Tomorrow, January 25, is my mother-in-law Elizabeth's 89th birthday. I hope she has a great day. I sent her a little package which will arrive by UPS tomorrow afternoon. I will call her, Isaac will call her, Dennis will call her, and I reminded Keely to call her. That's about all we can do from this distance.
The last few years have been hard for Mama Netz. She broke her hip in August of 2004, and recovery has been difficult and slow. It was complicated by gall bladder problems, persistent infections, and more. When she finally got out of the hospital and rehab center, she could no longer live alone, so she had to move to an assisted living facility and sell her house. The loss of her home of 60 years has been a great grief for her.
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| Elizabeth, in about 1945 or 1946, with Donna, Charles Jr., Bonnie, and Willadene. |
Elizabeth has lived in or near Independence, Missouri, since she was a child. In 1936, she graduated from William Crisman High School in Independence and married Charles Netz. They bought a few acres on the outskirts of Independence, and Elizabeth moved out there with four little children while Charles was gone to World War II.
She lived in the same house for the next six decades. She and Charles raised six children there. They had milkcows and big gardens, and she did a lot of canning and freezing every summer. The kids grew up and got married, and Elizabeth became a grandmother. Charles passed away in 1984, and Elizabeth lived in her home alone for another 20 years after that, until the day she broke her hip.
Elizabeth was a member of the Reformed Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS, headquartered in Independence) from her childhood until about 1990. Then the RLDS church began to change what it believed, so now she belongs to a "Restoration Branch" that holds to the traditional RLDS teachings.
Everyone talks about what a good cook Elizabeth was. Besides cooking every day for her own family and frequently for her extended family, she was a volunteer cook for years with the RLDS Laurel Club. She also served as Laurel Club president. The Laurel Club runs the kitchen at the RLDS Auditorium and serves thousands of people in church and civic events every year. I'd guess that Mama worked there at least 25 years, before she left the RLDS church. After that, she volunteered regularly in a soup kitchen that her current church runs in downtown Independence. There isn't much about a kitchen and cooking for a crowd that Mama Netz doesn't know.
Mama's always been a seamstress, and not having a sewing machine anymore hasn't stopped her. She quilts by hand, nowadays. She also volunteers as a "caller" on her church's prayer chain. Dennis's oldest sister, Willadene, takes Mama out for the day, on Wednesday or Thursday of most weeks. They go to Mama's doctor appointments and over to Willadene's house, where they have an ongoing project of sorting pictures. Donna, another of Dennis's sisters, takes her to church a couple of times a month. That is about as much going as Mama can withstand. She takes her walker with her when she goes out.
It is hard to believe that she is 89 years old. She was only a few years older than I am now when I first met her. Time goes too quickly.
The photo below was taken about 1996. We were visiting Elizabeth in Independence, and I made everyone stop playing and pose for me. Grandma's miniature schnauzer was Molly, her beloved little friend. You can see a bit of attitude in all of them. They were trying to be patient, but they wished I would hurry up.
Elizabeth was a member of the Reformed Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS, headquartered in Independence) from her childhood until about 1990. Then the RLDS church began to change what it believed, so now she belongs to a "Restoration Branch" that holds to the traditional RLDS teachings.
Everyone talks about what a good cook Elizabeth was. Besides cooking every day for her own family and frequently for her extended family, she was a volunteer cook for years with the RLDS Laurel Club. She also served as Laurel Club president. The Laurel Club runs the kitchen at the RLDS Auditorium and serves thousands of people in church and civic events every year. I'd guess that Mama worked there at least 25 years, before she left the RLDS church. After that, she volunteered regularly in a soup kitchen that her current church runs in downtown Independence. There isn't much about a kitchen and cooking for a crowd that Mama Netz doesn't know.
Mama's always been a seamstress, and not having a sewing machine anymore hasn't stopped her. She quilts by hand, nowadays. She also volunteers as a "caller" on her church's prayer chain. Dennis's oldest sister, Willadene, takes Mama out for the day, on Wednesday or Thursday of most weeks. They go to Mama's doctor appointments and over to Willadene's house, where they have an ongoing project of sorting pictures. Donna, another of Dennis's sisters, takes her to church a couple of times a month. That is about as much going as Mama can withstand. She takes her walker with her when she goes out.
It is hard to believe that she is 89 years old. She was only a few years older than I am now when I first met her. Time goes too quickly.
The photo below was taken about 1996. We were visiting Elizabeth in Independence, and I made everyone stop playing and pose for me. Grandma's miniature schnauzer was Molly, her beloved little friend. You can see a bit of attitude in all of them. They were trying to be patient, but they wished I would hurry up.
Elizabeth Alice Lloyd Netz was born on 25 Jan 1917 in Davenport, Scott County, Iowa. She married Charles Ernest Netz on 26 Nov 1936. She passed away on 5 Dec 2011 in Raytown, Jackson County, Missouri.
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