The first real memories of my Grandma Hurn were when her and Grandpa lived at the big two-story house on Blue Run. I don’t think I’ve ever been back since they moved away, so the place remains in my memories as I remembered it as a boy of eight or nine. The house was huge, it seemed, with so many rooms and a gigantic kitchen. My brothers and I would go to spend the night sometimes and we played with my Aunt Sherry in the big front yard and in the small creek down near the road.
We would sleep in one of the rooms upstairs and the big house seemed somehow bigger at night, but a gentle word from Grandma Hurn and we were able to sleep. Then it was morning and morning meant pancakes. Not just pancakes though, but the tastiest pancakes cooked to a golden brown on a big griddle, so big that we could all enjoy hot pancakes at the same time. My memories of those times bring back the taste of Grandma’s pancakes now.
We would play with Sherry on the hill behind the house and sometimes the older boys would get a little rough; I’ll not mention names, they know who they are. But I knew I could run to Grandma Hurn and she would protect me. Grandma’s arms were such a safe and warm place to hide.
She would often call me her first grandchild and she would say it so proudly that it made me proud too. It felt special to know that she thought I was special because I was her first grandchild. It still makes me proud today.
I was reading some verses from the Bible the other day and I came across a passage that seemed to sum up how my Grandma Hurn – Esther Hurn – appeared to everyone who met her and it’s that verse that I leave you with now.
“And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.” Esther 2:15
Esther Marcelle Hablitzel
Hurn
