Grandma passed on around 10 this morning. I knew it had happened when Anne pulled me out of a staff meeting to tell me my dad was on the phone. He was okay, a little shook up. He and her had had frank conversations over the past few days, and both knew it was time.

The last laugh Grandma and I shared was last Friday. I was sitting by her bedside and we were waiting for the morphine that the nurse had given her to kick in.

Well, that's morphine, grandma

"Yes, that's the strongest there is, isn't it?"

Pretty much. Next we move you onto heroin.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to that."

Audio clips from our talk on her life (Sept. 10, 1992, Long Beach).

Amateur tour guide (2:18, MP3)

Mankato Teachers College (2:07, MP3)

Meeting Jerry in Globe, Arizona (2:54, MP3)

Visit to California (1929) (1:15, MP3)