Barbara Jean Hamilton, 77, of Rushville passed away at her home on Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 3:45 p.m. She was born on August 17, 1932 near Birmingham, IL a daughter of Wanda and Chester Beckerdite. She married Alvin Hamilton on April 15, 1951 in the Rushville United Methodist Church. He survives along with four children, 7 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Barbara had a loving marriage with Alvin for 59 years and 4 months and always had a strong love of children, so she ran a home daycare for 30 years. She was always a good neighbor and friend. She was an avid Gardener and showed flowers and vegetables at the Schuyler County Fair where she won many top prizes. Barbara volunteered at the HELP Center and served on the 4H Board, when her children were members, for many years. She was selected Schuyler County Mother of the Year and was happiest when her family came to visit. She was a member of Ebenezer Methodist Church. Barbara dearly loved her dogs, gardening, chickens, raising children, going to church and especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
These are my grandmother's words. When she was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease on February 20, 2010, she wrote her own obituary. My mother found this short life story inside my grandmothers bible, at 9:00 PM the day she passed away.
We could all take a lesson from my grandmother. She led a simple life filled with giving to others, never asking anything for herself. She always spoke kind words, never gossiped. Volunteered for everything. Never judged. Always insisted on hosting holidays, even though her house was to small for our overgrown family now. She also gave everyone a gift, even though she probably couldn't afford it. She was the first person to bring me flowers when I was sick, to compliment me on a new outfit or tell me what a good mother I was. Actually, she is the only person, besides my husband, who has ever told me how proud she was of the mother I had become. Kindness spilled from this lady, even in the darkest hour of this terrible disease.
Cameron and I went to visit last week. She was so weak. In the quiet, that afternoon, I spent one hour holding her hand. Actually, used lotion to massage her crumpled up fingers to try to work the terrible knots out. She gave me, thumbs up--since ALS took her voice about 1 month ago she was signing, that it felt good. Cameron would pull himself up on her chair, and bite her foot with his two little fangs. She laughed and laughed while I held her hands. Cameron thought it was funny, so he did it again, kinda became a game. I fed her ice chips, she couldn't eat because this horrid disease even took her ability to swallow away. She was such a trooper. Hospice made her comfortable, living angels I compare this service to. My sister and my mom were with her when she passed. They both tried to find a pulse....she was with the Lord at 3:45 that day. She will be greatly missed, by many.
I start a new journey on Monday. I plan to take my grandmothers spirit with me to work. My Aunt Alice sent me this beautiful little angel, I plan to put her on my desk. Whenever I am having a bad day, or maybe need to find the bright side of life, I will look at this angel and remember my grandmother's joy. How she serviced the helpful, the helpless and the hopeless with enthusiasm. Just like Christ. And, just in case anyone needs a safe place to put a family member that needs to be cared for and loved, I am the new Administrator of the Grand Prairie Assisted Living Community in Macomb. After losing my grandmother this week, the Lord gave me 49 new grandma's to love and learn from...and just maybe, they can learn alittle something from me! ...till we meet again Grandma Barb, but until then, I will honor your spirit in my new career...
