1991

Grandma Turns 90

Roslie with sons Morris and Arnold at her birthday party

On Sunday October 27th Mom, Dad and others gave Grandma Mixson a surprise 90th birthday party at her home in Orange Lake.  Dad had called her Saturday, which was her actual birthday and wished her a happy birthday and told her we would come out to see her on Sunday as we often did.  He didn’t mention anything to her about a birthday party.   I could imagine how lonely she must have felt sitting alone in her house on her 90th birthday with so many years gone by, so many people in her life gone, two husbands and a son.

Rosalie with grandkids, Gary Mixson on left,
David Mixson on right.

Roslie with brohter Bill Anderson

That would change on Sunday when mid-afternoon people started arriving.  Dad, always early, arrived first with Mom and David. Grandma didn’t think much of it at first, just another Sunday afternoon visit from her son but soon others started to arrive. Mom said about forty showed up, friends, family, children, grandchildren and a few great-grandchildren. Even Grandma’s younger brother Bill Anderson came. Mom said everyone brought food, all good southern cooking, and there was plenty to eat.

Not to old to get a kiss from Sparky

Ten years before, when Grandma was 80, when she wrote, “Oh! Am I 80, The years go by so gradually you don't know you are getting so old!”.   

This year at the age of 90 Grandma wrote in her diary: “Well Sunday after my birthday on Oct 26th the children gave me a birthday party.  It was real nice.  The preacher Barry De Whitt & wife were here.”

Years End

We stayed home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, over all it was a quiet year mostly focused on work.   WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows, introduced in 1991 but had to be installed from DOS and was largely unpopular due to serious stability issues.

1992