Birthdays of Famous People

You probably already know that Lena Horne was born on this day in 1917, and Mike Tyson also shares this day of celebration. But for our family, it's birthday to a couple of people much closer to home: the first matriarch of the family, Leatha Morrison, and our number 2 daughter, the braided blondie in this picture:




This photo was taken at a joint birthday celebration at our house in 1986; it was just family and we had a little cake and ice cream and a few presents, celebrating the lives of two great women.

I'm not sure I've ever heard a disparaging word among the family about Grandma Leatha; she was pretty universally liked and respected. She was the type of grandma that the grandkids loved to stay with, just for fun, even if Mom and Dad weren't looking for babysitting.

I got to know her a little from our early years of marriage, when we would have Mexican food on Christmas Eve at her house (which is now our office), or other family events. I still have some of the quilts that she made - of which there are hundreds around the world! - from whatever cloth was available, from unused men's suits to cottonseed sacks to the fabric we gave her as birthday presents; these are hardy, heavy quilts, perfect for camping. And of course, whenever we go camping and I make biscuits and gravy with all of my high tech Coleman stoves and an old oven that The Mister salvaged from a house trailer, I can't help but think of Grandma Leatha making biscuits in a dutch oven over the fire; now that takes skill!

The First Cousin probably spent more time with her than all the other grandkids, in part because she lived next door and helped out with some of the day to day living. She would take her two young sons and Grandma Leatha grocery shopping, and at the end of the shopping trip Grandma would spring for "freezees" all around in a hallmark gesture of generosity. Leatha would also run out to her garden and pick some flowers to take along to an appointment, like a doctor's office, so the waiting patients could have something nice to look at and smell while waiting.

Bias For Action remembers coming for a visit and hearing the sound of the recliner chair closing up as she got up to greet whatever visitor was there (no knocking, of course, just a friendly "woo-hoo" would do) with a smile on her face. She might have been watching a Phoenix Suns game, since she was an avid fan of the team. And her unfailing goodnight phrase? "Don't let the bedbugs bite!"

One facet of Grandma Leatha's life that was especially meaningful to The Mister and his two brothers was her faith. The Oldest Brother sent an email pondering her birthday today and he included these thoughts:

She was a wonderful woman, incredibly faithful, and singular in her witness in many ways...

But there was great power in the Women's Society of Christian Service in those days. In all my days I have never seen a more dedicated, more sincere, more exemplary group of women or men, and I don't think it is an exaggeration to say it was part of what made Gilbert wonderful in those days.


The Mister also remembers her faith in a tangible way. After spending a night at her house, he would wake up to biscuits and gravy or sugar pie, and she would pull out her devotional, The Upper Room, and read it with him. Her legacy of faith lives on in the family; indeed, our daughter that shares her birthday also shares that faith, and is interested in passing on that legacy.

It's something to ponder, isn't it? These little snapshots of Grandma Leatha merely illustrate the character of her life; her generosity, her good humor, her faith, her dedication to her family and to her fellow man. We are making memories for our kids and grandkids right now; will they be interested in preserving the legacy that we pass on to them? In a very real sense, Morrison Ranch is a tribute to the generations that came before. Profound thought, that.