Anna Marie Heinz Wooley
1930-2014
Born July 12, 1930 to Louis and Veda Belle Wofford Heinz in Stafford Arizona, Anna Marie Wooley passed into heaven Monday, May 5, 2014. The family will receive friends and relatives on Thursday, May 8, 2014 from 8-10am at Moore Funeral Home in Arlington. Memorial service follows at 10am at Moore. Burial following. Lunch provided by Moose Lodge Park Row and 360. Anna is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Reginald Wooley, and all four sisters: Louise Givens, Rena Blair, Vada Lyons, and Veda Myers, as well as her granddaughter, Jala Gilbert. Anna is survived by one son, Cecil W. Gilbert. Her surviving grandchildren are Lenny (wife Beth), Cody, Chase, Dane, and Karlee. Great-grandchildren, Cantyn, 17; Cade, 5; Kyle, 2; Addison, 11; William, 7; Caroline, 7; and Trey, 4. Anna will be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many. Reg and Anna hosted many social events at their home during their years together where all were welcome. Reg and Anna celebrated their anniversary monthly, by candlelight. Anna retired from the City of Arlington in 1984 after serving as Secretary to the City Manager, Ross Calhoun, and three City of Arlington Mayors, Tom Vandergriff, S.J. Stovall, and Harold Patterson. She was active in the City of Arlington Retired Employees (CARE) Club. She was Baptist and a member of the Highland Baptist Church in Arlington. Anna enjoyed traveling and extended visits with her sisters.
Memories of Anna (Paula Duchesne):
I met Anna for the first time at a Ranger game with her husband, Reg. My first impression was that she was one of the prettiest women I had ever seen. It was Texas hot, and she looked beautiful and undisturbed by the heat. We liked each other instantly, because that's the type of person she was – outgoing, friendly, easy to talk to, easy to get to know, and charming… no better way to describe it. She had no hidden agendas, no meanness that I could see, and no negative personality traits visible to me at all. Since we immediately hit it off, we were together often. She was actively working and loving her job at the City of Arlington. She loved her boss, Ross Calhoun – they just clicked. She loved her mayors and worked well with everyone. She had a lot of responsibility and enjoyed all the multi-tasking that went with it. Reg was already retired when I met Anna, and being the spoiled wife that she was, Reg was onboard with spoiling her during her off-working hours. At any time I would drop by, which was often, there were often folks already there, also dropping by unannounced. I saw Judge Forbes there on several occasions, and I met a lot of heritage Arlington people just paying neighborly visits. There were a lot of couples that enjoyed long years of cherished friendships.
We went on several trips with Anna and Reg. They were definitely a traveling couple. I got to go with them to visit family in Needles and Tempe, a side trip to Las Vegas, where we were treated as VIPs, and I got to meet her Mom and extended family while there. While I don't think Anna got many of her Mother's character traits, one in particular stands out. When Anna called Mama Heinz, which was several times a week, at the end of the conversation, her Mom would tell Anna, "Give my love to those you think deserve it." That always struck a chord with me because what she was saying is that if they were in Anna's good graces, then they were to receive blessings from Mama Heinz. If they were not in Anna's good graces, then she was not to pass on those blessings to undeserving friends or family members. It was funny, but it was profound. An exciting snow skiing trip with Anna stands out as well. If there was fun involved, me and Anna would be there!
Anna had a special bond with her sisters and Mom. I'm pretty sure it was because Anna's Dad died when she was fairly young – junior high or younger. The single Mom raised the five girls to be independent free thinkers, but she also raised them to take good care of their Mom. They all did. They all got together often, even though they were scattered in different states. Even after Anna's Mother passed away, the sister bond grew even stronger. Vada would come stay for weeks at a time, Veda would come stay for weeks at a time, sometimes they both came together, sometimes they brought family members with them, and a great time was had by all. The sisters spent a few years researching genealogy together, taking side trips to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and wherever the next clue led them. When they added the pool, the crowds grew even larger in the summer. Holidays were a big deal to Anna. We used to plan who would cook what, and the table was set for royalty. That's just the way it was. Family has always been that important to Anna.
Anna loved to fish. You wouldn't think so, but she loved it. She loved to dress up and go to formal events, and she and Reg did that often, but she also loved to put on jeans and boots and go to the country and western gigs and dance the night away. She loved living life to the fullest and was never still on the weekends. To catch her on the weekend meant you were either with them at an event, or you had scheduled time in advance.
Then came the grandkids. When Cecil and I married, Cody was three years old. Anna claimed him as hers, and until the day she went to heaven, she continued to claim him and his children. She never differentiated between the grandkids. This was awesome for Cody, because he was not close to his paternal grandparents, and he never had to feel like a step-grandchild – she never skipped a beat in welcoming him into the fold. She was very smitten with the grandkids. For her, the 4th of July City of Arlington parade was a mandatory attendance required event. After the 2nd or 3rd year of going out in that extreme heat, we left early and came to her house. There she was, kicked back drinking a soda pop with Reg, watching the parade on TV in the air conditioned den. I told her that from then on, her style of watching the parade was becoming our style of watching the parade. She attended ball games, functions, school activities big and small – the entire experience. She was an involved grandparent. They always knew how much they were loved, they were always welcome, and she adored each one. And then when the great-grandkids came around, she was exactly the same. She wanted to see them at least once a week. Each grandchild has special memories they could share, but as a group, they all knew for certain how much they were loved. When I went to see her a couple of weeks ago, I showed her the most recent pictures of three of the great-grandchildren. She said, "You tell those children how much Grandma loves them." Then, I showed her pictures of the youngest two, and she went through all of those recent pictures, then got up on her elbows and said, "You tell those boys how much their Grandma loves them." They will have that – always. They knew how fiercely they were loved and they get to carry that with them.
I loved to watch Mel and Anna in their senior years. After Reg passed away, Mel, the workaholic, was there to help! He would trim the hedges, mow the yard, be the pool man, change the oil in the car, or whatever needed doing. Anna got a free handyman out of the ex-husband deal, and Mel got his workaholic therapy. She would give him water or tea and a sandwich, and he was back after it again. It didn't come without a price, though, because Mel is opinionated about pretty much everything. Any time Mel knew the sisters were in town, he knew it was time to visit. There were very animated conversations them, individually and all together. Mel, Veda, Vada,and Anna, all four were really fun. Anyone that knows Mel can understand how this happens with ease on a continuous basis. They were fun to watch – the animated interaction between the parties, seeing who could tell the biggest tale, mostly memories of their youth, sometimes friendly ribbing, sometimes opposite opinion clashes - yet they mostly seemed to get along, laugh it off, tell each other off, and get over it and go on. Anna claimed the huge Gilbert clan and remained close to them. I know of at least one annual Gilbert Reunion that Anna attended at Lake Whitney. One of Anna's sisters may have gone, too. It's all in the family!
I could go on and on telling stories about Anna because that's how awesome and full of personality she was. Very special to me is that I got to claim her as one of my dearest friends. The daughters-in-law may have divorced her son, but they did not have to divorce their mother-in-law. She was there for both of them. Jan and I were invited to events and occasions, and got to continue as part of the family. How many blended families can claim that? It certainly makes for great family interaction for holidays, birthdays, and milestone occasions.
Peace, joy, love, and rest to each of us that will miss her, but we will see her again by and by.
1930-2014
Born July 12, 1930 to Louis and Veda Belle Wofford Heinz in Stafford Arizona, Anna Marie Wooley passed into heaven Monday, May 5, 2014. The family will receive friends and relatives on Thursday, May 8, 2014 from 8-10am at Moore Funeral Home in Arlington. Memorial service follows at 10am at Moore. Burial following. Lunch provided by Moose Lodge Park Row and 360. Anna is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Reginald Wooley, and all four sisters: Louise Givens, Rena Blair, Vada Lyons, and Veda Myers, as well as her granddaughter, Jala Gilbert. Anna is survived by one son, Cecil W. Gilbert. Her surviving grandchildren are Lenny (wife Beth), Cody, Chase, Dane, and Karlee. Great-grandchildren, Cantyn, 17; Cade, 5; Kyle, 2; Addison, 11; William, 7; Caroline, 7; and Trey, 4. Anna will be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many. Reg and Anna hosted many social events at their home during their years together where all were welcome. Reg and Anna celebrated their anniversary monthly, by candlelight. Anna retired from the City of Arlington in 1984 after serving as Secretary to the City Manager, Ross Calhoun, and three City of Arlington Mayors, Tom Vandergriff, S.J. Stovall, and Harold Patterson. She was active in the City of Arlington Retired Employees (CARE) Club. She was Baptist and a member of the Highland Baptist Church in Arlington. Anna enjoyed traveling and extended visits with her sisters.
Memories of Anna (Paula Duchesne):
I met Anna for the first time at a Ranger game with her husband, Reg. My first impression was that she was one of the prettiest women I had ever seen. It was Texas hot, and she looked beautiful and undisturbed by the heat. We liked each other instantly, because that's the type of person she was – outgoing, friendly, easy to talk to, easy to get to know, and charming… no better way to describe it. She had no hidden agendas, no meanness that I could see, and no negative personality traits visible to me at all. Since we immediately hit it off, we were together often. She was actively working and loving her job at the City of Arlington. She loved her boss, Ross Calhoun – they just clicked. She loved her mayors and worked well with everyone. She had a lot of responsibility and enjoyed all the multi-tasking that went with it. Reg was already retired when I met Anna, and being the spoiled wife that she was, Reg was onboard with spoiling her during her off-working hours. At any time I would drop by, which was often, there were often folks already there, also dropping by unannounced. I saw Judge Forbes there on several occasions, and I met a lot of heritage Arlington people just paying neighborly visits. There were a lot of couples that enjoyed long years of cherished friendships.
We went on several trips with Anna and Reg. They were definitely a traveling couple. I got to go with them to visit family in Needles and Tempe, a side trip to Las Vegas, where we were treated as VIPs, and I got to meet her Mom and extended family while there. While I don't think Anna got many of her Mother's character traits, one in particular stands out. When Anna called Mama Heinz, which was several times a week, at the end of the conversation, her Mom would tell Anna, "Give my love to those you think deserve it." That always struck a chord with me because what she was saying is that if they were in Anna's good graces, then they were to receive blessings from Mama Heinz. If they were not in Anna's good graces, then she was not to pass on those blessings to undeserving friends or family members. It was funny, but it was profound. An exciting snow skiing trip with Anna stands out as well. If there was fun involved, me and Anna would be there!
Anna had a special bond with her sisters and Mom. I'm pretty sure it was because Anna's Dad died when she was fairly young – junior high or younger. The single Mom raised the five girls to be independent free thinkers, but she also raised them to take good care of their Mom. They all did. They all got together often, even though they were scattered in different states. Even after Anna's Mother passed away, the sister bond grew even stronger. Vada would come stay for weeks at a time, Veda would come stay for weeks at a time, sometimes they both came together, sometimes they brought family members with them, and a great time was had by all. The sisters spent a few years researching genealogy together, taking side trips to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and wherever the next clue led them. When they added the pool, the crowds grew even larger in the summer. Holidays were a big deal to Anna. We used to plan who would cook what, and the table was set for royalty. That's just the way it was. Family has always been that important to Anna.
Anna loved to fish. You wouldn't think so, but she loved it. She loved to dress up and go to formal events, and she and Reg did that often, but she also loved to put on jeans and boots and go to the country and western gigs and dance the night away. She loved living life to the fullest and was never still on the weekends. To catch her on the weekend meant you were either with them at an event, or you had scheduled time in advance.
Then came the grandkids. When Cecil and I married, Cody was three years old. Anna claimed him as hers, and until the day she went to heaven, she continued to claim him and his children. She never differentiated between the grandkids. This was awesome for Cody, because he was not close to his paternal grandparents, and he never had to feel like a step-grandchild – she never skipped a beat in welcoming him into the fold. She was very smitten with the grandkids. For her, the 4th of July City of Arlington parade was a mandatory attendance required event. After the 2nd or 3rd year of going out in that extreme heat, we left early and came to her house. There she was, kicked back drinking a soda pop with Reg, watching the parade on TV in the air conditioned den. I told her that from then on, her style of watching the parade was becoming our style of watching the parade. She attended ball games, functions, school activities big and small – the entire experience. She was an involved grandparent. They always knew how much they were loved, they were always welcome, and she adored each one. And then when the great-grandkids came around, she was exactly the same. She wanted to see them at least once a week. Each grandchild has special memories they could share, but as a group, they all knew for certain how much they were loved. When I went to see her a couple of weeks ago, I showed her the most recent pictures of three of the great-grandchildren. She said, "You tell those children how much Grandma loves them." Then, I showed her pictures of the youngest two, and she went through all of those recent pictures, then got up on her elbows and said, "You tell those boys how much their Grandma loves them." They will have that – always. They knew how fiercely they were loved and they get to carry that with them.
I loved to watch Mel and Anna in their senior years. After Reg passed away, Mel, the workaholic, was there to help! He would trim the hedges, mow the yard, be the pool man, change the oil in the car, or whatever needed doing. Anna got a free handyman out of the ex-husband deal, and Mel got his workaholic therapy. She would give him water or tea and a sandwich, and he was back after it again. It didn't come without a price, though, because Mel is opinionated about pretty much everything. Any time Mel knew the sisters were in town, he knew it was time to visit. There were very animated conversations them, individually and all together. Mel, Veda, Vada,and Anna, all four were really fun. Anyone that knows Mel can understand how this happens with ease on a continuous basis. They were fun to watch – the animated interaction between the parties, seeing who could tell the biggest tale, mostly memories of their youth, sometimes friendly ribbing, sometimes opposite opinion clashes - yet they mostly seemed to get along, laugh it off, tell each other off, and get over it and go on. Anna claimed the huge Gilbert clan and remained close to them. I know of at least one annual Gilbert Reunion that Anna attended at Lake Whitney. One of Anna's sisters may have gone, too. It's all in the family!
I could go on and on telling stories about Anna because that's how awesome and full of personality she was. Very special to me is that I got to claim her as one of my dearest friends. The daughters-in-law may have divorced her son, but they did not have to divorce their mother-in-law. She was there for both of them. Jan and I were invited to events and occasions, and got to continue as part of the family. How many blended families can claim that? It certainly makes for great family interaction for holidays, birthdays, and milestone occasions.
Peace, joy, love, and rest to each of us that will miss her, but we will see her again by and by.
Anna Marie Heinz Wooley
1930-2014
Born July 12, 1930 to Louis and Veda Belle Wofford Heinz in Stafford Arizona, Anna Marie Wooley passed into heaven Monday, May 5, 2014. The family will receive friends and relatives on Thursday, May 8, 2014 from 8-10am at Moore Funeral Home in Arlington. Memorial service follows at 10am at Moore. Burial following. Lunch provided by Moose Lodge Park Row and 360. Anna is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Reginald Wooley, and all four sisters: Louise Givens, Rena Blair, Vada Lyons, and Veda Myers, as well as her granddaughter, Jala Gilbert. Anna is survived by one son, Cecil W. Gilbert. Her surviving grandchildren are Lenny (wife Beth), Cody, Chase, Dane, and Karlee. Great-grandchildren, Cantyn, 17; Cade, 5; Kyle, 2; Addison, 11; William, 7; Caroline, 7; and Trey, 4. Anna will be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many. Reg and Anna hosted many social events at their home during their years together where all were welcome. Reg and Anna celebrated their anniversary monthly, by candlelight. Anna retired from the City of Arlington in 1984 after serving as Secretary to the City Manager, Ross Calhoun, and three City of Arlington Mayors, Tom Vandergriff, S.J. Stovall, and Harold Patterson. She was active in the City of Arlington Retired Employees (CARE) Club. She was Baptist and a member of the Highland Baptist Church in Arlington. Anna enjoyed traveling and extended visits with her sisters.
Memories of Anna (Paula Duchesne):
I met Anna for the first time at a Ranger game with her husband, Reg. My first impression was that she was one of the prettiest women I had ever seen. It was Texas hot, and she looked beautiful and undisturbed by the heat. We liked each other instantly, because that's the type of person she was – outgoing, friendly, easy to talk to, easy to get to know, and charming… no better way to describe it. She had no hidden agendas, no meanness that I could see, and no negative personality traits visible to me at all. Since we immediately hit it off, we were together often. She was actively working and loving her job at the City of Arlington. She loved her boss, Ross Calhoun – they just clicked. She loved her mayors and worked well with everyone. She had a lot of responsibility and enjoyed all the multi-tasking that went with it. Reg was already retired when I met Anna, and being the spoiled wife that she was, Reg was onboard with spoiling her during her off-working hours. At any time I would drop by, which was often, there were often folks already there, also dropping by unannounced. I saw Judge Forbes there on several occasions, and I met a lot of heritage Arlington people just paying neighborly visits. There were a lot of couples that enjoyed long years of cherished friendships.
We went on several trips with Anna and Reg. They were definitely a traveling couple. I got to go with them to visit family in Needles and Tempe, a side trip to Las Vegas, where we were treated as VIPs, and I got to meet her Mom and extended family while there. While I don't think Anna got many of her Mother's character traits, one in particular stands out. When Anna called Mama Heinz, which was several times a week, at the end of the conversation, her Mom would tell Anna, "Give my love to those you think deserve it." That always struck a chord with me because what she was saying is that if they were in Anna's good graces, then they were to receive blessings from Mama Heinz. If they were not in Anna's good graces, then she was not to pass on those blessings to undeserving friends or family members. It was funny, but it was profound. An exciting snow skiing trip with Anna stands out as well. If there was fun involved, me and Anna would be there!
Anna had a special bond with her sisters and Mom. I'm pretty sure it was because Anna's Dad died when she was fairly young – junior high or younger. The single Mom raised the five girls to be independent free thinkers, but she also raised them to take good care of their Mom. They all did. They all got together often, even though they were scattered in different states. Even after Anna's Mother passed away, the sister bond grew even stronger. Vada would come stay for weeks at a time, Veda would come stay for weeks at a time, sometimes they both came together, sometimes they brought family members with them, and a great time was had by all. The sisters spent a few years researching genealogy together, taking side trips to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and wherever the next clue led them. When they added the pool, the crowds grew even larger in the summer. Holidays were a big deal to Anna. We used to plan who would cook what, and the table was set for royalty. That's just the way it was. Family has always been that important to Anna.
Anna loved to fish. You wouldn't think so, but she loved it. She loved to dress up and go to formal events, and she and Reg did that often, but she also loved to put on jeans and boots and go to the country and western gigs and dance the night away. She loved living life to the fullest and was never still on the weekends. To catch her on the weekend meant you were either with them at an event, or you had scheduled time in advance.
Then came the grandkids. When Cecil and I married, Cody was three years old. Anna claimed him as hers, and until the day she went to heaven, she continued to claim him and his children. She never differentiated between the grandkids. This was awesome for Cody, because he was not close to his paternal grandparents, and he never had to feel like a step-grandchild – she never skipped a beat in welcoming him into the fold. She was very smitten with the grandkids. For her, the 4th of July City of Arlington parade was a mandatory attendance required event. After the 2nd or 3rd year of going out in that extreme heat, we left early and came to her house. There she was, kicked back drinking a soda pop with Reg, watching the parade on TV in the air conditioned den. I told her that from then on, her style of watching the parade was becoming our style of watching the parade. She attended ball games, functions, school activities big and small – the entire experience. She was an involved grandparent. They always knew how much they were loved, they were always welcome, and she adored each one. And then when the great-grandkids came around, she was exactly the same. She wanted to see them at least once a week. Each grandchild has special memories they could share, but as a group, they all knew for certain how much they were loved. When I went to see her a couple of weeks ago, I showed her the most recent pictures of three of the great-grandchildren. She said, "You tell those children how much Grandma loves them." Then, I showed her pictures of the youngest two, and she went through all of those recent pictures, then got up on her elbows and said, "You tell those boys how much their Grandma loves them." They will have that – always. They knew how fiercely they were loved and they get to carry that with them.
I loved to watch Mel and Anna in their senior years. After Reg passed away, Mel, the workaholic, was there to help! He would trim the hedges, mow the yard, be the pool man, change the oil in the car, or whatever needed doing. Anna got a free handyman out of the ex-husband deal, and Mel got his workaholic therapy. She would give him water or tea and a sandwich, and he was back after it again. It didn't come without a price, though, because Mel is opinionated about pretty much everything. Any time Mel knew the sisters were in town, he knew it was time to visit. There were very animated conversations them, individually and all together. Mel, Veda, Vada,and Anna, all four were really fun. Anyone that knows Mel can understand how this happens with ease on a continuous basis. They were fun to watch – the animated interaction between the parties, seeing who could tell the biggest tale, mostly memories of their youth, sometimes friendly ribbing, sometimes opposite opinion clashes - yet they mostly seemed to get along, laugh it off, tell each other off, and get over it and go on. Anna claimed the huge Gilbert clan and remained close to them. I know of at least one annual Gilbert Reunion that Anna attended at Lake Whitney. One of Anna's sisters may have gone, too. It's all in the family!
I could go on and on telling stories about Anna because that's how awesome and full of personality she was. Very special to me is that I got to claim her as one of my dearest friends. The daughters-in-law may have divorced her son, but they did not have to divorce their mother-in-law. She was there for both of them. Jan and I were invited to events and occasions, and got to continue as part of the family. How many blended families can claim that? It certainly makes for great family interaction for holidays, birthdays, and milestone occasions.
Peace, joy, love, and rest to each of us that will miss her, but we will see her again by and by.
1930-2014
Born July 12, 1930 to Louis and Veda Belle Wofford Heinz in Stafford Arizona, Anna Marie Wooley passed into heaven Monday, May 5, 2014. The family will receive friends and relatives on Thursday, May 8, 2014 from 8-10am at Moore Funeral Home in Arlington. Memorial service follows at 10am at Moore. Burial following. Lunch provided by Moose Lodge Park Row and 360. Anna is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Reginald Wooley, and all four sisters: Louise Givens, Rena Blair, Vada Lyons, and Veda Myers, as well as her granddaughter, Jala Gilbert. Anna is survived by one son, Cecil W. Gilbert. Her surviving grandchildren are Lenny (wife Beth), Cody, Chase, Dane, and Karlee. Great-grandchildren, Cantyn, 17; Cade, 5; Kyle, 2; Addison, 11; William, 7; Caroline, 7; and Trey, 4. Anna will be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many. Reg and Anna hosted many social events at their home during their years together where all were welcome. Reg and Anna celebrated their anniversary monthly, by candlelight. Anna retired from the City of Arlington in 1984 after serving as Secretary to the City Manager, Ross Calhoun, and three City of Arlington Mayors, Tom Vandergriff, S.J. Stovall, and Harold Patterson. She was active in the City of Arlington Retired Employees (CARE) Club. She was Baptist and a member of the Highland Baptist Church in Arlington. Anna enjoyed traveling and extended visits with her sisters.
Memories of Anna (Paula Duchesne):
I met Anna for the first time at a Ranger game with her husband, Reg. My first impression was that she was one of the prettiest women I had ever seen. It was Texas hot, and she looked beautiful and undisturbed by the heat. We liked each other instantly, because that's the type of person she was – outgoing, friendly, easy to talk to, easy to get to know, and charming… no better way to describe it. She had no hidden agendas, no meanness that I could see, and no negative personality traits visible to me at all. Since we immediately hit it off, we were together often. She was actively working and loving her job at the City of Arlington. She loved her boss, Ross Calhoun – they just clicked. She loved her mayors and worked well with everyone. She had a lot of responsibility and enjoyed all the multi-tasking that went with it. Reg was already retired when I met Anna, and being the spoiled wife that she was, Reg was onboard with spoiling her during her off-working hours. At any time I would drop by, which was often, there were often folks already there, also dropping by unannounced. I saw Judge Forbes there on several occasions, and I met a lot of heritage Arlington people just paying neighborly visits. There were a lot of couples that enjoyed long years of cherished friendships.
We went on several trips with Anna and Reg. They were definitely a traveling couple. I got to go with them to visit family in Needles and Tempe, a side trip to Las Vegas, where we were treated as VIPs, and I got to meet her Mom and extended family while there. While I don't think Anna got many of her Mother's character traits, one in particular stands out. When Anna called Mama Heinz, which was several times a week, at the end of the conversation, her Mom would tell Anna, "Give my love to those you think deserve it." That always struck a chord with me because what she was saying is that if they were in Anna's good graces, then they were to receive blessings from Mama Heinz. If they were not in Anna's good graces, then she was not to pass on those blessings to undeserving friends or family members. It was funny, but it was profound. An exciting snow skiing trip with Anna stands out as well. If there was fun involved, me and Anna would be there!
Anna had a special bond with her sisters and Mom. I'm pretty sure it was because Anna's Dad died when she was fairly young – junior high or younger. The single Mom raised the five girls to be independent free thinkers, but she also raised them to take good care of their Mom. They all did. They all got together often, even though they were scattered in different states. Even after Anna's Mother passed away, the sister bond grew even stronger. Vada would come stay for weeks at a time, Veda would come stay for weeks at a time, sometimes they both came together, sometimes they brought family members with them, and a great time was had by all. The sisters spent a few years researching genealogy together, taking side trips to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and wherever the next clue led them. When they added the pool, the crowds grew even larger in the summer. Holidays were a big deal to Anna. We used to plan who would cook what, and the table was set for royalty. That's just the way it was. Family has always been that important to Anna.
Anna loved to fish. You wouldn't think so, but she loved it. She loved to dress up and go to formal events, and she and Reg did that often, but she also loved to put on jeans and boots and go to the country and western gigs and dance the night away. She loved living life to the fullest and was never still on the weekends. To catch her on the weekend meant you were either with them at an event, or you had scheduled time in advance.
Then came the grandkids. When Cecil and I married, Cody was three years old. Anna claimed him as hers, and until the day she went to heaven, she continued to claim him and his children. She never differentiated between the grandkids. This was awesome for Cody, because he was not close to his paternal grandparents, and he never had to feel like a step-grandchild – she never skipped a beat in welcoming him into the fold. She was very smitten with the grandkids. For her, the 4th of July City of Arlington parade was a mandatory attendance required event. After the 2nd or 3rd year of going out in that extreme heat, we left early and came to her house. There she was, kicked back drinking a soda pop with Reg, watching the parade on TV in the air conditioned den. I told her that from then on, her style of watching the parade was becoming our style of watching the parade. She attended ball games, functions, school activities big and small – the entire experience. She was an involved grandparent. They always knew how much they were loved, they were always welcome, and she adored each one. And then when the great-grandkids came around, she was exactly the same. She wanted to see them at least once a week. Each grandchild has special memories they could share, but as a group, they all knew for certain how much they were loved. When I went to see her a couple of weeks ago, I showed her the most recent pictures of three of the great-grandchildren. She said, "You tell those children how much Grandma loves them." Then, I showed her pictures of the youngest two, and she went through all of those recent pictures, then got up on her elbows and said, "You tell those boys how much their Grandma loves them." They will have that – always. They knew how fiercely they were loved and they get to carry that with them.
I loved to watch Mel and Anna in their senior years. After Reg passed away, Mel, the workaholic, was there to help! He would trim the hedges, mow the yard, be the pool man, change the oil in the car, or whatever needed doing. Anna got a free handyman out of the ex-husband deal, and Mel got his workaholic therapy. She would give him water or tea and a sandwich, and he was back after it again. It didn't come without a price, though, because Mel is opinionated about pretty much everything. Any time Mel knew the sisters were in town, he knew it was time to visit. There were very animated conversations them, individually and all together. Mel, Veda, Vada,and Anna, all four were really fun. Anyone that knows Mel can understand how this happens with ease on a continuous basis. They were fun to watch – the animated interaction between the parties, seeing who could tell the biggest tale, mostly memories of their youth, sometimes friendly ribbing, sometimes opposite opinion clashes - yet they mostly seemed to get along, laugh it off, tell each other off, and get over it and go on. Anna claimed the huge Gilbert clan and remained close to them. I know of at least one annual Gilbert Reunion that Anna attended at Lake Whitney. One of Anna's sisters may have gone, too. It's all in the family!
I could go on and on telling stories about Anna because that's how awesome and full of personality she was. Very special to me is that I got to claim her as one of my dearest friends. The daughters-in-law may have divorced her son, but they did not have to divorce their mother-in-law. She was there for both of them. Jan and I were invited to events and occasions, and got to continue as part of the family. How many blended families can claim that? It certainly makes for great family interaction for holidays, birthdays, and milestone occasions.
Peace, joy, love, and rest to each of us that will miss her, but we will see her again by and by.
