My Story

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1911 to 2005
aged: 93
From: Glasgow

Sarah McDonald (nee Hendry) 23 September 1911 - 28 March 2005.

Sarah McDonald, wonderful mother to Johnny, Harry, Robert, Marion and Sandra. Much beloved grandmother to her 15 grandchildren and great-grandmother to 19 great grandchildren. Sarah was also a great, great grandmother to our 4 youngest family members when she passed away.

Married to John for 63years before he passed away in October 1984 from lung cancer. Sarah then became head of the family and accepted the role with ease, always there for her children, grandchildren and other family members.

Born and raised in Bridgeton, Sarah was one of 4 sisters, however her family was extended due to death and re-marriage and Sarah went on to have 4 more half-siblings. She lived with her parents before getting work on the shipyards in Glasgow as a cleaner. She met John, a riveter at the time, and married in 1931. They raised their family in Bridgeton before moving to Helenvale Flats in Parkhead where they lived together for over 40years, Sarah living there for a further 20years after her beloved husband passed on.

Anyone who knew Sarah would know that she loved her bingo, her cards, dominoes and putting a wee flutter on the National - usually picking the winner!! She went to her club with her friends 2 or 3 times a week just to take their coppers from them, always hoping to win the "snowball" house!! She called the bingo when noone else would and always made sure there was a friendly face to welcome new members of the club. Sarah enjoyed going to Belvidere Bowling Club to watch the bowls and have a wee whisky (which became vodka as her taste changed with age!), she was very popular and was always met with a warm welcome.

It was only fitting that Sarah's wake should be held there - and I know she would have loved it!! It was a celebration of her life that she would have been proud of. Seems odd to say it was a great funeral, but it really was.

Sarah enjoyed dressing up to go out and always looked very pretty in her dresses or two piece suits, however, she was never fully dressed until she had her teeth in and her dangly earrings on!! the danglier and wilder the better - how her earlobes coped I don't know! She was the life and soul of any party, starting a sing-song and only going to bed long enough to recharge her batteries before getting up and starting again!! If you were able to keep up with Granny you were doing well!!

Inevitably, as age got the better of her, Sarah became frail and was moved to Clinton House Nursing Home in Easterhouse in May 2004. Here she made many friends, in particular Nellie, who was her best mate (they were known as see-no-evil, hear-no-evil as Sarah had the sight of a hawk and Nellie had the ears of a bat!!). They became best friends right up until Sarah couldn't fight the cancer anymore and sadly passed away on the 28th March 2005. Nellie obviously missed her old pal and passed away herself shortly after. Let's hope they've met up in heaven and are still looking out for each other.
The nurses and care staff in the home were lovely and I know that they helped my Gran enjoy her final few months in this world. Thank you.

Life has never, and will never be, the same without you. The memories you left us will be cherished until we meet again and make some more together.

Gran, every day is like the day after you've gone. Waking up knowing you're not here and going to sleep without seeing you is still as hard two years on as it was the day after I watched you falling asleep for the last time. I hope you know I stayed with you, I hope you know I played cards with you until the men came for you. I miss you every day and not a day goes by when I don't say good morning and goodnight. I hope you hear
me. Sleep tight. Nicola xxx

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