Within the past few weeks my hometown area lost three women who were considered to be roll models for many my age as we were growing up. Those in the older generation sometimes don’t realize how much influence they can be for the younger generation.
One of these women was never afraid to show her strong faith in God and her strong love for her husband. She also had a love for her husband’s family as they all lived in the same rural area and were all attached in the family’s farming operations. She and her sister-in-laws and her husband’s brothers, and all their children, enjoyed each other’s company. It seemed like a Sunday family reunion meal each time they would take the harvest meals to the field. For years, the younger generations of that family would travel back home at harvest time just to be included and reminisce in those meals. They all attended the same church and supported the community around them. Their children were important to them. When this woman and her husband would visit my parents, they shared custom harvesting stories that never seemed to end. She was dedicated to her love for the Lord and was there to help out in their church, as all of her sisters-in-law and family did.
The second of these three women, was an influence as a dedicated farmer’s wife and later a farming widow, as she kept the farm going. She milked cows, raised a big garden, did field work, prepared delicious meals to take to the field and for her family, and she raised dogs. She was a strong, proud lady. She still took time to enjoy life and had special fun times even in her golden years, though you’d never consider them to be the golden years to look at her. Her laughter, her love of dancing and her big smile as she climbed into her special car will be remembered.
The third special woman had no children of her own, but every child she was around for any period of time felt like they had a place in her heart. I’m sure they did. Her nieces and nephew, and their spouses and their children, all rallied around her. She was the beauty shop queen of my hometown for many years. Her shop was decorated just right and especially over the holidays. Her older clients were treated like royalty. When those in town could no longer drive to her shop, she would pick them up and transport them back home. She supported all the local events and projects. She turned out to be the town’s history photographer as through the years she would faithfully go into the streets and houses in my hometown and take photos of the community’s residents and business people. As a history buff, later these photos would be appreciated when I wrote about my town’s history. She taught Sunday School classes and all of her students rallied in her attention and teachings. Loyalty to her church, her Lord, and to her family were important to her.
I know I’ll never forget these women. I’m sure others feel the same way. As I enter the older generation, it makes me hope I can be a positive influence for others, half as much as these women and others my generation grew up around.
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