Grandma Burnside

On March 7th, 2017, Florence Mae Smith Burnside passed away in Brenda, Arizona.

I love my Grandma dearly. I loved are phone calls that happened almost every week. When more than a week went by, I'd call her up and she'd say "I was just going to call you, I've been thinking about you all day." We would then spend the next hour catching each other up on the family.

I remember Grandma's hands were always so soft and beautiful. She took great care to always look nice and rarely did I ever see her without a watch.

She was famous for her dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls and homemade turkey noodle soup, all of which were my favorites at Thanksgiving time. The men would haul in the tables and chairs from the shed while the women worked on dinner and decorating the tables. It was important to Grandma that the tables were decorated, so each year a family was in charge of decorating. Usually, each plate got their own decoration. We've seen pinecone turkeys, cookie turkeys, turkeys that hold suckers and so many more! When it came time for clean up, whoever was on table duty would secretly throw away the $1 table cloth, because if Grandma saw it she'd make you wipe it down to reuse the next year. She never wanted to waste a thing, evidence of her cupboards being full of reused Whip-Topping and cottage cheese cartons. But if you came for dinner, you never complained when she sent you home leftovers in one of those cartons.

Christmas was something special to Grandma and to all who attended her Christmas Eve party. When I was little, all the family from my aunts and uncles to the second line of cousins would draw names. On Christmas Eve you'd come stack your presents near the living room. Then you'd eagerly wait for when everyone showed up to start the party. (This was the time I fell in love with Kenny and Dolly's Christmas album.) Later, sparkling apple cider was passed to everyone in fancy plastic goblet cups. It was an honor to have Grandma choose you to make the Christmas toast to the family. There was a special quietness when the glasses were raised and a tribute and wish for the family was made. After the toast there was always a Christmas program full of dancing, singing, joke telling and more. Then the kids eyes would light up as we all would sing "Here Comes Santa Clause", because we knew any second Santa was going to bust through those front doors! One by one he'd call our our names and we'd sit on his lap before giving us our present that was brought by another cousin. There began to be so many of us that the presents would block the way, so we had them moved to the sewing room that would be stacked from what seemed, floor to ceiling with presents.

One winters night, my family along with Grandma and Grandpa Burnside headed up to the cabin in Humphrey, Idaho. We'd park the trucks just off the freeway and then snowmobile up to the cabin. Once I got all my gear on, I grabbed my big, white stuffed kitten I got for Christmas and hopped on the back of Grandma's snow machine. It was dark and cold. I wrapped my arms tight around Grandma and we took off through the pasture towards the cabin. Grandma was speeding right along those drifts, when out of nowhere, her machine took a quick dip and then we were airborne. I'm not sure if she forgot the creek bed was there or if she was just having a little fun. Either way, she turned to me in her rainbow snow suit just giggling!

Once I was sick for what seemed like forever. Grandma and Grandpa, who lived just across the field from us stopped in to see me. She handed me a tupperware. When I opened it I was so excited. I pulled out each piece of crocheted Barbie clothes and laid them out on the couch next to me. I felt so loved knowing Grandma had made them for me. She was so talented with her crocheting. Every reunion she would make a doll for the raffle and it always brought in the most money and the most tears, as they were treasured by all the little girls. Often, Grandma would have a second doll hidden in her camper she would secretly give to a heartbroken little girl.

Grandma loved to play cards and dominoes. And we'd play for hours! I blame her for my deep hatred of dominoes and the Mexican Train, but also for my love of cards!

Once when Coda was about two and a half we were at Grandmas wrapping Christmas presents. Grandma handed an empty wrapping tube to Coda and then held her own up. The two then started to sword fight. Grandma was a little unsteady on her feet and she bent over to balance herself, but Coda didn't let up. He gave her one good whack on the butt and then another on her back and she went down. We all laughed until she cried!

As I've grown older and lived further way from Grandma, I began to appreciate her and love her much more deeply than I had before. My most recent memories that I'll treasure include the time I stayed over night and we went through her school yearbooks. Turns out, Grandma Burnside went to school with Justin's Grandpa Mennear and his family. She told me about how the boys used to set up boxing matches and one time she decided to get in on the action. She was pretty sure that she fisted against Justin's great aunt while in school. Grandma never veered from any fight in life, she had a determined mind and a courageous heart.

We enjoyed bambino lunches and crab salad dinners at Heise. We'd stay up until two in the morning just talking, she was always the night owl who hated the dark. She loved camping, fishing, cooking, sewing, card playing, dominoes, but most of all she loved being surround by her family.

Today is her funeral. I'm so grateful I was able to make a special trip last month to see Grandma, but today I long to be home in Idaho. Circumstances prevented me from being there in person, but I'm there in heart. I wish to be there not to mourn, but to help lift up and celebrate the life of this amazingly strong, beautiful, spunky woman who touched the hearts of all her 150 posterity. Love abounded every Christmas Eve as we crammed ourselves into her home. Elbow to elbow, barely room to breathe. And the space within our hearts filled not only with the spirit of Christmas, but with the spirit of family. I hope and pray that that same spirit is with all who loved this dear woman today. 

I love you forever, Grandma. Keep watch until we see you again!