Grandmom and Easter 1960

It’s difficult to try and figure out this puzzle…
Wait… Now I remember.

Early in 1960 we were told that Grandmom Osciak would be going into the hospital. No mention was made as to why she was going in the hospital but she would be. We all wanted to go visit her but were told no, we would go visit her when she got out and was back home.
Our first and only trip over to Clifton after Grandmom got out of the hospital, we were told to really behave ourselves and not to make any loud noise as Grandmom was resting.

Grandmom was in her bed, pillows propping her up as we one by one went into to visit her. I was glad to see her and she was glad to see me. She looked okay to me and didn’t look sick at all, but I did see she had black and blue marks on her arms. I asked why she was black and blue and if they hurt?
She said it was where the doctors had given her a transfussion and that they only hurt a little.
She asked me how I was doing in school and if I had made any new friends…
We talked a little longer and mom told me it was time for me to go back downstairs. I hugged Grandmom and told her I loved her and missed not living there anymore and seeing her every day.

I went downstairs and saw Grandmom’s sister, my Aunt Anna had arrived. We hugged and talked awhile then I was shooed out into the backyard, as the phone had just rung and she had to answer it. Everyone was being real quiet and talking in whispers… Grandpop and everyone looked real sad, but I went out in the backyard and did as I was told.
As we got ready to drive back over to New Jersey, I snuck back up to Grandmom’s bedroom on the second floor.The door was closed and I knocked before going in… Grandpop was there and he had just finished putting medicine on Grandmom’s shoulders because they were bothering her. My mom came in and said come on, we were going to go back home. I said bye to Grandmom and that we would be back to see her again real soon. Easter was right around the corner and I was sure we would go back over then to visit.

There were no answers given as to why Grandmom was sick and what might be wrong… Most questions were responded with, “Sit down and be quiet”.

Soon it was Good Friday and preparations had slowly started for Easter Sunday.
Mom and dad had gone back over to Clifton once or twice and dad had stopped by on his way home from work a couple of times. There had been phone calls, but no mention of anything was made to us kids.

Easter Sunday arrived and we awoke to find our Easter baskets, which had grown a little bigger since we first started getting them. We had started getting ready for church when the phone rang.
Mom answered it, but outside of saying hello she didn’t say anything else. She handed the phone to dad and went into their bedroom. Dad spoke to who ever it was on the phone for a few minutes, then hung it up and he went into their bedroom also. Mom came out of the bedroom and we all saw that she had been crying, sat us down and told us that Grandmom had passed away earlier that morning. My brothers and I retreated into our bedroom, my sisters into thiers and we cried and wondered why God had done this to our family and why Grandmom had died. We walked to church by ourselves that morning, as mom and dad stayed at home. According to the church, it was a day of celebration, the Lord had risen. None of us felt much like celebrating anything that day.

My Grandmother was fifty-four years old when she died of Leukemia on that Easter Sunday, April 17, 1960. Far too young for any grandparent to die. Our family was devistated by the news we had received that morning and it cast a shadow over us for some time.
Easter had always been a celebration of traditions, religious and secular, but no longer. It was now the day that Grandmom died.

I can’t speak for my brothers or sisters, but on that day, angry and hurting, certain I’d be calling down the wrath of God on myself, I questioned God, all that we had been taught and everything he stode for and inwardly demanded an explaination, that never came.

For years afterwards, sometimes, if I sat real quiet and concentrated, I was certain I could hear Grandmom’s voice calling me by name.
I missed her so much!