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For every one of us there is a handful of
people who dramatically influence the direction and content of our lives. They enrich and broaden us from that point
on. Grandma Archer was one such person
in my life.
Most folks remember her as the stalwart lady
who kept The Archer Company and the family who comprised it, running
smoothly. A highly intelligent, adept
businesswoman with steadfast morals, unwavering faith, high ideals, and strong
opinions she was not afraid to share.
She demanded and received the highest respect for herself and her family
from whomever she encountered.
Bruce King came into the store one day while
campaigning for governor. He and his
entourage were going like a whirlwind shaking farmers
hands and blowing around promises. He
came to where Grandma and I were standing and asked how old I was. "Not old enough to vote", he
exclaimed as he past me by without shaking my extended hand and only tipping
his hat to Grandma. She sidestepped into
his path, taking the air right out of the whirlwind. I don't remember her exact words, but
essentially she told him that all votes count, women's and future votes, and
that he would do good to remember that.
He took his hat in his hand while he scuffed at the concrete floor with
his toe as he tried to make amends to Grandma.
After he continued on to the next group, I distinctly remember the
farmers smiling at the incident as Grandma turned and walked determinedly back
to her desk.
What I remember most about my Grandma is the
side of a very complex woman that few outside the family saw. At Grandma's house all the children were
treated as grown ups, complete with the associated responsibilities and duties.
But when it was time to relax and play,
she could open our imaginations and take us far away from the mundane. In the loose dirt of the orchard she would
help us design cities complete with roads and waterways. Clods became mansions, and sharpened sticks
became fortresses. An irrigated field
would become an ocean just right for swimming with mud flats the perfect
consistency for digging through to
Imagination, powers of deduction, memory,
thought processes. Brainpower, as
Grandma called it, was very important.
While driving through the Black Range Grandma was explaining the
geological eras represented in the various strata of rock exposed in the road
cuts. She went on to describe the types
of animals living in the different eras and what era it was that man first
arrived. When I asked how she knew all
this she explained it was from a class she had taken while in college. One class! I was very impressed with her
intellect and the fact that she had persevered and gone to college in a time
when a woman in college was rare indeed.
She impressed on me the importance of education, and the role that
knowledge played in handling everyday life. Brainpower has to be continually
developed and expanded.
Today as I nestle my own Granddaughter in the
crook of my arm while exploring the world of 'Winnie the Pooh', I find myself in
that bright paneled room feeling the love and security of Grandma's arm around
the both of us. Thank you for the legacy
Grandma.