Verna M Webb

Verna Mae Webb was born on April 16, 1920 to Jesse and Dora Perry in Rocky Ford, Colorado. Verna was a middle child between older siblings Ray and Lloyd and younger siblings Dorothy and Ed. As a teenager, Verna moved to Arizona and graduated from Glendale High School. Later she met and married Whiston “Mutt” Webb, a WWII veteran. They were together for 62 years before he departed this life. For 50 years the couple lived in Glendale, Arizona where they built two homes. Their lives were enhanced by the birth of their daughter Betty. In 1991, Verna and Mutt moved to a home in Groom Creek, Arizona above Prescott. Verna departed this life on February 26, 2014. Along with her daughter Betty Elliott, Verna leaves to cherish her memory a grandson, Jason Quinn Elliott and wife Heather; great grandchildren Anthony (20), James (14), and Keira (10); great great granddaughter Elexis Chacon (7 months); and a host of other loving relatives and friends.

MY MOTHER'S LIFE STORY

My mother, Verna Mae Webb was a wonderful, hard-working and caring woman that will always be my role model. She grew up on a farm in Grand Junction, Colorado. She loved to farm and was her dad’s helper. While mom loved the outdoors and learned to manage the farm, she was also learning homemaking skills from her mom. It was clear early on that she was a natural caregiver because she took care of her siblings when they were ill and tended to sick neighbors. As a child, mom loved to play games. She and her brothers used an iron ring off a barrel and a stick to roll it around the yard or used dried corncobs with chicken feathers to create a rocket. All homemade toys.

Mom became a reader early in her life and remained so until her death. As a child, her favorite Christmas gifts were always books. In her later years, I would find her in her favorite rocking chair with a book in her hand. She also belonged to a book club.

My grandfather moved to Glendale, Arizona when mom was a teenager. He bought land and built a rock motor court on Grand Avenue creating a 6-8 cabin court with a two-story home and office. Mom attended and graduated from Glendale High School. I have her yearbooks and I smile when I see all the finger waves in her hair. She was an attractive, petite, and a well-dressed young lady. I graduated from the same high school.

Mom’s first and only job outside of the home was working at the J. C. Penney store in downtown Glendale. Mom worked there for two years. She also helped her dad run the motor court. She kept the books, cleaned the rooms, and checked-in new residents.

Mom and dad were clearly smitten with each other because she never mentioned dating anyone else. They met at the roller skating rink. Dad was a good dancer on skates. He didn’t have a lot of money so they took long walks, rode the bus to Phoenix for 5 cents to see a show, or shared a soda at the local drug store. They married 16 months after starting to date and remained married for 62 years.

I was born in 1943 before Dad went over-seas to fight in the Pacific. After dad was discharged in 1945, he returned to Glendale where they built two houses on their 2 acres in 10 years. Besides being a carpenter, she was an excellent cook, and a fine seamstress. She made our clothes out of flour sack material.

They lived in Glendale until 1991 when I found a two-story house for us in Prescott. They lived on the top floor and I stayed weekends in the walkout basement. They lived there for 10 years until Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Mom became his nurse, his advocate, and problem solver. She found all kinds of ways to make life easier as the disease progressed to a point where he lost his ability to walk, use his arms and hands, and speech. In 2001, it became too difficult for them to manage so they moved to Tempe with me and then Dad moved into the Arizona State Veteran’s Home in Phoenix. Mom drove back and forth to Phoenix three times a week to visit him. She never let the traffic be a barrier.

After dad died, mom stayed with me in Tempe and took over running the house in the winter and moved to Prescott in the summer. During this time she said it was our dog, Sadie that kept her sane. We lived together for 8 years. Once her health began to fail, she moved into Willow Wind Assisted Living. She got right into gardening, participating in activities and spending time with her close friend, Elice. I enjoyed the special times we spent together at the hairdressers, dining out or with friends and just spending time together. We also began making quilts for the new babies in the family and for special friends.

I will miss mom. I will never again hear her voice, look into her eyes, feel her comforting touch, seek her guidance or hear her laugh. I grieve these things, but I’m thankful for the memories and life lessons Mom left me. She taught me how important family is in our lives.

MY DARLING GRANDMA

As you enter your new heavenly home, may you rest in peace for which you truly deserve. For you will be truly missed and remembered for your love and honor in which we will preserve. We love you always and forever and may God be with you.