My Wonderful Grandma (Mom's Mom)

My Grandma, Dorothy Margaret Krause Stromberger, went (peacefully) home to the Lord this morning at approximately 12:30 a.m. PRAISE THE LORD she did not have to struggle long following a major stroke this past Saturday. Arrangements are currently being made for a Friday, May 7th burial and memorial service.

Here are some various snippets of my Mom's email to family yesterday evening as she updated us on Grandma's condition. "...We sang happy birthday to her today, as her (87th) birthday is this coming Monday, May 3. She was surprised, then smiled big, then joined in with the singing! ...Mom is so ready to go home. Tonight she was seeing her mom and dad and holding her arms out to them and calling for her daddy. ...Put the carpenters on overtime or hire extra workers to get her mansion finished! She's ready, Lord!" This was just how she wanted to pass away. Earlier this year she would say to my Mom as Mom tucked her in bed at night, "Well, I hope I don't see you in the morning." Ha! She always desired/wanted to pass away in her sleep peacefully and painlessly.

I can't help but recall so many wonderful memories of and with her...

• Sharing my birthday with her every year (yes, twin sis Molly and I were born on May 3, too)
• Time spent with her and Grandpa on their farm
• Her always beautiful and bounteous flower and vegetable gardens
• Walking with her down the road to feed the ducks in the neighbor's pond
• Throwing rocks with her in the nearby stream
• Chiclets chewing gum in her kitchen "gum drawer"
• Complaints about "too much food" for our meals as kids (portion sizes were oftentimes too big and we were taught to always clean our plate)
• She always had a stock of "sugar cereals" in her pantry for us grandkids
• Candy treats in her pantry (again for all her grandkids - then as time passed, her great-grandkids)
• Root beer floats
• Her DELICIOUS home grown and home canned dill pickles
• Her love and absolute enjoyment of "Sunday afternoon drives"
• Her love and enjoyment of ballroom dancing (so many memories of her dance studio)
• Her love and enjoyment of beauty in this world
• Her love of travel (vacations trips with family members, trips to Branson, MO, etc.)
• Decorating family graves with her every year for Memorial Day
• Attending church with her at her various Lutheran home churches (Sprague, Spokane, & Ritzville)
• Memories of helping Mom prepare "her room" in our home (wallpapering, etc.)
• So many conversations and sweet memories with her, especially when she moved into Mom's home nearly 8 years ago for home care. I always looked forward to trips home to spend time with her, my Mom, and Grandma Alma - what a BLESSING
• Watching cherished interactions with my first born son, Jay
• Her absolutely wonderful SENSE OF HUMOR - boy, she could sure make us laugh!

1977

Grandma Alma (Dad's Mom) holding me (I'm pretty sure) on the Left

Grandpa Art (Mom's Dad) in the Middle

Grandma Dorothy (Mom's Mom) holding Molly (I think) on the Right
1979

My Mom, Amy, holding me on the Left

My Dad, Mark, in the green shirt

Grandma Dorothy holding brother Scott

Grandpa Art in back

Grandma Alma holding Molly on the Right

Fast forward now to 2008:

December 2008

Grandma Dorothy with Jay (6 mo., almost 7 mo. old)

April 2009

Grandma Dorothy with Jay (10 mo. old)

July 2009

Four Generation Photo

Grandma Dorothy on Left

Jay, me, and Mom Amy in the Middle

Grandma Alma on the Right

December 2009

Four Generation Photo

Family Christmas Photo 2009

What a beautiful legacy you have left us, Grandma. You have 5 kids, 17 grandkids, 32 great-grandkids with #33 due June 5 and #34 due November 24...and future unknown number of great-grandbabies to come in the following years...WOW!

I LOVE YOU GRANDMA!! I'm sure gonna miss you! But I'm truly so happy and I'm rejoicing with you that you are finally in heaven where you have longed to be... XXOO