by Perry Loofbourrow, 22 Jan 2009:

Grandma Mary Loofbourrow moved to Hollister from Iowa in 1922. So that would be most of my young life. She died in 1940 ‏(94)‏, and I was17.

She was a very strong lady and did her vegetable garden well into her late 80's. She was not the rolly polly huggy grandmother like some, but neither was she a crank, just a good friend.

She went to the Methodist church every Sunday. There were three or four elderly ladies on her block and they shared the gossip. She lived a ½ block from the grammar school and a block from the high school. The kids better stay off the lawn as they walked from school, or she would let them know as she sat on her bench on the porch.

My father took her camping to Yosemite when she was ninety years old. One night a bear came in their tent and my dad scared it away. She thought that was great adventure, and hoped it would come back the next night. It didn't.

Since she lived so close to the school it was handy for us to go up and get lunch money or a nickel for a show if we had forgotten to get it at home. But she made sure we paid it back.

Her home was in a real nice district. After she died a bank manager lived in it for years. She got a pension from the government for Civil War widow, and I guess the rest of her support came from the sale of the Iowa farm.

One of my big regrets is that I never sat down with her and picked her mind. Just think, from the civil war, automobiles to airplanes, and many other advances in our life style.

I have some interesting things about Grandpa, but will save those for later.



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