Grandma Fife's loss

As I wrote the "Danny Boy" entry, I realized why Grandma Fife grew up with boys (her brothers.) It was because her closest sister died. How would her life have been different if Aunt Lura had lived to adulthood? I've lived with the knowledge of Lura's death all my life, but without realizing the impact that event had on my mother's life. This picture was probably taken late 1930, which is the year Grandma Fife thinks Aunt Verna left home for nurses training in Salt Lake City, leaving Uncle Wilson the oldest child home. Lura died on April 19, 1933. So this picture was taken not long before her death. The children in the picture are, from left to right on the back row - Wilson, Lura (wearing glasses,) Sam, middle row L to R - Homer, Dove, Jay and Mildred is standing in front of Dove.

Also, I gave misinformation in previous entries. I spelled Lura's name "LaRae" instead of "Lura," the correct spelling and Grandma Fife's closest older sister, after Lura died, was Verna who was eight years older than Grandma. Aunt Mildred was almost six years younger. Lura was four years older than Grandma. I guess I need to get my facts staight before I pass them on to you. All of this is made very clear by looking at Grandma and Grandpa Chandler's family group sheet. Do you have this family group sheet in your homes? Nancy

"Danny Boy"

Tonight Grandma Fife showed me a new CD she had received in the mail that has alot of Celtic music on it, including "Danny Boy." She told me that at her sister LaRae's funeral, her father (Grandpa Chandler) cried, but her mother did not. LaRae was only sixteen when she died. It is hard to imagine how difficult it would have been for Grandma and Grandpa Chandler to lose their daughter at such a tender age. But still, Grandma Chandler did not cry at her funeral. I said to Grandma Fife, "Your mother was stoic, wasn't she!?" Grandma Fife answered, "She always told me, 'You don't give in to yourself,' and she did not- even when she was in such pain with her arthritis." When they went to the Rigby cemetary for LaRae's buriel, however, Grandma Chandler's nieces sang "Danny Boy" at her graveside and then Grandma Chandler cried. I am glad that that beautiful song helped Grandma Chandler to grieve the loss of her precious daughter.



Grandma Fife also told me about a time, when she was in the seventh grade, that she had volunteered to sing for her class, because "she knew that she could sing." The principal of her school overheard her singing and came into her classroom and asked her to sing for an upcoming school assembly. Grandma agreed to do it and sang "When Irish Eyes are Smiling." When she finished, she said that she received a "thunderous applause from the audience of fellow students and teachers and a request for an encore" She didn't have an encore, so she just sang "Irish Eyes are Smiling" again. Pretty big-time for a 12 year old. The above picture is Grandma Dove as a girl. She looks to me to be about 12 yrs old. I think Grandma was about 12 when her sister LaRae died.