Leona Elise Roueche meet Leona Bell Brundege Walter Roberts

These are some memories that your Grandma Cole shared about her Grandma Leona Bell Brundege Walter Roberts.  I asked her to tell me all that she knew about her Grandma Roberts ("Onie", pronounced
"Oh-nee", as her siblings and friends called her) when I was trying to convince your dad to let me name you Leona.

She was the kindest, sweetest person.

She had a pet parakeet when I was little that she had trained pretty well and it would sit and play with her glasses while we played cards.

She was almost 80 when I was born, but still drove us around Casa grande when we would come stay with her. She'd make the best oatmeal cookies, and serve us TV dinners (which were a treat to us!).

Gma made very elaborate clothes and hats as a younger woman- all the clothes you see on LaRue, Bernice, and Charles as children were handmade by her. And they are pretty amazing. She also crocheted hotpads. As she got older and cataracts made her vision dimmer, she would still make those gingham aprons with embroidery on them, which we still have several of.

Grandma and Gpa LeSueur always had fond feelings for her and she was held in high regard by all who knew her.

She was amazingly patient (I only have one memory of her cussing, and she had good reason haha), and long suffering with Aunt Bernice, who bossed her around and I think had some apologizing to do when they met again on the other side. LaRue, by all accounts, had the same sweet disposition as her mother.

I was a self-absorbed teen in the last years of her life, and regret not keeping in closer touch with her.
She added to more than one letter to me (we couldn't afford long distance calls except for extreme cases):
"When the golden sun is setting,
And your mind from trouble free,
When of others you are thinking,
Won't you sometimes think of me?"

Oh! And she taught me the poem about the dolly making the speech when I was TWO (I still remember it). Further  proof she had the patience of Job. I recently found a copy of that which she had typed. I know because of the particular typos she made, which were like the ones in her letters.

She could play the piano pretty well and would sit down to the big antique piano I have and play a jaunty little calliope sounding piece.