An Evening in Koosharem, Utah

Anderson home in Koosharem, Utah

A short time before my maternal grandmother Vera Anderson Anderson Poole died, my mother sat down with her and tried to reminisce. Grandma was in an advanced stage of dementia and had suffered blindness for almost 20 years.

Vera Anderson Anderson Poole
1989

At that point of her life, time meant nothing to Grandma. Her mind was unclear about many things and her thoughts always seemed jumbled. The way she heard life around her was never as it really was. But on this day with my mother, she spoke very vividly of what she thought she had actually experienced--going home to Koosharem, Utah where she had lived for many years. 

As Grandma reminisced, her thoughts seemed so clear that Mom could not help but be transported back in time with her. Of course, Grandma's memories were really only as a dream, but my mother was so touched that she went home and wrote down what Grandma had related to her. 

Back of the house my mother and grandmother lived in Koosharem, Utah

My mother wrote, "Mom said she went home to Koosharem. She parked down the back lane so no one would see her. It was just getting dusk. She went to the back of the house--to the porch and walked in.

'It felt so good to be home again,' she said. She went into her bedroom, opened the side door and sat down on the vanity stool.

As evening was coming on, she could hear the robins and birds preparing for the night. The turkeys in the field were quieting down, and then she could feel the cool breeze and smell of the reservoir a ways off.

She said she climbed into bed and stayed there for three days. No one bothered her, and she rested and was at peace."  Mom asked her, "What did you eat?" Grandma said,  "I had brought a little with me."

After returning to her home, my mother looked at old photos of her home and wrote, "So as I've looked at the house, I can envision this happening. I can remember her there and recall the way she could always make things homey and the love and care she gave to each of us. I am so grateful she is my Mom."

My grandma has been gone for about 12 years now. Since she was blind for so many years, I greatly cherish how she envisioned her former home and the way she explained the smells and sounds coming from her out-of-doors. I suppose now she really is home.

Thank you Grandma for sharing!