In Memory of my Mother: My Mother's Family Updated

Last evening, just before sunset, I looked up into the skies and saw this beautiful "angel" above our house. I love it when God blesses us with special glimpses into His heavens, just to remind us that He loves us and He is always watching over us. I found this particular "angel" significant because today marks the 15th anniversary of my mother's passing from this life into heaven's gates. Seeing this lovely "angel" in the sky made me think of her and brought a smile to my face, mixed with a few little tears...but tears of joy to know she is seeing heaven in all of its glory...and most of all, she's seen Jesus face to face!

So I wanted to share some memories of my Mother with you again today to commemorate this day. Most of this is from a previous post (below), but I've added a few things here and there. I hope you will enjoy these memories with me.

UPDATE: I posted this the last couple of years for Mother's Day, but also since today is the 15th anniversary of when my mother left this earth for heaven, I have had her on my mind a lot today.  So I thought I would share this post again from last year. I've been doing a lot of genealogy on Ancestry lately, and I feel like I have been "walking with my ancestors" in the past.  Seeing these pictures brings them all to the present again...And someday we will have a grand reunion in heaven! What a wonderful time that will be!

Anyway, in memory of my mother, here we go:

My mother, Dorothea May Tedlie, was next to the youngest in a family of six living children. 

Here she is on the right, with her two older sisters, Margaret and Belle.

 This is my Grandma Tedlie as a young woman.  Here is a link to previous stories about my grandmother...

This picture below was taken of my Grandparents and three of their children, before my mother was born. The little boy standing on the left was always known as "Little Harry".  He was the oldest child, and sadly, he suffered a brain injury at birth, (from a forceps delivery!)  and when he reached about seven  or eight years old, he became too difficult for my grandparents to take care of.  Back then they didn't have a good support system for handicapped children, and apparently when it became apparent that he would not be able to attend school or be able to interact socially appropriately...my grandparents were encouraged to place him in an institution.  I can only imagine how difficult that was for my grandparents.  What is even sadder to me is that by the time my mother was born, "Little Harry" was never ever mentioned in the home, and my mother never even knew she had this older brother until she became an adult.  Even her older sisters never told her about him.  All my mother could remember was that at times her parents would go away to visit someone, and come home very sad. But she never was told why.  I don't believe my mother ever did get to meet "Little Harry", but from what I understand, he actually lived to be about sixty years old.   That story just breaks my heart.  I am so thankful that today we have good educational programs for handicapped children, and that families have much better support in coping with their child's needs.   I believe if "Little Harry" were born today, he would have been a much loved and cared for child in the home.  I know this had to have broken my Grandmother's heart to have to send him away.  But I just thought about the fact that "Little Harry" is whole and perfect in heaven today...and he need never be sent away from "home" again...

Also, there was another baby born to my grandparents,

Florence Belle Tedlie. (on left) and "Little Harry" on the right.

Sadly, little Florence died when she was about two years old, from the flu or something like that. 

I shared what my grandmother wrote about that HERE in a previous post. This is the only picture I know of of little Florence.  She died many years before my mother was born.

Below is my mother, (Dorothea) the baby, with three of her older siblings, Margaret, Truman, and Belle. A few years later her little brother  "Chalmer" was born, so then she was no longer "the baby".

Don't you love their hats and dresses? This was probably around 1918...

This is a classic picture of the family in one of their classic cars....I can't remember now what kind it was, but one that they don't make any more! My mother is sitting on the ground.

Chalmer, Belle, Dorothea on ground, Margaret in car, Grandma,  and Truman

Here my grandmother is making sure everyone is looking just right for the camera...but my mother had quite the frown on her face... ("Dorothea").  She apparently did not want her picture taken...

My lovely Grandma at her garden gate...

And another picture of my Grandma.  My Grandmother was a lovely lady, and I really wish I could have known her better. We lived too far away to spend much time with my grandparents, and when we were able to visit, she was often not well, as she suffered from serious stomach ulcers that back in that day they really didn't know how to treat like they do today.

 This was my handsome Grandpa Benton Tedlie, ...yes, my oldest son is named after him, and there are several other members of our extended family who have given their sons his name, either as a first name or a middle name, so the family name continues on...

My Grandmother Flora Tedlie

 And my grandpa in later years.  This is how I remember him mostly.

 Now, back to my mother...Here she is around the age of 19, I believe.  I love this picture of her.

And here is my mother at age 70:

And again, a few years later...I love this picture of her, because it is so fitting... always a true patriot!

Of course, if my mother were still alive, she would kill me for showing THIS picture of her with her lovely new hair dryer on Christmas morning...still in her pj's...with scads of Christmas wrapping paper scattered all around... Precious memories!

And here is Mom in her kitchen...whipping up something delicious I am certain...my mother was a wonderful cook, even though she worked full time...she still baked the best pies  of anyone I know...

This is a picture of her kitchen many years later...the way I remember it...but sadly, I believe my mother had already passed on when this picture was taken. Even though my dad continued to live there in their home until he passed on five years later, not much changed in the way the kitchen looked. We left everything pretty much the way Mom liked it.

 I wish I could go back and be with my mother in that kitchen once again...wow...my dad built this house when I was about seven years old, and they lived there until they both passed away, some 54 years...  It broke our hearts to have to sell the house and all of the contents...but no one can ever take away the memories we made in that home.  Precious memories...how they linger...

Just a few more pictures: My mother and dad on their wedding day May 16,  1942:

And again, on their 60th wedding anniversary:  May 16, 2002  (Gee, if they were still here they would be celebrating their 79th anniversary next week!)

Again, this picture was taken of my parents for their 60th anniversary. I love the "heavenly look" of this picture, and like to think of them looking down from heaven at us just like this:

Going back in the past again, this picture was taken at "The Cabin", where my parents met and fell in love. Here below my mother (on the back) is with my dad's two sisters, Marion and Ruth. This had to be around the time when my parents were engaged or just married.

I love this picture taken of my mother and me, years ago when my Mom and Dad came to visit us in NE Georgia, and we found this old abandoned house on one of our excursions. As we were exploring it we discovered these beautiful lilacs blooming in the yard...a tribute to the dear ones who had lived there before, leaving a living, fragrant reminder that once love and happiness bloomed in this old house. If you've been following me for long, you will know that my mother loved lilacs, and since they couldn't grow them in Florida, she longed to see them and smell them any chance she had. 

And my parents and my siblings, 2005...the last family "portrait" before my mother passed away in 2006.

Well, I guess I should wrap this up.  I know my mother is having a great Mother's Day in heaven this year...since my oldest brother just entered heaven a little over  (now) two years ago...so I can imagine she is thrilled to have one of her precious children in heaven with her!  And of course, my Daddy has been there for the past 10 years as well.  We really don't know just how that all works...how we know each other and interact in heaven...I know relationships are going to be a bit different than the way we view them here on earth...but I do believe it will be a time of great rejoicing to have our loved ones enter heaven's gates...don't you agree?

I hope you that you have a wonderful and blessed weekend, celebrating our Mothers...after all, where would we be without mothers???

Happy Mother's Day in heaven, Mama!! We love you and miss you every day!!

If you wish to read some other memories written about my mother, CLICK HERE