Grammafreddy - obituary

[Urbane]

As with the announcement of Nab's passing I just saw the announcement today about Grammafreddy's passing and sad news it is. I had the pleasure of meeting her a few years ago at a Castanet gathering and I always enjoyed my discussions with her on here. More often than not I agreed with her no nonsense tell it like it is approach and her sense of humour was contagious. I'll really miss her. My condolences to her family.

[omisimaw]

Nab passed?
I will miss both of these members, we had some fun times!

[zookeeper]

I heard Thrift Store today and thought about GF. Her Celebration of Life was a few days ago, I wished I could have been there.

[Queen K]

I was there. I wanted to wait for a bit before describing the outpouring of loving support Sue got at her memorial.

[zookeeper]

I hope the family knew there was lots of love sent by those who could not attend as well.

[Queen K]

Just so every one knows, I did speak with her daughter to get permission to give highlights.


This thread had been printed out and left on the table to show her other family outside of on-line family. Every comment we made could be read.

The most wonderful thing I remember about what people said was how their doors were always open to any teenager who needed a safe roof to sleep under. Their house was always full. Some of those now adult people spoke highly of how their lives were turned around or saved from abusive situations. That's the one that got me the most. Those who were saved.

They couldn't show any of her photos on the screen because there were 10 harddrives jammed with photos and no one knew how to access them much less sort.

Samples of her hummingbird calendars were on hand. Her leather work was absolutely astounding. And that the house fire destroyed her leather working tools was beyond anyone could bear.

I have photos of Walt and I in her house but to see them all as young happening people on the ranch brought tears of grief all around.

The most everyone said to remember Sue by was her love of never failing to learn: art, photography, the computer!

Here is a funny one for those who know I love facebook and started a thread here called "The Evils of Facebook."

So we are just getting ready to leave by 7 am to get to Grand Forks on time.
I get this strange idea that I should contact one of my GF's facebook photographer contacts and for WHATEVER reason ask if he knew her and gave her memorial place and time. Again, I've never met him, but knew GF to be a very small place.

At the end of the memorial I see this guy and thought, "he looks familiar, that must be him."

I introduced myself and he almost fell on me with so much happiness that I messaged him. See, he was new to GFs and his very first day on a job at the Gazette there was working with Sue Thomson. For two years. They were buddies for years afterwards. Just three months ago she had come into where he works and ended up showing him a photoshop technique. That he had no idea that she was so ill and had died just a two months later proves that even in small towns life can be busy.

Isn't life odd? A stranger to him in person but familiar on-line told him of someone she had met on-line and later in person's memorial. I'm not sure anyone could have made that up.

Sue really did pack a lot in her lifetime, I only hope most of us can keep up.

Rest her Soul!

[Glacier]

Very nicely said, Queen K. Glad that you were able to attend, and represent us all.

Sue was really a Jane of all trades, and loved to learn new things. She was an independent woman, and as I've previously mentioned she reminded me a lot of my own mother. She had strong opinions, and wasn't afraid to speak up even when the opinion was highly unpopular. This gave people the wrong impression that she was unkind or uncaring, when nothing could be further from the truth. As my mother says, "I speak up because I care." I think that it is often assumed people embrace laissez faire Capitalism because they want to keep all their money for themselves, but Sue was very generous, believing in small government for the right reasons: so that individuals can give generously to those in need (just like she did).

[Fancy]

Thanks for sharing. I get sad and happy thinking of grammafreddy - sad she is no longer with us and happy to think of the contributions she made to so many lives.

[Queen K]

It also shows us that life is so short. Live your dreams.

[motorhomebabe]

Wow! Just stumbled upon this . Met her a couple of times, Once she came to show me something on the computer. And once bumped into her at Chicester Wetland. She will be missed.

[vinnied]

Hi folks. unlike a few of you, but like most, I never got the chance to meet Sue in person, but like all of you on this thread, I was shocked to hear of this sad news. Unfortunately I did not read it on the forum, and instead found out via PM only yesterday after I inquired about her recent whereabouts on a thread. Thank you again Steven.

Sue and I really only butted heads on here 1 time in particular that I remember very well to this day. It was a very heated topic IMO, but In the end of it all, even though I did not like it, I came to realized that she was absolutely right. And I actually learned a few things from her that I had no Idea of before hand. She was indeed a smart woman.

I received a PM from her once, giving me some tips on what to post and what not to post, even going as far as asking me to take something down because she very much loved this forum, and the people on it. And she was concerned of any liabilities that could arise from my big mouth. After that My attitude towards her changed, and I knew she was definitely good people and would look out for the well being of others, even if just over the internet.

One last thing i wanted to add here. I used to bash Rutland along with everyone else. And she was always there to defend her town. After awhile I learned just how much Rutland meant to Sue. So I Told her some years back I would not say anything negative about her little gem of kelowna ever again, and kept to my word. My last post to which she replied, was in A Rutland bashing thread, and I had mentioned something about my pact with her to the others. I got my first, and unfortunately, last "Hug" from her.

RIP Grammafreddy. You really are missed on these forums

[Queen K]

Thanks for that Vinnied. I know she said a lot of things and one of those was that she was instrumental in starting Teen Town in Rutland, organizing many events and dances. It was all true of course, her family brought up Sue's accomplishments for Rutland more than once.

It was indeed humbling to hear how much she accomplished, period.

[wanderer]

I am still missing Grammafreddy. Sometimes I imagine she is still watching these forums.

: - (

[mexi cali]

I wasn't even aware that this thread existed. I am saddened for sure to hear of her passing and heartened to read what so many wrote about what a wonderful person she was too so many and in so many ways.

I am glad to have seen a picture of her. She was different from how I saw her in my minds eye as it usually is.

Many times I wanted to reach out and ask where she had gone but didn't for some reason. I loved her posts and one of my proudest moments as a forum member was the first time she liked one my posts.

I always looked forward to her posts on whatever topic was hot at the time. She had a way with words.

I miss her more now.

PS. The moniker "gramma Freddy"; did it come from the first letters in Grand Forks by chance?

[Catz]

I think of her quite often still. :)