Grannie

My Grannie, Margaret Mapey (née Stansfield) passed away on Monday, August 23rd, at the age of 84. She was my last living grandparent, my mother's mother, and she lived in Suffolk, England. Since I grew up in America, I didn't get to visit her very often; however, the few times I spent with her were wonderful adventures -- now precious memories.

My mom and I took a brief trip to England after my freshman year of college. We spent two weeks there, visiting family in Suffolk, where my mom lived for some of her childhood and young adulthood, and then spent time in London, Cambridge, Oxford, Norwich, and Stratford-on-Avon. For an eighteen year old girl who hadn't traveled to Europe since she was six, it was a dream come true!

Me in Cambridge, summer of 1998

During the spring semester of my sophomore year at Trevecca, I applied for a study-abroad scholarship through Delta airlines. The scholarship granted its winner $2,500 and free airfare anywhere in the world for "study abroad" purposes. Delta was surprisingly inclusive about what it considering "studying abroad," so, after winning the scholarship (My best friend Courtney and I were the only applicants, and we both won!), I decided to sign up through Trevecca's English department to complete an Independent Study of the Lake Poets (Wordsworth, Coleridge, etc.) and travel to the Lake District with my Grannie. I spent a few days with my Aunt Jill and Aunt Nina in London, and the rest of my month-long stay was spent with Grannie. We spent about 2 weeks at her home in Wickham Market, with day trips to Ipswitch, Southwold, Cambridge, and Aldeburgh, and frequent trips to nearby Woodbridge, where I visited with my Aunt Lesley, Uncle Mervyn, and my cousins, Chris, Ben, and Neil. The other time was spent on a marvelous trip around Northern England, Scotland, and Wales. We drove north to Yorkshire, west to the Lake District, north again for a whirlwind day in Edinburgh and Glasgow, then south and west again to Wales. We stayed at delightful Bed & Breakfasts, which are a luxury here in the U.S., but are the more affordable (and quaint!) choice for accommodations in the U.K. As you can imagine, the whole adventure was just amazing.

Grannie and I at Cromer Beach, Norfolk

I remember thinking all summer: "I will treasure this experience forever." I tried to make the most of every day, recognizing even then that Grannie was showing some signs of her age. We had a blast. I loved Grannie's sense of humor. She gave me all the gossip on her neighbors, shared drinks and pub meals with me, showed me all her old pictures, and taught me how to drive on the left. She also told me stories by the dozen -- about her years as a P.E. teacher, her childhood up north, about the time her family took in a Jewish refugee during WWII, her experience raising twin girls, and of her difficulty in nursing an ailing husband for many years.

Grannie and I, 2004

By the time I visited again in 2004, she had changed dramatically. She was much more frail and weak, and her mind had lost its sharpness and clarity. Within a year, my mom and her sister made the decision to move her into an assisted living facility. Her beautiful cottage, pictured below, was sold, and her few personal possessions were packed up and taken along with her to her new home. Her mind quickly deteriorated after that, and over the last couple of years, she had lost the ability to recognize anyone. She had a few physical problems whilst at the nursing home, but for the most part she soldiered on...until last week, when she succumbed to pneumonia. She died peacefully and without pain, which is a great blessing.

Grannie's Cottage in Wickham Market

As I was looking through old pictures the other day, I found a thank you note I had written (but apparently not mailed) when I was probably 5 or 6. I thought it would be kind of neat to post it here. I loved my Grannie very much, and, though I didn't get to see her often, I will miss her.

Letter to Grannie and Grandpa Victor

Grannie at Waldringham Sailing Club, 1998