Great Gramma Dorothy

On September 17, 2008 my great gramma Dorothy Winhofer passed away.

She was born September 19, 1912...2 days shy of her 96th birthday.

She was an amazing woman and I feel very priviledged and blessed to have had her in my life. She was actually my step gramma but to me family is family and I have never thought any different. When I was little, I would spend the weekend or weekdays in Richey (about 45 minutes from where I grew up) with my Gramma & Grampa Winhofer. One of my favorite parts was going to the farm with Grampa George. When we got to the farm (20-ish miles on a dirt road), me & Gramma Dorothy would hang out. I would help her gather the eggs and feed the chickens and pigs. I got to play with the barn cats and the dog and she would teach me card games. Some of my earliest memories are watching the baby chicks grow up in the back room. She had them in a big refrigerator type box with a heat lamp and feed. I loved holding them and watching them. I also remember getting the bacon grease for her when she was cooking supper - it was in an empty coffee tin out in the mud room. I remember running through the rows of bushes and climbing on all of the farm equipment - grain trucks, combines, tractors, etc. I loved exploring on the farm and finding all sorts of new and exciting things.

I am finding that I didn't really know too much of my gramma outside of my own memories. Reading her obituary has given me more insight into her life and more appreciation for her as well. She went to High School and college. (I was surprised by this!) She was 22 years old when her and my grampa Frank got married...crazy enough it was September 17, 1934 - their 74th wedding anniversary. They had 2 children: my grampa George and a sister. Gramma was a schoolteacher and taught at many different rural schools. She was famous for her chickens and shared them with everyone. (She raised them until she turned 90!) Grampa Frank died in 1993 and Gramma stayed on the farm for 10 more years by herself. I still remember her going to the nursing home in 2003 kicking and screaming. :) She was quite the fiesty lady. She loved babies and mine were no different.

Here are a few pictures that I got of Taylor & Hannah with their Great-Great Gramma Dorothy.

Taylor (1 year) Gramma (95)

Tiff, Taylor & Gramma

Hannah (3 months) & Gramma - about 1 month before she died
I love you Gramma & am so grateful I had the
priviledge and blessing of knowing you.