I have a lot of wonderful memories of my
paternal grandma and step-grandpa, Willa Mae and Tom Webster. I always looked forward to Grandma’s phone
calls every weekend and the birthday cards I got every year. Most of the time I spent with them growing up
was when they came to visit at Rolling Acres Mall. We would usually eat pizza for lunch in the
food court and walk around the mall.
Dad, Grandpa, and I would usually stop in Kaybee’s toy store to look at
the toy cars while Grandma would look at the women’s clothes.
The weekend before Christmas, Dad and I
usually went to Marion to visit the family for the holidays. Grandma always made a lot of good food and
gave a lot of good gifts too. The ’57
Model Chevy she bought me in 1998 was my all-time favorite. A mini-license plate with the words “Keystone
State” and the name “Mike,” reminded me of Grandpa. I also saved a “tooth fairy” pillow Grandma
made for me and a car sweater that I got for Christmas when I was five. The times that Dad and I came to visit Marion
in the summer were also great and I always enjoyed getting lunch at Bob Evans
or Ryan’s. Grandma’s family and car
photos albums were also near to look at and really helped in constructing the Cox
family tree.
My most fond times with them was when I
graduated from Barberton High School in 2003.
They came to my graduation on May 31 at E.J. Thomas Hall and to my
graduation party at Barberton’s St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church on June 21. I called Grandma the week of my graduation
party to ask her to make potato candy since I figured it would make a good
treat. It turned out to be a big hit and
it was all gone by the end of the party.
Grandma died on June 7, 2005, at the age of
81. She had been battling an eight month
illness dating back to a heart-attack she suffered in October 2004. I only saw Grandpa five times after Grandma
died, but I would call him several times a year during his years as a widower. I called him for the last time on May 29 and we had a nice talk. Grandpa turned 90 years old on June 11, went to the hospital the next day, and
died on June 17, 2014.
Thanks
for the memories and I will never forget you two, as you get to celebrate again
together in Heaven.
