Great Grandmom Jordy passed away this morning after recently turning 88 years old. She was the sweetest woman in the world and spent her life doing everything she could for her family, which is on the larger side. 7 children, 14 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren. Daddy still remembers (vividly) the time spent living at Grandmom and Grandpop Jordy's house. There were 7 adults and 4 Burger Boys at 24 Olympia Avenue for 7 months. 4 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, but somehow it worked. Lots of fun memories and traditions over the years:
- Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to come through the neighborhood on a DeCou fire truck which signified Christmas could begin
- Grandmom was the only one who used tinsel on her tree
- Playing football on Olympia Avenue and getting yelled at by Mrs. Dill
- Easter Egg hunt in the backyard and being the only one who always remembered Dottie's hiding spots
- Playing hockey in Pathmark parking lot on thanksgiving
- Spending the only money we had at Anthony's buying pizza and playing video games
- Knowing everyone in our family understood that when you referred to "the field" you meant the undeveloped lot nextdoor where we played wiffle ball. Repeatedly ripping line drives against "Shorty's" house. Never knowing whether he got that nickname before or after he cut his toes off with his lawnmower.
- Learning to ride a bike down 'dead man's hill'
- Watching matinee movies at the 'Eric' theater in Independence Mall next to Dunhams
- Uncle Ryan splitting my head open with a rock behind Kistardt School
- Uncle Ryan getting shot in the finger with a BB gun (well deserved)
- Aunt Dawn's 57 dogs. Loved Teddy. HATED Bronco.
- Believe it or not...firing shotguns in the air on new year's eve. In Trenton. A tradition ruined by ISIS.
- Halloween. Grandmom never actually answered the door. Every kid in the neighborhood would just wander in to her rocking chair where she would be drinking tea and have to guess who you are before giving you candy...trying to mix in with the others and fool her was the ultimate goal.
- Knowing Grandmom's phone number was 888-3108 even though you haven't dialed it in 15 years.
- Remembering the color of the rotary phone she had next to her rocker
- Never knowing what her basement looked like due to pure fear
- Grandpop welding my bike back together and when it finally could not be fixed, I had a classic schwinn bike by the end of the day. Probably picked it up between two jobs.
- Understanding at 12 years old how much someone can really love another after witnessing how crushed Dottie was when Grandpop passed away.
- Never being able to unlock the damn screen door
- Uncle Kurt's nudey magazine collection...educational
- Grandmom coming to see our band play a gig at a bar and everyone in the place buying her drinks..."awe thanks hon"
- Meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, vegetable soup, rice pudding, pumpkin pie
- Still remembering Grandmom smiling, being the sweetest waitress at Phillip Arthur's bringing out ice cream.
- Even when she had nothing, she made sure every grandchild got some cash for christmas
- ❤️️
