Grandma Lewis

My Grandma, Helen Louise Lewis, passed away on January 3rd at the age of 100 years and 5 months. She was born in Illinois on August 3rd, 1918.

She went on to become a nurse, which she was very proud of, before marrying my Grandpa and having 4 daughters, the oldest being my Mom. They moved to San Diego when my Mom was 10, and later moved up to the Bay Area and settled in Cupertino.

The world changed a lot in my Grandma's 100 years of life. She went from not having indoor plumbing, to living in the age of internet. (This was a posed photo....I don't think she was quite sure what a computer or cell phone was.) My Grandma never learned to drive; my Grandpa drove her everywhere while he was alive.

The last time I saw my Grandma was in September, not too long after she had turned 100. Jenna and I got to visit with her, and I was amazed at how aware she still seemed for her age. I'm really glad we had that time with her.

On Saturday we gathered together with my Mom's family to honor my Grandma and say goodbye. It was nice to see relatives we hardly ever see! (And some we see all the time)

When I was in college in Santa Clara I had a standing date with my Grandma almost every Wednesday. She would treat me to lunch and afterwards I would drive her to Whole Foods for her weekly grocery shopping. Our time together almost always ended with a cookie. Those were such special times.

Being at my Grandma's house and talking to my relatives brought up a lot of memories. When I think of visiting my Grandma as a child, I remember sitting on the barstools at her kitchen counter and eating the BEST vanilla ice cream. I remember her blue and white dishes. I remember eating my Grandpa's green olives. Her stories from her childhood were so fun to hear; she would talk for a long time and I loved listening to her voice. She grew up with 3 brothers and I enjoyed hearing about her experiences with them versus raising 4 daughters. No visit to her house would be complete without looking at her impressive jewelry collection, most of which was ordered from QVC.

People have told me I inherited my Grandma's chin. I hope I have also inherited her strength of character. She was a hard-working nurse, wife, and mother, and her legacy will live on in our family. I love you Grandma.