In a desire to provide something sentimental for Memaw's birthday, we invited all of her posterity to contribute several stories or things we remember about Memaw. Each memory was tucked away in an envelope so she had at least 60 envelopes to open...reflecting her 60 years of life.
Here is what we came up with...in no particular order.
"I remember Mom always being very shy and timid. When we went out to eat as a family, Dad would want to go in to the restaurant, while Mom would want to stay in the car and go through the drive-through. When I was the first child to go away to college, Mom built up enough courage to drive all the way to Rexburg to visit me. She was so brave! :) When she came for Mother's Week, we had so much fun laughing with all my roommates and their mothers. We even got in trouble once by another mom. It was so much fun having mom come to visit. Later she would build up enough courage to drive all the way to Arizona and New Mexico to visit us." - Alice
"Driving to City of Rocks on Father's Day. Getting a speeding ticket on the way there." - Kris
"I always remember the time our family needed money and the only source of income that we had was Dad splitting wood. One day the wood splitter wouldn't work, Dad tried and tried. He then tried again and it worked. He looked up at about that time and there was Mom coming out of the house. She had prayed for Heavenly Father to bless the wood splitter to work and it did. Mom and Dad both cried and recognized the Lord's hand in making metal obey. I've shared this story many times on my mission and even now." - Travis
"When Memaw and I go on the canal for a walk, Memaw always pulls me over the barbed wire. We used to always go for a walk with Melba and Percy and cat." - Josie
"I've always been really impressed with her ability to have a full inclusive love, always loving everyone and making sure everyone feels loved and happy. She's so accepting. Always hear horror stories about mother-in-laws, and am so thankful that I don't have to deal with that!"
- Rebekah
"In grade school, Mom would drive us to school in her big yellow station wagon. She'd drop us off right in front of the playground. How embarrassing! Alice and I started forcing her to drop us off down the block so we could walk to the playground We didn't want anyone seeing us get out of that car. Mom thought this was so silly. One day after getting out down the block, Alice and I had just stepped into the middle of the playground with our friends when we heard someone yelling behind us from the street. It was Mom in the yellow station wagon yelling "HAMILTON KIDS, I LOVE YOU!!!" She laughed loudly and told us to never be embarrassed of our mother. HAHAHA!" - Kipp
Bria is learning to sew with a needle and thread and after she had sown 2 or 3 corn bags up she said she is now a better sewer than Memaw! We just laughed, not quite...but a good start!
- Bria
"Memaw always makes me Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. She used to always have me sit on her lap in the rocking chair in Arizona and New Mexico. I always wanted a dog of some sort and Memaw had 'resources' and found me a puppy. We named her Sadie. She was lively and lived with us in Arizona until we moved to New Mexico. Well, I was missing my other dog and was wanting a new dog and Memaw had more 'resources.' When we moved back to Idaho, Memaw gave me another dog for my birthday. I named him Percy, because I loved Percy Jackson."
- Carter
"Going over and staying the night with Memaw and getting to sleep in her comfy bed with her."
- Riley
"I always remember mom cross stitching and watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman." - Travis
"While we were camping last year, Memaw read in her plant book that the berries we found on our hike were gooseberries. We gathered and gathered berries. Later when we got home Memaw helped me make Gooseberry Jam. I entered it in the fair and got a 2nd place ribbon."
- Chloe
"I enjoyed the times Mom and I would go visit Grandpa Ward in the home he lived in when he had Alzheimer's. We would pick him up and he would always tell us to take him to his "real home." So, we would drive around for a few minutes and then go back to the home he was living in and tell him we were at his home and he would jump out and say OK thanks for the ride!" - Margie
"Breaking down on the side of the road north of Shoshone. Waiting for a tow truck and playing guessing games." - Kris
"It was time for the Twin Falls County Fair and us kids were doing Alpacas. We had nothing else to keep us busy and so Memaw decided to have us enter something else in the fair and have the joy of seeing what award we might get on it." - Carter
"Mom and I were towing Dad in the green truck home one sunny afternoon and decided to run a stop sign because it was too hard to stop and then get started again. Dad was mad every time we did it and so we both looked both ways and didn't see a car and so we went for it! Fortunately we made it across before the oncoming car came...but Dad in the green truck didn't! Thankfully everyone was fine. Dad always said he just sat there and watched the car come straight at him and hit the green truck, there was nothing he could do. I doubt if either of us have ran anymore stop signs!" - Travis
"Mom is a wonderful teacher. She taught me to make many quilts that will keep me and my family warm for years to come." - Margie
"We took the school bus home on a day school let out early. I guess Mom had forgotten because when we went in the house, we couldn't find her. We looked around and began hearing these grunting and chopping noises. Ninja? Was it a samurai warrior with a sword? Loud "CHOP" & "HA-YA" type noises. Perhaps we were being robbed. Then we found Mom doing karate or some type of brutal attack on an invisible monster. Mom jumped and was surprised to see us home early. When asked what she was doing, Mom replied "I WAS SLAYING A DRAGON." I felt safe living in the boonies with my dragon slaying mother." :) - Kipp
"I'm always amazed how she can drive all the way to Arizona by herself to just see us! Brave woman!" - Rebekah
"Going to the Christmas Lights at the zoo in Phoenix. Riding with your friend Alex and how awkward it was." - Kris
He was so happy to play and love Memaw's kittens over the summer. - Luke
"I remember when we were at hunting camp and Memaw asked me to put a bridle on Wyatt. I didn't know how, so she taught me how to bridle a horse. Thank you Memaw for helping me become a cowboy!" - Matt
"I love all the blankets Memaw has made for me. They are so warm and comfy." - Riley
"I always could count on Mom to sew anything that I needed her too! Besides doing my math homework on a handful of occasions, she helped make my big box kite for my geometry class that was the coolest one in the class." - Travis
"I love it when Memaw makes me eggs in a nest. She likes to call them a Hole in One. I like it when Memaw makes me breakfast in the morning...but I don't like it when she cooks them raw." - Mason
"I liked it when she gave us our Idaho socks! I love my Idaho socks." - Spencer
"When I was in 2nd Grade, I forgot to bring my coat to school. Memaw brought it to me. She is so helpful. When Memaw helped me put a saddle on Chip, I got to ride him. I love riding horses because it makes me feel like a cowgirl. I want to be a cowgirl when I grow up. Thank you Memaw for teaching me how to put a saddle on horses!" - Chloe
"Mom loves her completely sensible comfortable clothes. She's worn to shreds everything from Yellow and Black Polka Dot Sweats...to Flower & Flannel Little House on the Prairie Nightgowns." - Kipp
"While Matt and I were serving our missions in North Carolina, we learned to speak with a 'southern drawl'. Many of the people we lived around became dear to our hearts. They cherished their family members and called their grandparents 'Memaw' and 'Papaw'. When we had been married for a few years and found out we were expecting our first son, we decided we wanted our children to refer to their grandparents as 'Memaw' and 'Papaw'. We knew that dad wasn't so keen on the idea of 'Papaw' so we changed it a bit to 'Papa'. This he figured he could learn to live with. Memaw, on the other hand, could not be more excited to be called Memaw. (Eventually Papa became Papa Bob.) Carter was the first grandchild to give Memaw her new name." :) - Matt and Alice
"I have a vivid image in my mind of Mom carrying Barney and walking over a big tree that was being used for a bridge over a little river. She was sure strong and Barney was sure wimpy! My Mom was sure tough!" - Travis
"I know Memaw LOVES horses. I remember when she invited Colton and his friend over to ride horses. It was so fun and I got to ride in Colton's truck." - Mason
"Whenever I think about Memaw, I think she is a kind and loving person. Whenever I look at jewelry, I always remember that Memaw lets me wear her necklaces and bracelets and earrings. I like to wear them to church. Memaw is very forgiving. One day I wore her necklace to church and it broke. I felt so bad. She forgave me." - Chloe
"I remember stacking wood with Memaw. She was so good and not lazy!" - Bria
5 Extraordinary things I know about G'Lenn...
1.) She's the MacGyver of fabrics...no seriously, she can make just about anything with needle, thread and some spare fabric.
2.) She has the most infectious laugh out of the entire Hamilton clan.
3.) She is a horse whisperer.
4.) She has a fantastic sense of humor...I've got crazy Thanksgiving photos of her wearing a Dolly Parton wig for no particular reason to prove it!
5.) She is just about the most down to earth, nicest person I've ever met!
- Lance
"Tubing in the snow up in the mountains. It was fun!" - Madelyn
"While we were growing up, I remember Mom being very tired because of her thyroid problem. We would get up and get ready for school on our own many days. (Of course, we were old enough to do so, so why shouldn't we?) She would jump out of bed in her long Lanz nightgown and quickly make us some toast. Then watch out the window for the bus to cross the canal as our sign that it was the tie to walk down the lane to catch the bus She had the timing down to a science! There were many times our toast was wrapped in a napkin and eaten on the bus, but we were never starved...as you can see! I was always grateful to come home from school on the bus and find dinner prepared in the electric skillet. That Cream of Mushroom Macaroni Goulash was my favorite! One thing I learned from you Mom, was not to be picky about food. Even if we had to eat Split Pea Soup for a week...I could do it! :) You always taught us to eat healthy."
- Alice
"Going to the hunting camp for the family reunion. She gave everyone names and the one she chose for me was Jessie James." - Kris
"I miss the good ol' days of sleeping in the horse trailer with all the horse poop and cots. I don't know many wives who would put up with that! What a real woman!! She definitely lives out west!" - Travis
"Memaw bought me my scriptures I use. I really like them and I'm trying to read the whole Book of Mormon this year. I'm already on 1 Nephi 8 this year!" - Spencer
"Mom always made me feel special. A little boy wanting pink and not blue. Ponies not trucks. Mom always made me feel safe. A little boy wanting tap shoes, not cleats. Mom always made me feel important. A little boy wanting dance lessons, not track meets. Mom never made me feel silly or worthless or alone. Mom made me feel valued and wanted and loved." - Kipp
"Memaw's cat Sunshine had kittens and I played with the kitties. I loved playing with the kitties. She was going to get rid of them, but let us keep them a little bit longer because we loved them so much." - Bria
"Having friends over in high school and Mom would always play sardines with us. One time we hid in the big doghouse." - Margie
"The first time I met G'Lenn, Travis was picking me up for something in the Ford Explorer and when I climbed in she jumped out from under a blanket in the back seat and yelled 'Surprise' and gave me a stuffed animal. My first memory of Memaw!" - Rebekah
"Memaw and Margie came to pick me up at the Salt Lake Airport. Margie kept pointing out people saying, 'there he is...' When I finally got off the airplane wearing a black hat and cowboy boots, Margie said 'there he is... and Memaw didn't believe her." - Matt
"Memaw made me a sleeping bag liner and I like playing with it a lot. I like sticking my head I it, carrying toys in it and curling up in it too." - Drew
"Memaw worked on my film 'More Than Frybread' as Craft Services. Everyone on set loved her. It was fun to see how emotional she got when all the extras attempted to eat all of the goodies everyday...but she got them, she had a few tricks up her sleeve that helped save the crew and cast some snacks who really needed them." - Travis
I Remember:
- Yellow Sweatshirt with Big Black Polka Dots...and Green Velour Sweat Pants.
- Many styles of glasses. Big, round, little, square, purple and almost invisible. A few rounds of contacts.
- Long straight hair. Medium length curly hair - hot curlers. Tight perms. Chin length. Curling-iron/Blow-drier. Pony tails. Black. Then some gray.
- Sewing dance costumes. Sewing more dance costumes. Sewing more dance costumes late into the night. Repeat.
- Knitting, Cross-Stitching, Toll Painting, Quilting, Machine Quilting...
- Collecting: Mini Beanie Babies, Pound Puppies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Pogs, Missionary Tags, Charm Bracelets, Buttons, Porcelain Dolls, Fabric.
- Alice
"Me and Memaw went to McCall and we went sledding. Memaw and I went down the hill together." - Josie
"Staying the night at Memaw's house and getting to snuggle her." - Madelyn
"Memaw loves practical jokes.
One time I threw water on her and she laughed and then quietly sought revenge. Bucket loads in return. One night Alice & I went downstairs to talk to Memaw. She was in the bathroom so we decided to go hide in her room. We climbed inside her bed sheets and waited until she came back in her room. It seemed like forever before she finally came back in her room. We were getting a little hot while waiting. She didn't notice the lumps in her bed so we decided to make some squeaky noises until she finally realized we were there." - Matt
"I remember Mom's trick of putting bread in the grease pan and then feeding it to the dogs. One time, Dad thought it was dinner and took a few bites! We still have good laughs over that one."
- Travis
"We all loved the days she hired us to work at Toy Town. Every one of us had the chance to be employed there. Those were special times. We don't miss the mis-fit toys as much though...at least not all of them." :) - Kear Family
" When she worked at Toy Town, one time she came home with this big box full of these little treasure boxes full of candy. Whenever Mom and Dad were gone, she gave us a treasure box with candy. May the Christmas star shine! Ha ha!" -
Mason
"It made me happy when Memaw would come watch me play soccer and cheer for me." - Riley
"Whenever mom would take the kids to school, we would sneak Percy in the house to get warm. I was so sad when Memaw had to get rid of Percy. Now we sneak the Miss Kitty in the house." :) ("That will make her giggle!") - Josie
"I liked when Memaw worked at the Toy City and would give us fudge!" - Luke
"Mom and I took a trip back to my mission shortly after Christmas one year. We had a great time traveling and visiting families all over the place. Mom fit in perfectly well with all my Native friends. she has to be part Native!" - Travis
"I'm always amazed at her spunk and tenacity, her can do attitude even when she has many things to overcome and be done. She just gets in there like this has to be done so let's do it!"
- Rebekah
"Having fun riding the mule, horse and pony at Memaw's house." - Madelyn
"I gained my strong love for the Native American people from Memaw's love for them which was shown through my beloved tee pee that Memaw made for me one year!" - Travis
"I love the orange lion that Memaw gave me when I was in the hospital. It made me happy and still does!" - Luke
"Going to girls camp with Mom and sleeping in our big green army tent. We had a bear eating dog food right outside the tent by Mom's head and Ivy, the dog that was supposed to be protecting us, was sound asleep next to her." - Margie
"I liked all the toys and broken toys that Memaw gave us from Toy Town! I miss those fun gifts!"
- Drew
"Memaw worked for us for a few months. She was our best employee ever! She even won the Employee of the Year her first year! Good job Memaw!" - Travis & Rebekah
"Mom is an avid supporter of helping others develop their talents. She spent many hours at dance lessons, piano and voice recitals and concerts, sports practices and games. She also spent many hours helping teach us how to love and show pigs and horses in 4-H. She is always willing to drop whatever she is doing to help or teach anyone a skill. She gives her time and never expects to be paid. I think she gains her reward through the thrill of seeing others succeed. She has taught hundreds of classes, of all variety, to the Relief Society. I often wonder how many quilts she has made that are floating around the world. She is a woman of many talents that gives and gives and gives. We are forever blessed for her knowledge, talents and generosity. Her patriarchal blessing speaks of her many talents as well." - Alice
