...the world lost a great woman, my maternal grandmother, Kathryn "Kate" Dunning/Larson/Wright...
One of my most favorite blog posts ever is the one I wrote about her 15 Jul 2010 (link in caption):
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| Pancakes & Smoky Links |
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989 when I was starting out on my own in Florida. I was so disappointed I couldn't come home for the annual Dunning reunion that October, or to see her while she was sick. It would've been bad to see her in the condition she was, so skinny, a wig and just not the robust woman she'd always been.
But happier memories, like my blog post, are of her making one of her signature pies or cobblers (apple or blackberry) with a tub of Emge Lard and the extra crust she would bake on an upside down pie plate sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar for us kids (I forget what she called it).
She'd also make a vinegar slaw with few ingredients--cabbage and green peppers, the vegetables I remember--and she'd salt the heart of the cabbage for us to share. I remember having that sweet and salty summer slaw with fried chicken and biscuits during summer visits to Princeton.
But beyond the great food she prepared for us, the most important memory--her legacy--is the love she showed to her grandchildren. Grandma Wright was one of my biggest fans, always quick with a word of encouragement. I am sure that my loud drumming would hurt her ears and be a great annoyance during the middle of the day, into the evening, but she'd praise me for figuring it out by ear and playing with such gusto...I mean, not in so many words, I'm paraphrasing. Midwesterners raised on farms were not usually verbose, at least not in their praise, but she encouraged nonetheless!
Everyone of her grandkids will tell you how she made them feel loved and appreciated. The food was just an awesome, added bonus!
So today, on this sad anniversary, I remember you with love and fondness, Grandma...rest in peace.