Great Grandma Leatha Leone Rivers

 My Great Grandmother Leatha Leone Rivers

April 28, 1917- January 24, 2012

Now this was one special lady.  She was a very devout Catholic who knew the meaning of love

and service.  She knew how to be self-reliant, having her own chicken coop and making

most of her own clothes.  The last great matriarch, family was very important to her.

She had seven children and over 40 descendants, including two great-great grandchildren.

Grandma and Grandpa Rivers



Their first picture together



At around age thirteen, Grandma paid to have her first ever picture taken with one live chicken.

Grandma knew hardship.  She lived before cars, indoor plumbing, and electricity.  

The lived through the Great Depression, war time, and other periods of hardships.  She

was a widow the last 30 years of her life.

  She lost her seventh child, Steve, when he was just a toddler.

My father was born at about the time Steve passed, so he and Grandma were always very close.

I think these two pictures are my favorites.  Both were taken in the 1950s.

Here is my Grandpa Roy with Great Grandma.  Got to love 1970s fashion. haha.

Family Portrait in the early 1980s.

Martha, Gary, my Grandpa Roy, Bub

my Great Grandparents Jake and Leatha, Betty,

Nancy

So that's where my cat eye glasses obsession came from!!!

Grandma meeting ME for the first time.

1991

April 27, 2002

Grandma's Birthday party

Grandma with my famfam

 Daddy with his Grandma

 Grandma made SO MANY hand sewn quilts.  All of my baby blankets she made will

definitely be passed down generations.

 

Dear Grandma Rivers,

I will always love you and cherish my memories of you.

Of the chickens eating our leftovers.  You being over 90 years old and still living on your own in your own trailer house.  I remember waking up at 7 or 8 in the morning and 

you had a huge Southern breakfast ready.  MMMM.

I don't think anyone on this planet could beat your homemade

chicken and dumplings, greens, cornbread, fried chicken, and strawberry sugar cake. 

I will never forget the 6 hour drive to Louisiana to visit listening to that

dag-gum George Strait album over and over again. haha.

Your sternness with that subtle hint of compassion will always be your trademark.

Here is my rose from her casket bouquet.  I dried it to perserve it.