6/41: Grandma Snookie

I didn't get to know my Grandma Snookie as much as I would've liked. She was born Willie Velma but was given the nickname Snookie as a baby. She once told me it was from a cartoon because when she was born she resembled Baby Snookums. I've searched for a good graphic to share - but this is all I could find online!
It's very common in the south (I'm guessing) that you have a nickname growing up. My Grandma was "Snookie", my Grandpa was "Peedink", my mom was "Punkin", etc. Given the choice - I'm not sure if I'd want to be known as Snookie all my life.

This is a photo of my grandparents on their wedding day (or was it their first date? I can never remember!). When they met and married they were older than most newlyweds at that time. Almost immediately my Grandpa went off to war. So he never even met my mom until after she was born (I think she was 2 years old by the time he came home).

I grew up in PA/OH but we would travel to my mom's home in Texas almost each year. I remember Grandma telling me once that my mom couldn't claim to be a "Texan" anymore because she lived up north too long. She was a character my Grandma.

So my senior year in high school we finally moved to Texas to be closer to my mom's family. I say finally because we kept saying we'd move but then change our minds. We even sold our house once...and then moved 2 streets down and stayed 8 more years!

In the Fall of my senior year my Grandma became ill. She died about two months before my graduation. I didn't get enough time. I do cherish all of our vacations at her house. She doted on my cousin and me. She took great care of my brother and I while our parents enjoyed some couples-only time.

I remember she always wore a housecoat - I think they only time she got dressed was to go have coffee at the White Elephant (a local truck stop where "everybody knows your name"). I remember that she had a cordless phone when they first came out - she used to carry it around in her pocket until the battery died (which back then prolly didn't take much). We always took a family photo on the front lawn before we'd go home (to Ohio). And she was always wearing that housecoat! :o)

She taught me how to play Scat (a card game). She taught me how to get rid of a headache without meds. She was a strong, loving woman that I wish I had more of chance to get to know better.