In Memory of Margaret Potter Childs

I've pretty much given up on doing things chronologically these days. I'm just playing catch up now. But I wanted to post about my Grandma. Margaret Potter Childs was born April 11, 1912 and passed away May 17, 2008. She lived a long life and was fortunate enough to have been able to live in her own home until she died. She married her first husband, Glenn Sowards Potter in 1931 and he died five years later. She finally met my Grandpa (my mom's dad) in 1959 and were married. My mom's mother passed away about two years before then, so this was a second marriage for both. My grandparents worked hard to make sure the family came together and felt equal.

My Grandma was an amazing cook and I could always count on her offering me food whenever I came to visit, even when she had a hard time just walking to and from the kitchen to get the food. She had a stubborn streak and wouldn't allow anyone to help her either! And most of the time if you tried to say no to any sort of meal or treat, you got it whether you were hungry or not. I will always associate my favorite lemon dessert with my Grandma. She always had some in the fridge and made it for most family gatherings.

The one memory I will always cherish with my Grandma is when Téa was born. My Grandma was admitted to Utah Valley Regional in Provo, UT about four or five days before Téa was born. When I delivered Téa I didn't know if my Grandma was still in the same hospital I was in and wondered when I would be able to show her her new great granddaughter. The day after Téa was born my nurse came in and said I had a special visitor. My uncle Wes had wheeled my Grandma from her room to the Mother/Baby floor to visit us and it was such a treat. Grandma was able to meet her first great granddaughter at just a day old. Téa loves this picture of her and Great Grandma.

Picture taken May 7, 2003

When Téa was about a year old, she and I visited Great Grandma every day for about 10 months to make sure she was doing well and to give her some company. In those 10 months they formed a great bond and Téa loved going over there. That bond continued until Great Grandma passed away. Even if we hadn't seen Great Grandma for a few months at a time Téa was always so excited to see her and would give her a big hug.

We will miss Grandma but she had a long, wonderful life and was able to see so many of her great grandchildren. I know she's having a great reunion with her first husband who she's been waiting to see for over 70 years.