When Grandma (Mildred Votaw Jessup) turned 80 in 1983 it was decided to have a big party for her at First Friends in Whittier. Everyone in that church loved her, and she loved all of them. By then she was twice widowed, Walter having passed away just before his 80th birthday, so Grandma was alone. I’m sure that was a hard time for her. Her health was failing, too, and she wasn’t as active (or happy) as she always had been.
At the party, which was held in the church’s social hall/dining room, Grandma sat in a chair and everybody came to her if they wanted to talk to her. It was difficult for her to walk. In the above picture you see her being greeted by Klane Robison, the pastor of the church, and a long-time favorite of Grandma’s.
After the church event we had Grandma’s family party at our house. By this time the house on Philadelphia St. had been sold to Karen and me, but it was still the place where we had all of our family gatherings.
The above pictures include one of Grandma reading a birthday card (by law, all birthday cards were to be read aloud at our family birthdays), Grandma opening a gift while being watched by her great-grandchildren Jenny and Jeff, and her place card at the birthday dinner table.
The picture on the right (not connected with the party) is Grandma wearing her black Quaker bonnet. This was in 1980, and Grandma is standing on the steps in front of her house on Scenic Dr. She was probably going out to give a talk about her Quaker history. She loved to tell stories about old-time Quakers, and usually wore this bonnet to the events. (Karen and I inherited the bonnet and we have it in our house.)
Grandma often would not smile for pictures. She was ashamed of her teeth and did not want to show them to a camera. But away from the camera she smiled and laughed all the time – one of the most cheerful people I ever knew.
The gift she is opening was from me, mom helped me sew a little pillow, I hand knotted stitches in the shape of a heart on the front. It was given back to me when she passed, I keep it today as a momento of her. I remember rubbing noses with her, she always delighted in Jeff and I.
I remember her very well, and I remember pastor Klane too, who was into the fact that Grandma was in the habit of bringing baggies of candy for Jeff and I to church. As we always shook hands with him exiting the sanctuary, he always asked to share from the bounty he knew we were in possession of… I remember he particularly liked to snag one of the almond roca that were always in the baggies… ok with me, I was more interested in the jelly beans anyway!
I also remember pastor Klanes funny birthday cards. He was quite a guy!