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a.k.a. MaMaw Harmon |
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She grew up on a farm in Georgetown, Indiana with her 3 brothers and 3 sisters. MaMaw was raised in a religious home and until the day she died she remained a respected Christian woman. On June 20, 1930, she married Loyd Harmon. I think she eloped, but she never admitted to it. She gave birth to 5 children, and raised them all in Edwardsville, Indiana, in a home that she had always dreamed of owning. She took pride in her children and was a loving mother to them all.
There was not a lazy bone in her body. We blame it on the Keithley Gene. She worked up until she was 88 years old. She even beat breast cancer when she was 80. She loved flowers of all kinds and spent a great deal of her life tending to them. As a child she would go to the woods and dig up ferns and wildflowers to plant for her mother, who also loved gardening. For many years, she worked for her son at Harmon's Greenhouses doing the bulk of the transplanting for the spring. We estimate that there were over 5000 daffodil bulbs on the property thanks to her flower obsession. After her death, my sister and I tried to get as many as possible. We each have about 1000 of them on our property.
My Mom, Launa Jean Harmon-Siltz, died when I was only 14. MaMaw was my rock during those hard times. I lived with her many times during my teenage years. Those are some of my fondest memories of her. I could go on for days about all the wonderful things Mamaw did for us. From ABC macaroni to macaroni & cheese to blowing bubbles and play-doh. Bible school and Polly's Freeze. Coloring books and walks. Stories about her life and our childhood. Prayers, songs, and words of comfort. Just being there. She was our neighbor, so we saw her everyday. It seems that all my childhood memories are centered around her
During her 88th year the cancer returned and she became weak. She had peace with dying and knew that her time here was through. On the morning of September 27, 1998, our dear MaMaw passed away in her sleep. She is a big part of who I am, and I am so proud to have known and loved her. She will always be a special part of my life and to all those she touched. We'll miss you, MaMaw. |
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MaMaw about 8 months old with her sister, Freda.
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