Grandma was an optimist

Grandma always looked at the bright side of life. Everything was just so close to being better. She spread her optimism like the rays of the sun, warming and cheering everyone it touched. Here are some stories of those who were touched by that light in their own words…

Mom was the eternal optimist. When I would show her my report card, she would look at the "C's" and say, enthusiastically, "That’s almost a B!" the B's "that’s almost an A!" While other kids were being grounded for less than perfect grades, my dear mother was standing by, cheering me on.

Linda Wadsworth Robinson (fourth child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)

The number on her time card at Steketees (the place where she worked as and alterations seamstress and sales clerk) was 2 and they were hiring college kids in at a higher wage than she was making. I once asked her “Why don’t you complain?” and her reply was simply “I’m making good money” And she was so excited that she got a raise. We decided that the cost of living went up and so did minimum wage and they had just brought her up to minimum wage.

Andra Robinson (husband of Linda Wadsworth Robinson, fourth child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)

I was reminded again about Grandma and her Visiting Teaching list. When she died she was my visiting teaching supervisor. Every month she would call me to see who I'd visited on my list of 3-4 people. That was incentive for me to get it done for sure! But of course, I'm not Grandma and so I didn't always get to visit everyone. She always made me feel like it was ok. She'd go on about "I don't know how you girls do it these days! Your lives are so busy with the children and callings and working and families to tend to." As if she wasn't busy! She would not only visit teach every month the 14 or so people who were on her list, but bring them a treat every time!
Nicole Wadsworth Garrick (First child of David Wadsworth first child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)

When I was over at the house yesterday I was looking at the calendar, looking at her writing and what was happening in her life, when the missionaries were coming over and everything. On the 28^th , the day she died there was a little sticker that said “Vacation”*

Linda Robinson (fourth child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)

*Now that’s confidence of being ready. Well we were going to go out to Salt Lake to go to Conference and we couldn’t get tickets to go to Conference and selfish me I said “ Well let’s go another time when I can have something to do besides just go to conference” They wanted to go to a missionary reunion and go to conference. When we couldn’t get tickets for General Conference I thought “We can just watch it on T.V. here.” I talked to Mom and Dad and asked if we might postpone the trip a little while. Mom was quite disappointed because the missionary reunion she wanted to go to. When Dad and I talked about it we decided that if they went to the missionary reunion there would probably be one or two people there that they actually worked with. It seemed a lot of vacation time and a lot of money to go all the way out there just to see one or two people. I suggested that we plan a little reunion with the few people they wanted to see and we’d have them up to Salt Lake when we went out there later. Mom said “Ok, That’d be fine” I asked “Are you sure you’re not disappointed.” She assured me that she wasn’t but later I found out that she was trying to find airfare to go out to Salt Lake City anyway. I called here and said “Mom, you said that you weren’t disappointed about this. If you want to go I’ll drive you” She said “Oh no I’m not disappointed at all and besides that, Daddy doesn’t feel good about it either.” Well guess what, she went to Conference anyway without us. And she went to her missionary reunion( or is going tomorrow). She was determined to get there one way or the other.*

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

*as told at a family get together the day before her funeral

She and Grandpa came to visit our family one year when we were living in Sheridan, Montana.
We were all sitting around the television one evening, watching a particularly gory horror film.
Grandma, of course, was in the background, running around and cooking and cleaning etc. She came over to sit with us for a moment,(ever present dish towel in hand) during the films goriest climax. We were all sitting silently, horrified, looking at the screen though our fingers, so as to block out some of the gore.
Grandma cheerfully piped up and said "Now Cecil, I LIKE those curtains!" referring to the curtains in the bloody scene in front of us. That was Grandma. There is beauty in EVERY situation!

Sue Babcock Biegel ( second child of Dianna Wadsworth Babbcock third child of Nellie and Cecil Wadsworth)