Great Great Great Great Grandmother Jane left family behind in Tennessee, so I don’t know how long she had the benefit of her mother and grandmother.
Her daughter Lucy was 32 when she left her mother (Jane) behind in Indiana to pioneer in Iowa. They probably wrote letters to one another, but Lucy never saw her mother again.
Lucy’s daughter Emilia was just 8 years old when she came to Iowa, so she only knew her grandmother (Jane) that long. Emilia was 36 when her mother (Lucy) died.
Emilia’s oldest daughter Laura was 14 when she lost her grandmother (Lucy), and 46 when her mother (Emilia) died.
Laura’s oldest daughter Leora was 24 when she lost her grandmother (Emilia), and nearly 72 when her mother (Laura) died. She spent time with her grandmother, sometimes living with her after she was widowed. Leora’s mother was such a blessing to her while she raised her family. They lived together a dozen years after both were widowed. Leora spent time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Leora’s oldest daughter Doris was 44 when she lost her grandmother (Laura), and 69 when her mother (Leora) died.
Doris’s oldest daughter Joy was 18 when my great grandmother (Laura) died, 43 when I lost my grandmother (Leora), and 71 when my mother died. What a blessing!
When four generations were together at Grandma’s in Guthrie Center, I didn’t think it was unusual. I wish I hadn’t taken those grandmothers for granted. To share so many of those years, I was being mentored in so many ways without realizing it.
While wondering whether my grandmothers also enjoyed this incredible gift, I noticed that the longest-lived women, overlapping with an extra generation, were especially beneficial to Leora. What a gift to a woman who endured so many losses and hardships during her ninety-seven years.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. – Psalm 100:5