Thursday, February 9, 2023
Mary Frances Baird
When my dad picked me up from school my freshman year of high school he was almost always parked beside this lovely lady with salt and pepper hair. Each day she would smile as I approached. Little did I know what an influence she would eventually be in my life.
For almost 50 years she has shared her kindness, love, stories, and family with me. Wow…50 years, I wonder just how many chocolate and egg pies we have consumed in that 50 years. I remember the first time I had dinner around the table at the Baird’s home. The table that was large enough for nine was a standard pool table with a heavy water proof tablecloth. Our meal was delicious fried chicken, I can’t remember the sides but the cornbread sticks were amazing! We had finished dinner and I was stuffed. The next thing I knew Mrs. Baird was bringing out not one, not two, but four pies. It was at that moment that I sort of panicked. You see, I am not a dessert person and didn’t care for pie. So when asked, “chocolate or egg” I responded with “just a very small piece of Chocolate please”. When she sat the plate in front of me I didn’t know what to say. I learned quickly that desserts as well as any food was served up big in this household. There was a reason there were four pies. A quarter of a pie was the standard serving size. I looked in shock at my then boyfriend only to see him chuckle. He leaned over and whispered…don’t worry I’ll take care of it. He then swapped his empty dessert plate with my huge serving of pie. Another first of many plate swaps in our years together.
Christmas was always filled with her wonderful homemade desserts. The kitchen counter would be overflowing with tins of goodies and various cakes that she had made. Two of her specialities were the Fresh Apple and Banana cakes. I can close my eyes and still smell that house on Christmas Eve and hear the laughter over the Rook table and the family games. If you weren’t there shortly after noon, then she was calling wanting to know where you were. The fun usually lasted until near midnight!
Frances (Granny) was big on family. We were there often and were welcomed at any time. There was food at her table whether invited or just dropping by.
When grand children began to arrive she was beside herself with joy. Sewing for them, quilting for them, and keeping them for much needed “breaks” now known as date nights. She had a large galvanized wash tub that every grandchild got to take a bath in. She loved taking them outside and making mud pies. So that old tub came in handy with the head to toe mud.
Those grand children began to grow and she aged right along with them. She and Pepaw enjoyed going to baseball games and relished in all their accomplishments. Pepaw had left us by the time Kaelyn and Carter arrived on the scene. Each one gave her new focus and purpose.
She moved to a new home after Pepaw passed, a beautiful apartment with new friends of like age and interests. She thrived in this new environment as she made friends quickly and easily. After about 8 years a health issue began to cause problems and eventually necessitated another change in her environment. Hearthside became her new home. She was a social butterfly once she settled in and realized those “Church of Christ” people weren’t as bad as she thought they were. Keep in mind that Bruce and I fit into that group.
Her tenure at Hearthside was long and fruitful filled with fun, games, crafts, bingo, dance, bowling and 5 mile walks around the halls. Covid reared its ugly head and took its toll on her as it did on so many. Granny had a close encounter with the floor on almost a daily basis. Multiple stitches but no broken bones was just an example of her tenacity and perseverance. But the odds finally caught up with her. A fractured vertebrae along with the beginning signs of dementia was the final straw…it was time for her next adventure…The Pavilion. Still the social butterfly, she would be visiting all around. Most days she didn’t know who she was nor who she was visiting but she had a story and a smile to share anyway. On more than one occasion I arrived and asked where I might find her. One particular day the response was look for the balloon. Balloon??? Yes, tied to her wheelchair so she was visible and easy to locate. So I peaked over the wall to find the balloon and headed out to visit with her.
In her later months she didn’t know who we were but she still had a smile and a story to tell. We weren’t sure what she was telling us about but we would smile and totally agree with her as she continued on in her own thoughts and world.
She left us February 7, at 9:25 pm. The sweetness of her smile never to be seen again except in the many memories that each and every one of us have etched in our minds. We will never forget her and she will forever be in our hearts.
I am so grateful for my almost 50 years with her.
