My original date was August 11th however a few days before leaving for Mexico, my grandmother passed away in her sleep while at a nursing facility. She's my mother's mother and the center of the family. Last year, living alone, she suffered a terrible accident while getting out of the shower which caused massive head trauma. That, led to two strokes back to back after going through surgery on her head/brain. But, she was so strong she didn't let that take her away from us a whole year ago. Surgery after surgery, infection after infection, she still prevailed. Left unable to talk and move, we still saw the emotion in her face every time we went to visit her at her bedside. My grandmother, the strongest woman I've ever known. She passed away at 9:30pm on a Saturday. She had a few visitors from the family through out the day. But by this time, everyone had left and it was just her, the nurses, and God. No infections were plaguing her...no irregularity of her vitals... She simply made a decision that it was time to go and be among the angels. The Dr's could give no reason that her heart stopped beating...only that it did. Although I am so painfully missing her and saddened by her loss, I can't help to think that once again, her decision to leave this earth was for all of us. She was telling us all to get back to living our lives, take care of your families, be at peace. With that thought and the fact that hers is the blood that runs through my veins, gives me comfort.

I love Grandma.

Ruthie Mae Benjamin - 6 children, 14 Grandchildren, 5 Great grandchildren

Sunrise 02-20-1945

Sunset 08-06-2011