Death is a graduation day, and a time of assessment to see what we have become…Sterling W Sill
On September 24th 1921, Dr. Pearce delivered a 9 ½ pound baby girl to LeRoy and Evadene Holland in Brigham City, Utah. She had lots of dark hair and was told she was the butter ball of the nursery!
Grandma was the first of four siblings born. She is survived by her brother D.L. and is preceded in death by brothers, Lee and David and by her husband Glen.
Lee passed away at age 4. Grandma states in her personal history about a tender story of when Lee was ill and to go to the hospital. Grandma felt sad for him so she offered him her marble collection that she collected over the years. His last words to her were... “save them till I get home”…She was never to see him again. He had passed away from ruptured appendix, ironically in the same room grandma had been born in. The sadness she felt could not be written.
Life for grandma was simple in those early days of her childhood. Her favorite thing to do was dress in coveralls and a straw hat and ride with her father in the water wagon as he worked on the city streets. She says she was the envy of all the kids and I bet she loved it that way too! And then there were big double decker ice cream cones her daddy would buy for her at the railroad station after completing his work for the day.
Grandma and Grandpa were baptized in the old tithing office in Brigham City, on the same day, January, 5th 1929. At that time they did not know each other. It would not be until Grandma was 12 years old before their paths would cross again.
Grandma grew up being daddy’s little girl. Some of the greatest times were spent picking cherries and peaches from his orchard and selling them on the roadside for money.
Grandma’s mother sewed all her dresses and they were always pretty. However, there is one dress she did not sew.
For the junior prom there was a dress that Donna and her friends Barbara and Helen saw in downtown Brigham. It was the pretties dress they had ever seen. They were in awe of it. Helen raced home to tell her mother to buy it for her. Donna knew Helen would get the dress because they had more money. When Donna came home, looking sad and quiet, her father knew that something was wrong. She explained about the prettiest dress she had ever seen and that Helen would be wearing it. Donna, not knowing her dad had left for town, was surprised to see when he cam e home he had a box. When she opened it, there was the pleated georgette dress! And it was just her size too. When she went to the prom, she felt like a queen. To her daddy she always was, They had such a special relationship. When Grandma got married and left for Seattle, he told a neighbor “when Donna left; she took a part of my heart with her.”
Some of my fondest memories from when I was a child are the times that I spent over at Grandma’s house. She went out of her way to pamper all of her grandkids and make us feel special. There is a long list of simple, but meaningful things she did for all of us. Ill never forget each time she would kick Grandpa out of his chair so I could watch TV. I knew the most delicious plate of cinnamon toast or macaroni and cheese would soon follow.
All of us will always cherish the time and moments we had with her here upon this earth.
