Grandma Jane was my paternal-grandmother, I remember her love and
kindness towards others. She attended Pleasant Grove Baptist Church of
Houston, Texas where my parents are still members. My siblings and I
would see grandma every Sunday at church. She was an active member in
church where she served on the Mother's Board (a groups of Senior
Church Mothers who prepared the Lords Supper on 1st Sundays and other
task), and she also loved attending Adult Sunday School.
Grandma lived in a Senior Citizens Apartment Building on Lyerly street
in Houston, near Airline for many years. Some Saturdays my brothers
and I would spend the day with her and we go to Fiesta grocery store
and she would buy us some candy. On Christmas and every birthday she
would give us twenty (20) dollars a piece even though we probably
didn't deserve it. Grandma would always press to be at church whether
she was feeling good or not and she did not like to worry anyone with
any problems concerning her health.
She was a petite woman, probably about 5'3 or 5'4 in Height and she
always wore round glasses on her face. Her favorite soda was Pepsi and
she would have a few cases in her apartment. She would wear wigs up
until my mother started taking her to get her hair done.
She died on Thursday, May 18, 2000 as she walked across the street to
the bus stop. She had just left the bank to get some money and was
planning on taking the Metro Bus to her hair appointment. She usually
got her hair done every Thursday. A man driving his work van with a
suspended license was speeding down the street and saw her as she was
crossing and then looked away for a second and then as he turned back
he thought she had gone across when he hit something. He stopped his
van and saw that he had ran over my grandmother and called 911 for
help.
She was taken to Ben Taub Hospital where she was drifting in and out
of consciousness, but she was able to give them my Aunt's telephone
number.
She later died from from her injuries before my father reached the hosptial.
Later that day after school my brother and I had a few friends over
and we were playing outside when I heard the phone ring. I picked up
the phone and my mother stated that my grandmother passed away and I
teared up as I asked which one? and she stated it was Grandma Jane.
She said my older brother was supposed to inform me, but he was too
upset at that time to tell us. I went outside and told my twin
brother, Lawrence and told my friends about my grandmother's passing
and that they had to leave. Lawrence and I usually fought everyday,
but we had ceased fighting for several weeks and often times we would
cry ourselves to sleep thinking about her.
Lawrence and I were thirteen (13) and our older brother was eighteen
(18) years old at the time. He was getting ready to graduate from
Highschool in a week or two and in the weeks before my grandmother was
excited about seeing her oldest grandchild graduate. A graduation was
a time to celebrate, but it was difficult because she wasn't there
with us to see my older brother walk across the stage.
I still remember my grandmother's laugh and the love that she showed
to everyone. After the funeral My father's first cousin gave us a copy
of a VHS tape from my grandmother's birthday in 1990. It had my
grandmother, her silbings, and other's who have since passed. I'm
looking to have it preserved on DVD for future generations.
Grandma Jane, was the daughter of Louise Garnett (1887-1945) and
"allegedly" Ed Taylor (1875-1934). She was born on April 1, 1922 in
Bellville, Austin County, Texas and baptized at Pleasant Grove Baptist
Church of Bellville, Texas. She was named after her maternal
Grandmother, Jane Travick-Garnett (1862-1920)
-Terrence A. Garnett
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