Good Midwestern Stock

I've been thinking a lot about my grandma these last few nights since Friday night was the anniversary of her death. She lived to a ripe old age of 97. She was feisty, fantastic, and I loved her dearly.
My Great Grandma Nancy Ellen Elizabeth Owen Georgel (wow, so many names) was born in 1901 in a small midwestern town where she was the eldest of 7 daughters. The same small town where her family had lived for generations. It was a very different world, an extremely different world. When she was born :

• there were few cars. The Ford Model T wasn't mass produced until 1908.
• there were no passenger planes. The first demonstration flight occurred in 1914.
• there was no phone in her house. Most households didn't have phones until after 1907.
• there was no penicillin. Its antibiotic properties weren't recognized until 1928 and it wasn't commercially available until 1938.  

And:

• the Civil War was a recent memory to her elders. It had just ended on May 13, 1865.
• World War I hadn't happened yet. It lasted from July 28,1914 - November 11, 1918.
• the Great Depression wouldn't come until 1929.
• World War II was a far off conflict that wouldn't start until September 1, 1939.

She also:

• buried three of her four adult children before she died.
• lived to have great great grandchildren.
• traveled the US picking fruit and veggies off and on from age 57-62.
• watched her great granddaughter graduate from college, something she wasn't able to do because of family beliefs and circumstances.

 The world changed around her and she embraced it. Being of good midwestern stock, she stayed strong and persevered. She kept going and rocked on. I think of her strength and my grandma's strength and mom's strength every time a challenge comes my way. I own my good midwestern stock and rock on. Every change and every challenge is a reminder that historically we are strong in my matriarchy and that CHANGE is just an invitation to grow.