Edna Elizabeth "Figge" Hilbert

June 5, 1916- April 25, 2009

My Grandma left us this past Saturday and we miss her greatly already. All is ok though because she is in heaven with her husband Carl who has been waiting on her for the last 9 years. This Wednesday her body will be buried on top of his at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery... and supposedly, my Grandpa always joked that he wanted her buried face down!
Grandma was 92 years old when she passed away. In those 92 years she did what 10 people can't do in all of their lifetimes combined. She was raised on a small farm in Sainte Genevieve with 7 siblings, survived the great depression and survived the deadly diphtheria, which her younger brother didn't make it through. At a young age she moved up to Saint Louis to nanny for a wealthy family...she always wished she could have finished school. She said she would have made straight "A"s and I believe her.
Her and my Grandpa got married before 7am, so they could have the rest of the day to celebrate and soon she found herself alone while Grandpa was off at World War 2. He came home safely so he bought a new car and the two of them toured the beautiful United States for 12 months before settling back in Saint Louis again. Then they started building their bakery business. My Grandma had trouble having kids... they had lost a newborn son, John, so in her 30's they started adopting. First my Uncle Mike, then my Dad, then my Aunt Ann (my Grandma became one year younger when she adopted my Aunt because in the 50's, adopting at age 40 was considered a little too "old", so she told a little fib to become 39 again).
My Grandma was an amazing mother, I love hearing stories from my Dad and my Aunt and Uncle about the good times they had growing up. Grandma was full of life and spirit... it was contagious. I love listening to my Aunt sing the songs Grandma sang to her while she was growing up, they are Edna originals and so sweet.
In her senior years my Grandma was a traveler... she has been all over the world: India, Australia, China, the Holy Land, Brazil, Europe, you name it... she has stepped foot on that soil. Her and my Grandpa were each other's right hand man and went everywhere together. They had a kind of bond the most married couples fantasize about. She was active at church, square danced, baked amazing pies, always stayed fit by walking and playing soccer in her backyard with us when we visited her... she never went over 130 pounds, and had a smile on her face every step of the way... even when she left this world and went to Heaven.
After my Grandpa died, my Grandma started showing signs of dementia. God answered a prayer when the house next door to my Aunt Ann's went on sale and she moved in so Ann could keep a close eye on her. Soon she had a bad fall and required someone to be with her at all times. That's when my special time with her started. I spent the next 3 years really getting to know my Grandma. Growing up an hour away did not allow me to get to know her the way I would have wanted, but thanks to Ann's stories and the time I spent caring for her, she has been able to teach me so many things and has truly inspired my life. The most amazing thing about my Grandmother was her love for life. She held on to life like it was the most precious gift she had ever received... in knowing my Grandma I have learned to appreciate and love life for exactly what it is. There are hard times, but there are more happy times. Life is short, even if you are blessed with 92 years of it, and it is worth appreciating every second. Even when you can't talk, you can't walk, and you can no longer leave the house... life is good. That's what my Grandma taught me... why and how to love life.