My precious Granny, Sara Cook McCaig, passed away on Friday, March 9, 2012. She had the sweetest spirit and was the most kind person I have ever known. She did not have a mean bone in her body and everyone that came in contact with her LOVED her. Not only was she gentle, kind, and loving, she was very spunky and vivacious. She was a devoted Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Sister, and friend.
Here are some early pictures of her. Above is a young Sara Cook, around 3 years of age. What a little lady she was already! Below she is around age 19. She was going to some big "fal-de-rol" (her word for party) in Bessemer.
Granny and Papa were married in February, 1941. She was the "little Soldier's wife" and would travel all over the country on the train to meet him. In 1947, my Daddy was born and boy oh boy, her life would never be the same! Here she is with my Daddy when he was a baby. Baby Delmar was almost as big as his Mommy!
Okay, so fast forward to 1980 and Tallassee, Alabama. Sorry for skipping so many years, but I do not have all of the family albums here. I think this was taken on Christmas Day, 1980. I was 3 and 1/2 and being a stinker, of course, not wanting to be in the picture. Granny and Papa were always with us on all holidays, either in Tallassee or Hueytown.
My Papa died in 1984, but Granny did not let being a widow keep her from living her life to the fullest. She had always been taking care of others as a Mother, a First Grade teacher, and finally, as a caregiver to her husband. Most of my memories are of her after Papa died, so I will always remember her as my "Granny on the go". Always a faithful member of Vineland Park Baptist Church, she became very involved in all activities there, her most favorite being the quilting group. She was also involved in many clubs and organizations including the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), The Hueytown Study Club and Kappa Kappa Iota (retired teachers sorority). Her next door neighbors were a young couple and the husband drove a truck for a living, finding himself home some days during the week. He once told me that he would see her leaving the house 3 or 4 different times in a day, in 3 or 4 different outfits. This is classic Granny!
She was cute and she knew it. Granny was like the energizer bunny. She exercised when women did not even consider exercising. She walked 2 miles every day of her life and rode a stationary bike at home while she either listened to sermons on tape or watched T.V. When she would come and stay with us, she and I would go on walks and she would almost leave me in the dust! I had to walk extra fast because I could not let my Granny show me up. One time she came and stayed with me when I was in high school while my parents were on vacation and I lost about 5 pounds from all of the walking we would do around the neighborhood.
A perfect example of her wit and spunk was demonstrated on a trip to Circuit City in Hoover I took with her in 1996 when she needed to purchase a new Dryer. The young sales gentleman asked her "Are we going to be delivering this to the first floor, second floor, third floor, or basement?" She gave him this look and quickly replied, "Honey, we are talking about a bungalow, this is NOT an estate!" It was just too funny.
She also loved to travel with our family. Below is a picture of Granny and me in Washington, D.C at the White House in 1994. Do you think she got tired from all of that walking? NOPE! Who slept in the hotel that afternoon after a day of trotting around D.C???? My Dad!!....and Granny and I watched T.V.
Granny never missed an event in our lives. Here we are after the Elmore County Junior Miss in 1994.
A self proclaimed "Little Old Lady" aka "LOL" (the original LOL), Granny was decked at all times. She never left the house without the perfect outfit and accessories to match. She made most of her clothes but later in life became an avid shopper. OH YEAH! She and I were just alike in this respect. When I was at Birmingham-Southern, she would call me in the morning and ask if I wanted to meet her later that day at the mall. I always went when I could. She loved shop and I think her favorite stores were Parisian and Petite Sophisticate.
Me, Granny, and Mama, 2005 in Tallassee.
Family Beach trip to Fort Morgan. Granny cracked us up by saying that she could not go to the beach without a bathing suit. Haha!!! I think my Dad nipped that one in the bud pretty fast.
I wish I had more pictures of Granny with her beloved friends, Here she is at her 92nd Birthday Party at The Bright Star in July, 2009 with Bebe Cummings, a friend and neighbor.
She lived the last 12 years of her life in Tallassee in a little house beside my parents. It was the perfect spot for Granny to be close to them but still remain independent. In Tallassee, she made friends quickly and became a member of First Baptist Church. She adored her Sunday School class and the preaching by Brother Derek. The Tallassee Senior Center became her hang out every day. At the Senior Center, she LOVED LOVED LOVED to play dominos and never lost a game. I am not joking when I say that no one could beat her. She could add the numbers up in her head until the last day she went, just before Christmas, 2011. She also made many friends there, as she always did her whole life. Last but not least, she had the 3 sweetest sitters who adored her and were so kind to her, Classy, Wilda, and Inelle.
I will forever cherish there pictures of Granny and Banks. She loved children ("urchins" as she called them), especially her great-grandchildren. They brought her so much joy and it showed all over her face.
A few more funny things about Granny that I want to mention:
She loved Coke Floats, anything sweet, thigh highs, emory boards, her purse, cough drops, kleenex, socializing, smiling, rubbing her hands together, milk, clip-on earrings, The Young and the Restless, going to the beauty shop, cooking (my personal favorite was her country fried steak), taking a tub bath, dressing up, sewing, Church, her friends and family, reading, calling people "baby", helping anyone in any way she could, and her favorite candies: Hershey's Kisses, Reese Cups,, and York Peppermint Patties.
Finally, she absolutely loved her home at 208 Sunrise Blvd. in Hueytown, Alabama. She and Papa bought the home 1949 and she lived there until 2000, over 50 years. It was the cutest and nicest house. If you saw Granny and tried to imagine what kind of house she lived in, this little house would come to your imagination. Known for her green thumb, Granny's yard was perfect at all times, with plants in full bloom. She had the most beautiful Iris bulbs (her favorite) that would bloom every year and she was so proud of them. Window boxes were immaculate year round and she nursed her ferns and plants perfectly. Inside her house smelled so good and was always just the right temperature, not too cold or too hot. All in all, it was what every little girl dreams about their Grandmother's house being like, just as she was the Grandmother every child dreams of having. How lucky Leigh Anne and I were to have her as our Granny for 34 and 37 years. She will be in our hearts forever, until we meet again.
Sara Cook McCaig
July 26, 1917-March 9, 2012
