Josephine Agnes Ryan
January 7, 1927 - June 16, 2008
Obituary
Life Sketch of Josephine Agnes Ryan, Read by Her Grandson, Ben Ryan,
at
Her Funeral Services on June 21, 2008.
Grandma Jo, we could go on for hours talking about her. She was a wonderful grandma and will be missed by all.
Grandma was one of 13 children. Three sisters and two brothers grew to adulthood. Her father died when she was two from tuberculosis. The family struggled in poverty. Sometimes the children would ask the grocery store owner for stale bread, take it home and put mustard on it and pretend it was pretzels. She remembered times going to bed without anything to eat, because there was no food on the table.
She was hit by a milk truck when she was around five years old and lost her speech for a time.
Grandma attended school in Philadelphia. She remembered a special teacher in grade school that gave her attention and bought her a pretty gingham dress trimmed in red, and a pair of socks and shoes.
When grandma was about eight or nine years old the school sent her to ‘Camp Happy’ to see if she could gain some weight. Prisoners would cook for the children. They would sit around the fire and sing and tell stories.
At one time in her childhood, she shared a bedroom with two of her sisters and two brothers. The two brothers slept in one double bed. Grandma slept in the other double bed with one or two sisters—and bedbugs.
One Christmas, when grandma was a teenager, the family didn’t have any money for a tree, so they got a lace curtain and put it in a corner from the ceiling to the fllor and decorated it like a Christmas tree. She and her siblings would go around the house and find something to wrap up for one another.
Their family was very poor, by any standards, but that didn’t keep her from becoming a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother.
World War II was raging when grandma met grandpa. Grandma called the Navy barracks to talk to a sailor there. Grandpa informed her that the other guy was not there, but asked, ‘Would I do?’ They planned a double date, met at Giard and Palmer Street in Philadelphia and went to a movie. It was the summer of 1945. She said she was attracted to him because of his kindness and good looks kindness and good looks, and he told her he had a big Cadillac which ended up not being true—the Cadillac belonged to a friend of his. They were soon married in the Methodist Church. Grandma’s wedding outfit was a $9 white two-piece suit. Grandpa wore his dress Navy uniform.
Grandma said the best times of her life were when she got married. She said that when she was younger, she didn’t go out and venture because she felt backwards and like a wallflower, but grandpa took her dancing and to parties with friends.
Her favourite story about her husband was when they were a young couple. Grandma told grandpa that he should let her shave him under her arms. Her let her, but he got very sore afterwards and said, ‘Never again, Joey.’
Grandma’s greatest joy was when she had children. When her boys, Dan and Pat, were little and it was time for their dad to come home from work, they got dressed up for him. She put little cotton suits on the boys.
In 1957, the family moved to Seattle, and grandma began working for Societe Candy. She worked for the candy company approximately 23 years. When Vernells Candy Company bought them out, she worked another seven years before taking an early retirement. Grandma only worked during the school year, because she wanted to be home when her boys were home for the summer. Her starting wage was 90 cents an hour.
One time while working at Societe, she took her false teeth out and sent them down the chocolate belt and they came out the tunnel. The ladies were alarmed at first, then began laughing and decided to carry on the joke. They put the teeth in a bag with chocolate candy and sent them on to the sealer. The sealer had to work very quickly to seal each bag as it came from the belt. She sealed the bag of teeth before noticing what was inside, but soon saw the surprise and laughed along with the rest of the girls.
Another time she played a practical joke that backfired a bit. She put a plastic snake on the belt and sent it down not knowing that a co-worker had a phobia about snakes. The co-worker became hysterical and had to go upstairs to the lounge and rest a bit.
When grandma was asked the question ‘What do you want your great-grandchildren to know about you?’ the answer was, ‘How much I loved my grandchildren and how I did for them, and how much I loved being around them.’
I will now read the following memories that her family remembers
Dad Josephine’s oldest son: I remember when Carrie and I took mom and Carrie’s mom, Evelyn, to Hawaii. We knew they had never been and would probably never go, so we took them. We were in the rental car coming back from dinner in town and someone said something that got mom laughing, then Evelyn started, and before you knew it we were all laughing our heads off about something that probably wasn’t even funny. Mom started crying, she was laughing so hard and then she said, ‘Stop it!.’ Did we stop? No, we all just laughed that much harder.
Pat Josephine’s youngest son: I was trying to teach mom how to drive for about two years. We were on our way back home from Walla Walla and I let her drive on the freeway coming down Snoqualmie Pass. No harm–lots of room, right? I told her to move into the other lane and she took a hard left doing 60 mph. Mom never did get her license.
Carrie daughter-in-law: Mom lived in a tiny, but immaculate house. She loved to change the little curtains in her kitchen often. She admired and would talk often about her mother, and told me that she learned everything about cleaning a house from her.
Mom kept herself looking her best. She had a strong opinion and was not afraid to share it.
She came to visit at least a few times a year once she had retired from the candy company, and asked to have the grandchildren take turns spending some time at her house during the summer.
Probably the greatest thing about my mother-in-law was how much she loved and cared for her grandchildren. She loved to get outfits for the little ones—and was so pleased to be part of a good bargain at the clearance rack, yard sale or second-hand store.
Kelly granddaughter: Grandma liked to wear pink lipstick when she went out. She loved to shop or what I call people watching while drinking coffee. She told me one time she stole the car while Pat was sleeping, I think, and drove to the grocery store. All went well on the way there, but the car stalled on the way home and wouldn’t start again. She was busted for sure she thought! Finally she got it started again, got home and never took the car again! We would play babies, Barbie’s, and eat candy. I think we all have a sweet tooth from Grandma Jo’s influence in our lives. When Taylor great-granddaughter was little, Grandma Jo bought a child leash for her so she could take her on walks. ‘Don’t you spank that girl?’ She would ask me all the time. She would color her own hair. As a young girl I thought it was a lovely shade of yellow! I always thought she was crazy for rolling her own hair all the time. She spoiled us grandchildren. I never once doubted my Grandma Jo loved me.
Shana granddaughter: For Christmas we usually have prime rib. Grandma and Uncle Pat were there, as was Cassie. As you know the outer strip of the roast is the most flavorful and tender. Cliff grandson-in-law comes in to put away the leftovers for lunch the next day and sees grandma picking at the meat. He asked her what she is doing, and she says she is picking off the fat for the dog, when in fact she was feeding her the best part of the meat. The look on her Face was so innocent!!! Grandma would go to get her hair done every Saturday, and Grandpa Bill would take her and then take me to the coffee shop for cocoa. We thought it was so cool that on the freeway he could change lanes without touching the bumps.
My boys will remember Grandma Jo for her gassing. She would gas and get all giggly and say, ‘Excuuuse me.’ Whenever she came to my house for a visit, she was always doing my dishes and cleaning my washing machine. Grandma liked to go shirt shopping, always browsing and looking for that deal. Lamonts was her store of choice, then Gottshalks after Lamonts closed. She was very picky about her shirts, this one is too short, this one is too thin, this one is too whatever.
Chris—I have had the opportunity to spend many summers in Seattle with Grandma Jo. Starting out when I was very young and she would take me on tours of the candy factory where she worked. She would even take me there as a teenager. I guess working with candy all day had an effect on her, as she always would have some kind of candy around her house, usually hard candy that she could suck on. Another summer was sent searching and finding prized golf balls down at the golf course. We would have a contest as to who could find the most. Then there was the time my brother Jeff thought he knew how to drive the golf cart, which ended up against the freezer with a loud bang. Boy did we get a stern lecture about driving the golf cart in the garage.
Grandma always had to keep busy, whether it was cleaning house, or working in her flowerbeds. She liked to watch movies, whether in the theatre or at home. Summer time at Grandmas was always exciting. I was always jealous when someone else got to go to Grandmas instead of me.
Ben grandson: What I remember most about grandma is that her Snickerdoodles were delicious—the best ever—I can’t do them. I use to love to play 500 Rummy with her. I don’t think I ever beat her. She might have been a professional. I’m not sure. I still don’t think I’ve had a foot rub since I was ten years old since grandma gave me one. She used to take turns with us. That was great. There was something I saw when I was looking at the book my parents put together about her. There is a question, ‘Do you see a change in children today when compared to when your own children were young?’ She answered, ‘Yes. They don’t get disciplined nearly as much, they talk back too much, and they are spoiled rotten.’ She kind of smiles when she says that. The very next question is ‘What is your favorite thing about being a grandparent?’ The answer, right away, ‘Spoiling my grandchildren. I liked to buy them little things, especially when they were small—like clothes.’
Molly granddaughter: It’s hard to narrow down memories to one paragraph. Grandma was a very funny lady. If she wasn’t laughing herself she was trying to make you laugh.
I think of sweets when I think of grandma. Candy dishes filled with hard candies; cookie jar full and vanilla ice cream with loads of chocolate syrup. Grandma would let Diana, Kacie and I dress up in her slips, high heels and jewellery. We would then have a runway show in the backyard. Grandma taught us the great art of people watching. We would go downtown on the bus and walk around and people watch for hours. I have grandma’s hands and sun sensitivity. Too many sunny days at Wildwaves I guess. I only hope that I can be as involved in my children and grandchildren’s lives as she was.
Kacie granddaughter: I remember when we would stay with grandma we would sleep in the living room. I would wake up to smelling smoke and she would be standing by the kitchen window smoking thinking no one was awake yet. She would take us to Goodwill to pick out a new outfit; at least it was new to us. We would play house in the back shed with grandma’s dolls, and grandma would pretend to be the baby and cry and drink the bottle. We would make cookies but she didn’t have a dough mixer like we do now days, so we would squish it with our hands. Grandma would chase us without her teeth in and try to kiss us. It was hilarious. She always wanted to be where her grandchildren were.
Daniel grandson: When Grandma came over we would go across the street and play in the row of pines. I called it my secret place. We would pretend that there were monkeys climbing the trees around us. There was a neighbor with the creek running through their yard, under the street, and then through the neighborhood. We made paper boats and floated them down the stream. We also played dinosaurs. I always knew that she loved me.
Anisa great-granddaughter: Grandma Jo gave me a porcelain doll that I love very much and is special to me. She let us stay at her home when we came to Seattle for a visit. I will miss her a lot.
Grandma was a very loving and friendly person who liked to have a lot of fun. She spoke tenderly and appreciately towards everyone. And, I know she loved Diana a darling neighbor girl that grandma ‘adopted’ as one of her own grandchildren as if she were one of her grandkids. She spent as much time with her as anyone else did.
I hope we can all remember her for her loving kindness and her generosity and her fun-loving spirit.
Safely Home
I am home in Heaven, dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in Heaven at last.
Did you wonder I so calmly
Trod the valley of the shade?
Oh! But Jesus’ love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.
And He came Himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus’ arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread?
Then you must not grieve so sorely,
For I love you dearly still;
Try to look beyond earth’s shadows
Pray to trust our Father’s Will.
There is work still waiting for you,
So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remaineth—
You shall rest in Jesus’ land.
When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you Home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting,
Oh, the joy to see you come!
we shared the same bed when we were small children,my MomAlberta Aunt Jo’s oldest sister
was married and we all lived in this tiny 2 bedroom house. the house is still there on Elkhart st. and Uncle Bucky took us there when we went back for Uncle Bucky and Aunt Bettys “50” wedding anniversary. I was named after my Grandmother as Aunt Jo was named after her Grandmother Josephine Agnes Hoffman Leidy Great Grandmother. Tricia and Jennifer loved taking Aunt Jo out to dinner,movies and sometime a ballgame. they loved her as she was so much fun. then when we all got together it was hilarious as she and I had a hearing problem and the girls would be hysterical with laughter . yes she will be missed. Pat you took good care of her for many years and Danny I am glad she was living with you so she did not pass like Aunt Theresa did. I am the last of the Josephine Agnes’s
TO HER SONS, AND ALL HER GRANDCHILDREN, MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO ALL. AUNT JO WAS A ONE IN A MILLION LADY, I AM PROUD TO CARRY HER NAME I TOO AM A AUNT JO. I LOVED AUNT JO DEARLY AND I LOVED WHEN SHE CAME TO VISIT US IN PHILLY. MY PHONE CONVERSATIONS CAME TO A HOLT, BUT THE MEMORIES OF HER WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART. SHE IS NOW WITH HER SISTERS,”JEANMY MOM AND THERESA”.IAM ALOT LIKE AUNT JO ,I ALSO AM A CANDY PERSON I ALWAYS HAVE CANDY AND COOKIE JARS FILLED AND IN ALL MY ROOMS, I ALSO LOVE LITTLE CHILDREN AND I ENJOY HAVING THEM AROUND ME. I ALSO DO MY OWN HAIR IN COLORS AND ROLLERS.I AM ALOT LIKE AUNT JO AND I AM PROUD TO SAY SO! SO TO ALL OF HER FAMILY, BE THANKFUL THAT YOU HAD A GREAT, LOVING, CARING GRANDMOM. SHE WAS SPECIAL!!!!