

We love you more than ever and hope that this will be

Your best year yet with many more to follow

We love you always Sarah, Pat, Mom, Maw-Maw, Grandma

  This is my Grandma with her 13 grandchildren & 4 great-grandchildren