Goldina came to the neighborhood shortly after her husband passed away sometime in 1997 and bought the log-styled home I could see from my house. She called it her dream home. It had a nice wrap around porch with a swing and she spent many hours out there always open to visitors. I would usually stop and visit on my walks to the store or walking the dogs or on my way home from bike riding. She always like to talk about her time on the farm in Avery. She sold the land when Truman Lake was made as it covered a large part of the area she knew well. She still went to church in the area.
She was certainly a country girl and as solid and true as can be in character. She had so many skills for living that are now hard to find in more recent generations. She always quilted and kept a frame open in her basement most the time. I listened and learned from her about living on the land. Many times I would take her back to her old homestead area although the buildings were now gone. We found many wild greens to eat and plants that I brought back and transplanted in my yard. The ones that have thrived are the wild blackberry iris and the gooseberries. I had transplanted many black raspberries but they died out after a few years as did a wild rose.
Keith and I would take Goldina blackberry picking and we took a nice photo of her she put on her wall for many years of her in a blackberry patch. Keith loved to talk to her too and we would sit with her many evenings on her porch. She made the best gooseberry pie.
There was a big celebration for her 80th birthday at the Senior Center in Wheatland that Keith and I attended. When she turned 90, our local State Representative, Larry Wilson, presented her with a framed Resolution for the great milestone.
There were many health issues over the years and she went into them in great detail when asked how she's doing. I remember how hard it was for her to walk with her bad hips. Then she had them replaced and was better for several years. When she had problems with her leg, she didn't get out much and I also had some health issues that kept me home more and we did not visit so much in recent years. She traveled a lot to see her family all over the country. Then I heard she had cancer in her leg. Last Spring Keith and I went to visit her and saw that she was not going to get better. A short time later she moved to Bolivar to live in a place that gave her full time care. The log home went up for sale and I hold the key to show prospective buyers. At her sale, I was given two china bowls and an owl to keep for remembrance.
Today I got a call that Goldina passed away. I am so glad I got to know her and that I stopped to visit her as much as I did over the years. She enriched my life with her stories and her strong country character. I will listen some more on Sunday from everyone else that knew her and say goodbye for the last time. She almost made it to her 92nd birthday.
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