The Family History Writing Challenge - A Stubborn Woman

Day 24 in The Family History Writing Challenge.  Wow, I'm almost there.  I made a commitment to write a story every day for the month of February.  If I can get this one, I will only have four more to go.  Tonight I am going to write about the most stubborn women I ever met.  

Have you ever met someone who was just so stubborn that you just knew when you came up against them you could never win?  Well I  have!  I grew up in a house with someone like that.  She was stubborn to her very core.  I believe that is what allowed her to survive things that came her way.  

My mother, Shirley Plummer, was that woman.  Life was sometimes cruel to her, but she stood through it all.  Her mother died before she turned 16.  She then was faced with a stepmother who wasn't happy to deal with her husband's daughters.  My mother left home soon after her stepmother moved in.  She went to live with a sister for a while and then had to make her own way.

Throughout her life she was faced with many of life tribulations.  She had a daughter die at 10 months old, a son die at the age of 35, and a granddaughter die at the age of 4 months.  

If that wasn't enough she had her oldest daughter's husband  die leaving grandchildren aged 1, 2, and 3 without their father.  Then her next to youngest daughter's husband was a police office who died in the line of duty, leaving children 2, 4, and 6 without a father.  Finally, her youngest daughter's husband committed suicide and left children 3 and 5 years old to be raised by their mother.

This story had a lot of tragedy, but if you had known Shirley Plummer you wouldn't believe she had seen so much sadness in her life.  Her determination allowed her to move on and enjoy life.  She raised 8 children to adulthood and had so many children and grandchildren that she loved and would do anything for.  

The picture that is attached shows her with her foot propped up on a stool as she was washing dishes.  My sister wanted to do the dishes and she refused the help.  She wasn't going to allow anything to get the better of her.  She never did.  

Her son-in laws all say the when any of her daughters get angry they see the "Shirley Plummer" coming out.  They know that's when they might as well give up because they can't win.  

My mother is gone but she left a wonderful legacy behind.