My Grandmothers

I was recently looking through an old photo album of when I was a baby. I had two different people in one day, tell me that Hanks looked exactly like me. Looking at old pictures, made me think otherwise, but I did notice that I had a picture with each of my grandma's and great grandma's. My mom was good at taking pictures. Looking at my different grandmothers made me think about each of them, and different memories came to mind. I am like my mom, and forget things so easily, so I wanted to sit down, and write a few things down, that I remember about each of them.


Priscilla Murdoch
Great Grandmother. Mother of my grandpa Ralph. I really don't remember a whole lot about this neat lady. I do know that she kept very good journals. She graduated from BYU when she was 77 year old, with a sociology degree. She lived in Sharon and Dave's house. She passed away in 1984. I do remember going and seeing her in the rest home before she died.



Alta Varney
Great Grandmother. Mother of my Grandpa Merrill. She passed away before I was 2. I don't remember her, but I think she liked me. She looks proud. (He, he, he.)

Deon Smith

Great Grandmother. Mother of my Grandma Uvonna. I remember her being a funny little lady, with a cute laugh. I remember going and visiting her in her home in Lehi. Then at the assisted livings in Orem and Lehi. I remember that after her husband passed away, she was married two more times. She used to always be crocheting until her eyesight got bad. She made hundreds of doilies, Christmas socks, and afghans. I remember her last husband Dewight. He would give us a quarter every time we went to visit, but we had to give him a kiss. He had big, wet, large lips, and I remember I didn't think it was worth the quarter. I remember watching her cry about loosing her child. (my grandma) Saying it should have been her, and that parents are not supposed to outlive their children. I remember going to her funeral and being at peace, because she had lived such a good, full life.

Uvonna Varney

Grandma. Mother of my dad. She was a modern day princess. She was beautiful, she always dressed so nice. I remember thinking "WOW," she even wears heals with Levi's. She always looked perfect. She got her hair and nails done every week. She loved the color pink. She always smelled like perfume. She had beautiful skin, and had lots of pretty jewelry. She had the most beautiful, perfect cursive handwriting.

The week of our birthday's, she would make us a special Sunday dinner. She would cook these amazing meals, and wear pretty little aprons. During the summer, each grandchild got to go and spend the weekend. We would get to pick where we went to dinner, then pick a movie to go to. We would sleepover, then the next day we usually went shopping. I remember her reading us stories before bed.

I got my love for shopping and shoes from my grandma. She worked just to support her bad shopping habits. I loved going shopping with her. She would pick out so many outfits and have me try on all of them. I swear, money was never an issue. We would have to make trips to the car to take out all of our treasures. When we would go home, we would only carry a few of the sacks in the house, and leave the rest in the trunk of the car. I remember thinking, "Grandpa isn't dumb." He always treated her so good. She never even filled her car up with gas, he always did it for her.

She was best friends with her sister Larae. I remember them laughing and giggling like little girls.
I remember her hands. She had long, beautiful fingers. I would run my fingers along the veins in the hands when we sat together in her chair, watching TV.

She got cancer and I remember when the chemo would make her very sick. I remember when she had wigs made, that looked just like her hair. I remember her getting skinny and not eating much. She passed away when I was 14 years old. I was in the 9th grade and had just broken my leg playing soccer. The last time I saw her, I had just gotten out of the hospital, and she had came up to see me. I wasn't feeling good and did not get to spend much time with her. I spoke at her funeral, giving a tribute from the grand kids. I remember being mad at her for not letting us see her, the last few days of her life. She did not want the grand kids to remember her that way. Now, I can understand why. I remember feeling very close to her when Hadlee was born, wondering, hoping, that she had taken care of her in heaven.

I love it when people tell me I look like her. Even though I don't think I do. It is such a compliment to me.

Glenda Murdoch

Grandma. Mother of my mom. Grandma Glenda is such a wonderful example of service and love. She is my only Grandma still with us. If you ever need a boost or to fill good about yourself, you just need to give her a call. She makes each grandchild feel like you are her favorite. I can talk to her about anything. She ends each conversation with the words, "Love Ya."
She has had such a interesting life. She has always been a hard worker. She worked, raised 5 kids, and always had dinner on the table at 5.
She is always trying to feed everyone. She is a tough-y and never wants to admit when she is in pain. She does volunteer work. She has been a pink lady for years, and used to work up at the temple. She goes down once a week and helps feed the seniors lunch, when she should be one of those being served. She let me use her horse Ruby, for all of my 4-H, queening, and high school rodeo events. She was always in the crowd cheering me on. She is known as "Grandma Glenda," by all of her grandchildren friends, and always made an impression on them too.
We used to go camping a lot, and at least once a trip, she would invite us over to her trailer for pancakes. These suckers where huge, and covered your whole plate. She still makes treats every Sunday, for those who come over to visit. She loves a house full.

(Grandma, me, and three of my aunts, Kathy, Debra, and Sharon)

The past few years she has had two sisters, and a sister-in-law pass away, along with many other good friends. I think this really scares her. I am so grateful that she is still around and has been, and will be such a big part of me and my children's life's.

I don't have a picture of my Grandma Glenda's mother. She passed away when my grandma was only 2. She was anemic, and died after receiving a blood transfusion from my great grandpa. It makes me wonder if they ever tested her blood or what. That is such an easy fix this day and age.

I need to give my mom a big THANKS, for always taking so many pictures. They are so fun to look back at. I really don't know why I have been thinking so much about things, maybe it's because Mothers Day just passed, or maybe because I am about to turn 30, who knows.

Without pictures, I would have never known that I had so many Raggedy Ann Dolls

Mom playing blocks with me, just like she does the grand kids.

She still has the same smile, and looks pretty much the same. Mom you are a babe.

This has taught me that I need to keep taking pictures of things my kids do, and the special people in the their life's. Maybe someday they will look back and think of things too.