Gather the Family
Florence Heskett passed away peacefully at her home early this morning. She was no-nonsense urban gal from South Chicago, who was the daughter of a fire fighter and met a young soldier named Alvin, who was stationed in the city originally from Des Moines, Iowa at a roller skating rink. Six weeks later they married and though that young man grew old with her and passed away in 1989, she never married again. She had four sons and two daughters of her own, as well as adopting another son, to whom she was godmother. All but one of her children had children of their own, and several of them had children of their own. She even invited my brother Adam and his boy live downstairs, as he was going through his divorce, so she got to spend quite a bit of time in their company.
She worked at the state prison near Ypsilanti and retired with a distinguished career. Gramma was a woman of faith and developed interests in geology, porcelain, and a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. A Red Hat Society member and avid gambler, she enjoyed spending time with her peers on seniors trips, never taking it too seriously and just having a good time.
With her passing, that generation is now gone. Thankfully she conveyed many of her stories to my uncle and my brother, so the family lore is not lost.
She worked at the state prison near Ypsilanti and retired with a distinguished career. Gramma was a woman of faith and developed interests in geology, porcelain, and a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. A Red Hat Society member and avid gambler, she enjoyed spending time with her peers on seniors trips, never taking it too seriously and just having a good time.
With her passing, that generation is now gone. Thankfully she conveyed many of her stories to my uncle and my brother, so the family lore is not lost.