Elizabeth Mae Donohew, aka Lizzie or LIZ Donohew.
Previously; Smothers.
Maiden; Stephens.
This is my Mother's Mother.
She had three children and five grandchildren. She had many great grandchildren.
Her first GREAT grandchild was Shauna Michelle Schantz, who lived with her most of the time as Shauna's parents were only a couple doors down. She really loved her Grandma and her Grandma really loved her.
Lizzie's first born son was James Smothers. Her second child, Betty Givens and her last daughter, Faye Rainey. (Refer to Grandpa's profile for different names - and known by's please for these children.)
Grandmother lived with my Mother and me after she had a stroke. She lived with us for over eight years and sadly passed away in our living room. I was the one who called the ambulance while Mother attended to her.
My Mother dedicated so much of her time and energy to making sure her Mother was happy after her stroke left her paralyzed and unable to speak. She took her out a lot (nearly every day) even in her wheelchair. This was in the 80's and so much of that time there was not even wheelchair accessible bathrooms or restaurants, but my Mother was very faithful in taking care of her and getting her out and about.
When Grandmother visited Jim and Betty at their homes and visited my cousins she got treatment from various programs in California, one being "The March of Dimes." We are grateful for their help and for my Aunt and Uncle helping so Grandmother never had to spend time away from her family.
There are various stories I know and will add to this bio as time permits, but to start with a few; Grandma broke her leg when she was 11 or 12 and the family didn't have the money to get it 'set' by a proper Doctor so they had a Veternarian 'set' her leg. He must have not done it right as Grandmother was always inches shorter with the one leg. She had to buy special shoes or wear two different shoes and always had to cut and hem her one pant leg shorter.
Grandma's father died when she was only 12. She had older brothers and sisters and one younger brother. She was only able to go to the fourth grade as she had to work to help her family survive so she taught herself to do many things we take for granted that we learn in school.
In her first marriage, her husband was abusive and she did something very uncommon and brave back in the 1930's or 40's. She took her two very young children and left and divorced him. This was always a 'remarkable' story to me and proof of how strong she was to get 'away' from a very bad situation, to actually leave and go out on her own with no formal education, no job, nothing but her two kids and her.
She met her second husband, Tom Donohew and he adopted her two children and together they had my Mother. Grandma was 42 when she had my Mother and didn't even know she was pregnant until the eighth month of her pregnancy. They were quite surprised as she thought she was too old!
Smile.
Grandpa Donohew was the love of her life. She still grieved for him, well, I guess her whole life. She would just sit and cry for hours with his pictures. She loved him so much.
My Grandmother was a long time member of the Pentecostal Church of God and we even had a Female Preacher in our family - My Great Aunt as I recall. I liked going to church with her but all the hoopin' and hollerin' was a little weird for me.
My grandmother was extremely superstitious and didn't believe men landed on the moon, (sometimes I think she didn't even believe the earth was round! she had 'proof' somewhere that it was square she said!) and she believed in ghosts.
I think what I most 'inherited' from her was my love of folklore and superstitions. She gave me great gifts - helping my imagination and creativity and helped me to at least 'see' different views of opinions if not actually to understand where others with different views may be coming from. I absolutely loved all the ghost stories. She had never lived in a house that didn't have a ghost or two and I would sit and listen to hours of stories about each of the places and the strange goings on that would occur there.
I loved these stories and had to believe them! They are a deep part of my history and culture and life.
I won't carry an outside tool in the house - something is afoot if a black cat crosses my path - and I always sprinkle salt over my shoulder if I spill it.
After she died, there was a music box Shauna had given her - the kind with the little ballerina and mirror - it would always go 'off' and play music and the little ballerina would twirl when Shauna would walk in to Grandma's old bedroom.
I am not sure where that box is now but I think I should find it. We have saved everything.
Previously; Smothers.
Maiden; Stephens.
This is my Mother's Mother.
She had three children and five grandchildren. She had many great grandchildren.
Her first GREAT grandchild was Shauna Michelle Schantz, who lived with her most of the time as Shauna's parents were only a couple doors down. She really loved her Grandma and her Grandma really loved her.
Lizzie's first born son was James Smothers. Her second child, Betty Givens and her last daughter, Faye Rainey. (Refer to Grandpa's profile for different names - and known by's please for these children.)
Grandmother lived with my Mother and me after she had a stroke. She lived with us for over eight years and sadly passed away in our living room. I was the one who called the ambulance while Mother attended to her.
My Mother dedicated so much of her time and energy to making sure her Mother was happy after her stroke left her paralyzed and unable to speak. She took her out a lot (nearly every day) even in her wheelchair. This was in the 80's and so much of that time there was not even wheelchair accessible bathrooms or restaurants, but my Mother was very faithful in taking care of her and getting her out and about.
When Grandmother visited Jim and Betty at their homes and visited my cousins she got treatment from various programs in California, one being "The March of Dimes." We are grateful for their help and for my Aunt and Uncle helping so Grandmother never had to spend time away from her family.
There are various stories I know and will add to this bio as time permits, but to start with a few; Grandma broke her leg when she was 11 or 12 and the family didn't have the money to get it 'set' by a proper Doctor so they had a Veternarian 'set' her leg. He must have not done it right as Grandmother was always inches shorter with the one leg. She had to buy special shoes or wear two different shoes and always had to cut and hem her one pant leg shorter.
Grandma's father died when she was only 12. She had older brothers and sisters and one younger brother. She was only able to go to the fourth grade as she had to work to help her family survive so she taught herself to do many things we take for granted that we learn in school.
In her first marriage, her husband was abusive and she did something very uncommon and brave back in the 1930's or 40's. She took her two very young children and left and divorced him. This was always a 'remarkable' story to me and proof of how strong she was to get 'away' from a very bad situation, to actually leave and go out on her own with no formal education, no job, nothing but her two kids and her.
She met her second husband, Tom Donohew and he adopted her two children and together they had my Mother. Grandma was 42 when she had my Mother and didn't even know she was pregnant until the eighth month of her pregnancy. They were quite surprised as she thought she was too old!
Smile.
Grandpa Donohew was the love of her life. She still grieved for him, well, I guess her whole life. She would just sit and cry for hours with his pictures. She loved him so much.
My Grandmother was a long time member of the Pentecostal Church of God and we even had a Female Preacher in our family - My Great Aunt as I recall. I liked going to church with her but all the hoopin' and hollerin' was a little weird for me.
My grandmother was extremely superstitious and didn't believe men landed on the moon, (sometimes I think she didn't even believe the earth was round! she had 'proof' somewhere that it was square she said!) and she believed in ghosts.
I think what I most 'inherited' from her was my love of folklore and superstitions. She gave me great gifts - helping my imagination and creativity and helped me to at least 'see' different views of opinions if not actually to understand where others with different views may be coming from. I absolutely loved all the ghost stories. She had never lived in a house that didn't have a ghost or two and I would sit and listen to hours of stories about each of the places and the strange goings on that would occur there.
I loved these stories and had to believe them! They are a deep part of my history and culture and life.
I won't carry an outside tool in the house - something is afoot if a black cat crosses my path - and I always sprinkle salt over my shoulder if I spill it.
After she died, there was a music box Shauna had given her - the kind with the little ballerina and mirror - it would always go 'off' and play music and the little ballerina would twirl when Shauna would walk in to Grandma's old bedroom.
I am not sure where that box is now but I think I should find it. We have saved everything.
Elizabeth Mae Donohew, aka Lizzie or LIZ Donohew.
Previously; Smothers.
Maiden; Stephens.
This is my Mother's Mother.
She had three children and five grandchildren. She had many great grandchildren.
Her first GREAT grandchild was Shauna Michelle Schantz, who lived with her most of the time as Shauna's parents were only a couple doors down. She really loved her Grandma and her Grandma really loved her.
Lizzie's first born son was James Smothers. Her second child, Betty Givens and her last daughter, Faye Rainey. (Refer to Grandpa's profile for different names - and known by's please for these children.)
Grandmother lived with my Mother and me after she had a stroke. She lived with us for over eight years and sadly passed away in our living room. I was the one who called the ambulance while Mother attended to her.
My Mother dedicated so much of her time and energy to making sure her Mother was happy after her stroke left her paralyzed and unable to speak. She took her out a lot (nearly every day) even in her wheelchair. This was in the 80's and so much of that time there was not even wheelchair accessible bathrooms or restaurants, but my Mother was very faithful in taking care of her and getting her out and about.
When Grandmother visited Jim and Betty at their homes and visited my cousins she got treatment from various programs in California, one being "The March of Dimes." We are grateful for their help and for my Aunt and Uncle helping so Grandmother never had to spend time away from her family.
There are various stories I know and will add to this bio as time permits, but to start with a few; Grandma broke her leg when she was 11 or 12 and the family didn't have the money to get it 'set' by a proper Doctor so they had a Veternarian 'set' her leg. He must have not done it right as Grandmother was always inches shorter with the one leg. She had to buy special shoes or wear two different shoes and always had to cut and hem her one pant leg shorter.
Grandma's father died when she was only 12. She had older brothers and sisters and one younger brother. She was only able to go to the fourth grade as she had to work to help her family survive so she taught herself to do many things we take for granted that we learn in school.
In her first marriage, her husband was abusive and she did something very uncommon and brave back in the 1930's or 40's. She took her two very young children and left and divorced him. This was always a 'remarkable' story to me and proof of how strong she was to get 'away' from a very bad situation, to actually leave and go out on her own with no formal education, no job, nothing but her two kids and her.
She met her second husband, Tom Donohew and he adopted her two children and together they had my Mother. Grandma was 42 when she had my Mother and didn't even know she was pregnant until the eighth month of her pregnancy. They were quite surprised as she thought she was too old!
Smile.
Grandpa Donohew was the love of her life. She still grieved for him, well, I guess her whole life. She would just sit and cry for hours with his pictures. She loved him so much.
My Grandmother was a long time member of the Pentecostal Church of God and we even had a Female Preacher in our family - My Great Aunt as I recall. I liked going to church with her but all the hoopin' and hollerin' was a little weird for me.
My grandmother was extremely superstitious and didn't believe men landed on the moon, (sometimes I think she didn't even believe the earth was round! she had 'proof' somewhere that it was square she said!) and she believed in ghosts.
I think what I most 'inherited' from her was my love of folklore and superstitions. She gave me great gifts - helping my imagination and creativity and helped me to at least 'see' different views of opinions if not actually to understand where others with different views may be coming from. I absolutely loved all the ghost stories. She had never lived in a house that didn't have a ghost or two and I would sit and listen to hours of stories about each of the places and the strange goings on that would occur there.
I loved these stories and had to believe them! They are a deep part of my history and culture and life.
I won't carry an outside tool in the house - something is afoot if a black cat crosses my path - and I always sprinkle salt over my shoulder if I spill it.
After she died, there was a music box Shauna had given her - the kind with the little ballerina and mirror - it would always go 'off' and play music and the little ballerina would twirl when Shauna would walk in to Grandma's old bedroom.
I am not sure where that box is now but I think I should find it. We have saved everything.
Previously; Smothers.
Maiden; Stephens.
This is my Mother's Mother.
She had three children and five grandchildren. She had many great grandchildren.
Her first GREAT grandchild was Shauna Michelle Schantz, who lived with her most of the time as Shauna's parents were only a couple doors down. She really loved her Grandma and her Grandma really loved her.
Lizzie's first born son was James Smothers. Her second child, Betty Givens and her last daughter, Faye Rainey. (Refer to Grandpa's profile for different names - and known by's please for these children.)
Grandmother lived with my Mother and me after she had a stroke. She lived with us for over eight years and sadly passed away in our living room. I was the one who called the ambulance while Mother attended to her.
My Mother dedicated so much of her time and energy to making sure her Mother was happy after her stroke left her paralyzed and unable to speak. She took her out a lot (nearly every day) even in her wheelchair. This was in the 80's and so much of that time there was not even wheelchair accessible bathrooms or restaurants, but my Mother was very faithful in taking care of her and getting her out and about.
When Grandmother visited Jim and Betty at their homes and visited my cousins she got treatment from various programs in California, one being "The March of Dimes." We are grateful for their help and for my Aunt and Uncle helping so Grandmother never had to spend time away from her family.
There are various stories I know and will add to this bio as time permits, but to start with a few; Grandma broke her leg when she was 11 or 12 and the family didn't have the money to get it 'set' by a proper Doctor so they had a Veternarian 'set' her leg. He must have not done it right as Grandmother was always inches shorter with the one leg. She had to buy special shoes or wear two different shoes and always had to cut and hem her one pant leg shorter.
Grandma's father died when she was only 12. She had older brothers and sisters and one younger brother. She was only able to go to the fourth grade as she had to work to help her family survive so she taught herself to do many things we take for granted that we learn in school.
In her first marriage, her husband was abusive and she did something very uncommon and brave back in the 1930's or 40's. She took her two very young children and left and divorced him. This was always a 'remarkable' story to me and proof of how strong she was to get 'away' from a very bad situation, to actually leave and go out on her own with no formal education, no job, nothing but her two kids and her.
She met her second husband, Tom Donohew and he adopted her two children and together they had my Mother. Grandma was 42 when she had my Mother and didn't even know she was pregnant until the eighth month of her pregnancy. They were quite surprised as she thought she was too old!
Smile.
Grandpa Donohew was the love of her life. She still grieved for him, well, I guess her whole life. She would just sit and cry for hours with his pictures. She loved him so much.
My Grandmother was a long time member of the Pentecostal Church of God and we even had a Female Preacher in our family - My Great Aunt as I recall. I liked going to church with her but all the hoopin' and hollerin' was a little weird for me.
My grandmother was extremely superstitious and didn't believe men landed on the moon, (sometimes I think she didn't even believe the earth was round! she had 'proof' somewhere that it was square she said!) and she believed in ghosts.
I think what I most 'inherited' from her was my love of folklore and superstitions. She gave me great gifts - helping my imagination and creativity and helped me to at least 'see' different views of opinions if not actually to understand where others with different views may be coming from. I absolutely loved all the ghost stories. She had never lived in a house that didn't have a ghost or two and I would sit and listen to hours of stories about each of the places and the strange goings on that would occur there.
I loved these stories and had to believe them! They are a deep part of my history and culture and life.
I won't carry an outside tool in the house - something is afoot if a black cat crosses my path - and I always sprinkle salt over my shoulder if I spill it.
After she died, there was a music box Shauna had given her - the kind with the little ballerina and mirror - it would always go 'off' and play music and the little ballerina would twirl when Shauna would walk in to Grandma's old bedroom.
I am not sure where that box is now but I think I should find it. We have saved everything.
