bill and rosi

SMALL PLATES OF GRANDMA ROSI   #8  Woody

June 10, 2012

Dear Family,

Well, the week has flown by and my first week of summer vacation has gone with it.  I have had some students from school here helping me climb on top of the many house cleaning/yard things that go undone during the year.  I am paying them so that they can earn money to go on tour with us next April… three girls from the same family.  They really know how to work and I enjoy them.

As promised, I will share with you some of my memories of Woodrow George Mathews, Dad’s father.   He died of pulmonary thrombosis in 1972 when Luke was about 16 months old.  It was a sad day… very sad.  Grandpa Woody was busy packing for a fishing trip that he and Dad were going on.  Dad was excited.  It was going to be a great time.  They were headed for the Ruby Marshes by Elko, Nevada.  Instead, we got a telephone call early in the morning telling us that Grandpa was in the hospital.  He had a blood clot that had broken loose and had gone into his lungs.  Woody spoke with Bill and told him that it was okay, not to worry about him.  But a call a short time later from Lorraine, indicated that Woody was near death.  Dad drove 120 miles an hour from Reno to Carson City (about 30 miles) but his Dad was dead by the time he arrived.

Those were sad days.  All of our hearts were broken.

My memories of Woody the man:

I knew Woody for about two years.  I first met him when I went with Bill to meet Woody and Lorraine.  They lived in a big, white spacious home only a couple of blocks from the Governor’s Mansion in Carson City, Nevada.  Each parent had a comfortable easy chair that sat in their living room along a set of big windows.  (It looked so comfortable that I just wanted to sit down and join them.)  Woody would be readying the newspaper and often having a cup of coffee.  He was a good cook.  After Bill and I were married we frequently went to their house on weekends to escape the pressure of life in Reno…school and opera performances.  It was a haven.  Woody would fix us big breakfasts, (his specialty was omelets) or for dinner it would usually be steak.  He was a generous man and never skimped on food. 

He and Lorraine really enjoyed a drive.  We went with them on occasion.  I remember how they were particularly interested in the birds that we would see.  (on fence posts or flying)  Generally there would be a stop for hamburgers and French fries.  (Notice the plural…  he would buy extra.  Extra fries, extra burgers.  (Tyler would like that!!!  He has a wooden leg.) )

Woody had had health issues in the past and he got his exercise by walking back and forth to his work at the Nevada State highway department.  He was a highway engineer and designed freeways.  Dad could tell you which freeways in Nevada that he had designed. 

Woody had a ready and loud laugh.  He would sometimes come up behind me and “yelp” loudly and I would jump out of my skin.  When we were there visiting we use to play pinochle.  It was a complicated card game, but I LOVED IT!!!  Lorraine did not, but we would coax her and she would play.    

When Luke was born, he was the apple of both Lorraine’s and Woody’s eye.  They would occasionally take him for a weekend.  After one weekend, we were given MANY pictures of Luke.  (Every pose imaginable, but generally it was Luke with a huge smile.)  They really dotted on him and treasured him.)

I am SAD that none of you knew Woody.  You would have loved him.  He was a caring and talented person. 

Love to all of you.

Have a wonderful Father’s Day.  

If you haven’t responded with some memories of Bill, and would like to be included in the booklet I am preparing for him, please try to do that in the next couple of days.

Mom