I am very fortunate that I had a long and meaningful relationship with both of my Grandmothers. Both were sweet, simple, and unfailingly giving. My Grandma Range (seen with my Dad and me at right) is my Dad’s Mom. My Mom’s Mother was known as Grandma Murphy.
Grandma Range remarried in 1970 just one day before my parents’ wedding, hence the name Range. Not wanting to take any attention from their wedding, she opted not to tell anyone of the union between her and Oscar until after they were married. She had faced the hardship of her first husband’s passing in 1963. This was my Grandfather Francis F*rrell and he died when my Dad was just sixteen – so I unfortunately never had the opportunity to know him. My Grandma Murphy was married to my Grandpa Harold Murphy for over sixty years before her passing and he is still with us today.
I remember my Grandma Range as extremely soft-spoken and kind, yet she could have a harder edge at times (usually in a very humorous way) and was generally sharp as a tack. One of my favorite sayings that she threw out occasionally was that someone “didn’t know shit from apple butter.” She was not particularly affectionate but would always show her fondness for me when I was little by giving me money. She was an exceptional cook and would always have somthing to feed me when visiting. Constantly worrying about our welfare, she would insist on calls when we would go on vacations to know that we arrived safely. She was a devout Christian and showed it and lived it all of her life. There was never any question about how much she loved, cared for, and supported our family all through her life. One of the last things she told me was to ‘be careful’ when Lisa and I headed out to a dance the night before she died.
Grandpa Murphy and Darlene (in a great pose) with Grandma and me
Grandma Murphy had a different personality than Grandma Range but was equally soft-spoken, kind, and giving. She was more ‘mushy’ I guess, in that she showed affection without giving gifts but by playing games, spending time, or watching TV with us. She babysat me a lot when I was young so I was very close with her. We often kidded about how ‘dumb’ she could seem at times (she once answered the Trivial Pursuit question “What makes a Black Russian black” with “well, his heritage I guess”), but I eventually realized that there was no lack of intelligence at all – just a desire to complacently stand on the sidelines and serve the family that she loved. Her wisdom -and she had a lot of it- was imparted quietly and without fanfare. She too was a devout Christian and demonstrated her faith by her daily living. She served her role as matriarch of my Mom’s family extremely well so that all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were intensely devoted to her.
It’s funny to realize that although my Grandmothers were such a presence in my life for its entirety, they did not come to know me until the last portion (say around a third) of their lives. They carried so much with them that I never knew, before I, or even my parents, came into being. At the risk of waxing philosophical, it really drives home the brevity and mystery of life. But this is why I am in the mood to share these great vintage photos of my Grandmothers as little girls. In a future posting, you will see them as teenagers.
Grandma Range – born Mary Ellen Cline on Deember 29, 1912
Grandma Murphy (with her brother Lawrence) – born Loretta Murlin on February 17, 1924
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