Mom, Diane, Gam
- Shelley Sweeney
- Sep 22, 2022
- 3 min read
Hi Everyone,
I can’t believe this photo was taken just over a month ago. Triangle Park had our dear Gam out on the town enjoying fine Italian cuisine at Carbonar Tratorria.
Our queen is not doing well. Shortly after this dinner, mom struggled to fight an infection that had been brewing and thriving, unbeknownst to her. The infection and subsequent weakening of her body contributed to three falls which resulted in more complications that subsequently cascaded into reasons why she remains in the hospital today*.
Savanna and Diana have been blessed to grow up by their beloved grandmother. Gam helped raise them. She’s always been an important part of their lives, providing companionship, humor, and stories of her past. Years ago, Savanna wrote a book, My Gramma, for a challenge class.
Savanna interviewed Gam with specific categories:
Childhood - “Diane Corkill was born on December 27, 1929, in Holland, Michigan. Her father, Donald Dickinson, was born in Fennville, Michigan. Her mother, Thelma Cullum, was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Gramma’s parents raised two boys and one girl in Fennville, Michigan. Gramma was named after Diane from the movie 7th Heaven.”
Toys and games - “One of her favorites was her baby doll. It wore a pink dress and white booties. Another one of her toys was her roller skates. She loved to roller skate on the sidewalk. Gramma and her friends would always play a game called bounce out. They would play it with a small rubber ball.”
Food and Meal Time - “Gramma always had a large group of people come to her house for dinner. They would eat different kinds of casseroles and vegetables. She would drink milk with her meals. Gramma loved to make cakes from scratch. Her favorite was white cake with coconut frosting. She also made delicious fudge. Sometimes she would make it into hearts.”
Greatest Accomplishment & Treasured Memory - “Gramma’s greatest accomplishment was raising three children: Brad, Lesley and Shelley. Her most treasured memory was having her children. The dates of her children’s births were June 7, 1951, September 3, 1954 and March 14, 1962, which is my mom’s birthday. Gramma loves her children very much.”
There’s more:
Mom and Dad Taught Me
School Experiences -
Chores and Home Remedies
Entertainment and Dating - “My Gramma loved to read magazines. Her favorite was Life Magazine. She also loved to listen to the radio. Every Friday night and Sunday afternoon Gramma and her friends went to the ten-cent movie theatre. On dates, she would go to school dances. She would wear a skirt and a sweater to the dances. To school, she would wear dresses, skirts and sweaters.”
Holidays and Vacations
Marriage -
Greatest Influence
Humorous Incident
Old Fashion Things She Still Likes
I don't want your attention span to wane so I left out some descriptions. But if you're a big Queen Diane fan (she has a lot), shoutout and I'll fill you in on the deets.
Praying we have more memories to add to the many good times over the past 20+ years of her living in the ATL.
Thank you to those who have enjoyed reading about our queen in this blog. Diane loves people and has always loved entertaining.
Thank you for reading!
Love, Shelley
Our earthly bodies become weary as we age, and you may also notice aches or pains. Take comfort in knowing the Lord shall renew your strength, according to Isaiah 40:31. "Then they'll soar on wings like eagles; they'll run and not grow weary; they'll walk and not grow tired
*She was discharged from the hospital and is resting comfortably at the Bremen Jewish Home.
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