A Legacy Handed Down

In life we build legacies and pass down traditions. It’s what we do in life that determines how people view us when we are gone. On December 27, 2012, a beautiful woman left this earth and left behind a great legacy of love, hope and determination. She wasn’t the most articulate, educated or charismatic person in the world, but to me she was the most loving. She raised kids; 11 of her own and several more that her husband had when they were married. With little to no money she made sure there was always a warm place to sleep and food on the table. With a loving heart and a swift hard hand that would quickly touch your backside if you got out of line, she raised children, step-children and grandchildren to respect others, but most importantly to respect God. This beautiful woman was my grandmother. Her name was Alice Stiggers. Regardless of how little they might have had she was always kind to friends and strangers alike. She was a fearless woman.

The thing about Alice Stiggers that most impacted my life was her gift of song. She was not very eloquent, but greatly determined to let God’s light shine. I don’t even know how well she read or if she could even read at all because she never read to me. She did however sing around me…. a lot. She would sing songs that were already written by someone else and others that God gave her on the spot. They would always be songs linked to God. What I later realized is that God was ministering to her heart and soul through those words because she was not able to attend church because my grandfather was sickly and she stayed home to care for him. As I stated earlier, she was fearless. She would sing when it was just her by herself and she would sing in a room full of people she that she barely knew. She could care less about what people might say about her. As I grew older and my family would visit her on Sunday’s mostly and holidays, she would always say, I wrote a new song and would start singing it. I truly believe that is where I gained my love for writing song lyrics and poetry. It was a passion in her that was passed down to me.

Her favorite song was “I’ll Fly Away.” Even after she developed Alzheimer’s and forgot my name, she still remembered that song. She would sing it almost every time my wife and I would visit her. I wrote a poem for the program at her funeral entitled “Fly Away Grandmother Dear, Fly Away Home.” In it I talked about how she instilled in me that I should always have a new song to sing. Even if I sang the same old song, I should see or hear something different in it that I never saw or heard before. Grandma, as I called her, was always full of life. She lived a hard life, but she lived a loving life. She was a light to me that will never go out. She is my inspiration. She is in my heart forever. I am a part of the legacy of Alice Stiggers.

Her children rise up and bless her.

Proverbs 31:28

I love you Alice Stiggers.

Your grandson

Bert