Peggy

Susie May Isaacs, my great-grandmother, was a beautiful woman, both in person and in spirit. She lived through two World Wars and the Great Depression. She was born in a dugout in Western Oklahoma to a Cheyenne Indian father and white mother during a time of great upheaval for the Native Americans in the Oklahoma Territory. During the eleven yrs I knew her I received the gifts of witnessing determination, courage, faith, humility, love and perserverance.

Ma lost her leg when she was 83 due to poor circulation and was told she would be in a wheelchair the rest of her life. The doctors were astonished when she left the hospital using a cane and had named her new wooden leg 'Peggy'.

In 1982 Ma had a heart attack and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. During the weeks she was in ICU, the hospital did not allow children to visit. Ma became very upset and refused to eat until she was allowed to see her sixteen great-grandchildren.

We all had received bibles from her as babies which were filled with clippings of jokes and stories she kept in an old hatbox. When we saw Ma she gave us all $5. With the help of our parents we bought 16 new bibles for her to inscribe and fill with her clippings. Noone expected her to be able to sign them all before she passed away. But we all underestimated her courage and strength when she was released from her 'death bed' to go home and began her task of love. During her last month she inscribed all the bibles and gave them to us filled with clippings and hand written poems.

Many years before Ma's death she had told her friends she would die on a Sunday so she could meet her Lord when he wasn't so busy. She had a massive heart attack on Thursday afternoon. She endured eight heart attacks between then and Sunday morning at six when she went on to meet her Lord.

I believe the few short years I was blessed with the company of that wonderful woman have helped me to be strong during the rough times and perservere. The constant love, laughter and courage I saw that illuminated from Ma is what I remember most from a woman who met stife with a smile on her face and her head held high.

Submitted by Anonymous

Friendship