Jessie Cotton was born in Arkansas. She came into my family's life in Corcoran, California when her daughter, Wenona, was a schoolgirl and so was my mother. The two girls became lifelong friends, and my mom was "adopted" into Jessie's family circle. The years passed, Wenona and my mom married and began raising their families. As luck would have it, when I came along some 20 years later, we lived right next door to "Gramma Cotton." From day one, she was Gramma to me. She was the only person to ever babysit me, other than family, from the time I was a small infant. My mother tells the story how, when she was pregnant with me, she would pack off dad to his Thursday bowling league, feed her other 3 children (aged 13, 11, & 7) and then head next door to Gramma's. They'd sit in the kitchen playing Yahtzee and listening to Nat King Cole's "Ramblin' Rose" for hours on end.
Gramma worked for the school district in Corcoran as a cook. She was a single mother who raised three children of her own, Wenona, Jerry, and Shirley. It wasn't ever easy for her, but she never gave up. She was preceded in death by Wenona and Shirley. She had 5 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and many others like me, who she loved as though they were her own and had the privilege of calling her Gramma.
Gramma worked for the school district in Corcoran as a cook. She was a single mother who raised three children of her own, Wenona, Jerry, and Shirley. It wasn't ever easy for her, but she never gave up. She was preceded in death by Wenona and Shirley. She had 5 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and many others like me, who she loved as though they were her own and had the privilege of calling her Gramma.
Jessie Cotton was born in Arkansas. She came into my family's life in Corcoran, California when her daughter, Wenona, was a schoolgirl and so was my mother. The two girls became lifelong friends, and my mom was "adopted" into Jessie's family circle. The years passed, Wenona and my mom married and began raising their families. As luck would have it, when I came along some 20 years later, we lived right next door to "Gramma Cotton." From day one, she was Gramma to me. She was the only person to ever babysit me, other than family, from the time I was a small infant. My mother tells the story how, when she was pregnant with me, she would pack off dad to his Thursday bowling league, feed her other 3 children (aged 13, 11, & 7) and then head next door to Gramma's. They'd sit in the kitchen playing Yahtzee and listening to Nat King Cole's "Ramblin' Rose" for hours on end.
Gramma worked for the school district in Corcoran as a cook. She was a single mother who raised three children of her own, Wenona, Jerry, and Shirley. It wasn't ever easy for her, but she never gave up. She was preceded in death by Wenona and Shirley. She had 5 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and many others like me, who she loved as though they were her own and had the privilege of calling her Gramma.
Gramma worked for the school district in Corcoran as a cook. She was a single mother who raised three children of her own, Wenona, Jerry, and Shirley. It wasn't ever easy for her, but she never gave up. She was preceded in death by Wenona and Shirley. She had 5 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and many others like me, who she loved as though they were her own and had the privilege of calling her Gramma.
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