My maternal grandmother, Gram. Mae to you. My siblings all were close to her. She made a point to keep in touch with everyone even writing to us and our children with letters. When my daughters were in college they would get cards from her with a couple dollars. She couldn’t spare it but she was thoughtful that way. She had pen pals all over the world. We would always get her writing pads and stamps as gifts because she would use them!

Gram was born in Mason City, Illinois to Anna Mary Nitschkowski and Raleigh Elmore. She married my grandpa, Harold in 1940 in Burlington, Iowa and moved to Peoria in 1941. They had 3 daughters, Norma, my mom Phyllis, and Shirley.

She was born in Mason City Illinois February 19, 2021 and passed July 26, 2006.

Each year, our family gets together around her birthday. We sometimes read her poems or things we found in her belongings. We tell stories and laugh about her antics and someone always brings orange slices or circus peanuts candy, which was her favorite.