Grandma loved to give

If there was one thing that we know about Grandma is that she loved to give. She never let a birthday or a Christmas go by without something being given but that’s not the only time she gave. She often couldn’t give much but she gave all she could. Here are some stories written by the recipients of her gifts in their own words.

I was on my mission and it was towards the end of the month and I had no money and I didn’t have any food either. I didn’t know what I was going to do because I had to eat of course. I got my mail and there was a letter from grandma and she had sent me two dollars. And I went and bought milk and that was all I needed because I had cereal I just didn’t have anything to eat it with. I lived for the rest of the month on two dollars. She said in the letter ”I wish it could be more, but it is all that I have and I wanted you to have it” In my brain I would have just said “It’s just two dollars and it’s twenty three cents on top of that to send it. What a hassle.” But it made all the difference in the world to me.

Andrew Sheneman (third child of Charlene Wadsworth (Sheneman) Miller, second child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)

She just wanted a present for everyone. Charlie’s birthday is today and I told her about it last week and she said “What am I going to get Charlie” I said “Mom, Charlie doesn’t need anything and they don’t expect you to buy him a gift.” But no she wanted to buy him a gift. She wanted to give everyone a gift who’s birthday it was or who’s wedding it was. Anybody in the ward who had a wedding, Mom was there with a present. And she probably, in fact I know she she’d got things up in her closet that she bought ahead of time for wedding gifts, so she could give to everybody.*

Charlene Wadsworth Miller (second child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)

*As told at the family gathering the day before her funeral

I know whenever Ethan (2) saw Grandma and Grandpa he would go up and say “Candy, Candy” and she would say “Give me a kiss” and he would give her anything she wanted. I remember on Sunday she was doing choir practice and Ethan was holding Nathan’s scriptures (they looked like a briefcase for him because he’s so small) and he was following her and she said “Come on, let me sit down and I’ll give you some candy” He walked up to the woman beside her and put down the scriptures and stood in front of her (the other woman) and then looked up realized it wasn’t Grandma picked up the scriptures, walked in front of Grandma put down the scriptures and waited for her to give him candy. After church we were giving Grandma and Grandpa something and as soon as Ethan saw the car he said “Candy, Candy” She was just “Candy Grandma” to him.*

Holly Wadsworth Avery (best child of David Wadsworth, first child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)

*As told at a family gathering the day before her funeral

I will always remember how excited Grandma got about her presents. Whether it was a sampler box of Whitman chocolates or something we all chipped in to buy her like the curio cabinet or the small television, she beamed with joy. I see her throwing her head back, clutching her gift to her chest, closing her eyes and making a squealing noise. Grandma knew best how to receive as well as she knew how to give.

Sallee Robinson (first child of Linda Wadsworth Robinson, fourth child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)

When I was living in England, Grandma sent me lots of letters. One time she sent a one dollar bill. I thought it was so sweet but knew if I exchanged it, it wouldn’t even amount to one English pound so I tucked it back into the envelope and forgot about it. Much later as a poor college student, I was sorting through stuff from England and found that one dollar bill. While I had enough money to meet my needs, it served as a rare luxury when I was able to go and buy my favorite breadsticks and sauce. I also remember her sending me care packages at college with cookies, chips and misc. yummy treats.

Holly Wadsworth Avery (second child of David Wadsworth, first child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)

It seemed that there were always things hanging on the coat racks at church, dresses, shirts, pairs of pants or coats that grandma had either not wanted any longer or had fixed up that she had hung on the coat racks with a large note pinned (grandma always pinned her notes with straight pins) on to the garment saying “Free, please take” She knew there were those in the ward who may need them and not knowing who they might be just left the articles of clothing on the racks hoping that the person who needed it would find it and take it home. I’m sure there were things hanging on the church coat racks for weeks after she left us waiting for a home to go to.

Sunny Wadsworth Tangren (Third child of David Wadsworth, first child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)