Grandma Clark

My mother's mother's name is Ida Mae McRoberts Seamans Pearson Davies Clark. She was born on a farm in Herman, Minnesota on June 3, 1896. She died October 29, 1974 in Battle Creek, Michigan.
I only saw Grandma Clark a couple of times a year. However, when I was 16 Grandma's 4th husband, J, was in the hospital. Grandma called my mother and asked if I could stay with her for a week so she wouldn't be alone. J had severe emphysema.
Grandma was supposed to have quit smoking because J was on oxygen. When I stayed with her, I could smell cigarette smoke but never saw Grandma smoking. Finally, I told her that she didn't need to hide if she was smoking. It was her home and I was a guest. She could do whatever she wanted. Boy, was she relieved. Out came the cigs. she made me promise not to tell my mother that she was smoking.
Grandma's home was a trailer in a nice little trailer park in Batle Creek. It was SO tiny. It had 2 bedrooms, but the 2nd bedroom was so small that a single bed and dresser filled it. I used the small bedroom. Under the bed was stacks of magazines. 'True Crime', 'Real Detective', , titles like that. Grandma said I could borrow some if I wanted to. I had never read such racey stuff in my life!
Grandma told me stories about Mom's father, Earl Seamans. I loved it. She said she had a choice between a farmer and Earl Seamans. The farmer was a steady man who could have given her a good life. Earl was a handsome man who wanted to go and do things. She chose Earl. Life on a farm - especially back then - was difficult.
I don't know why they moved to Battle Creek, but they struggled. They came with 4 children. Grandma said Grandpa was a flirt. He couldn't not look at other women. One time in their marriage Grandpa needed to make money, so he smuggled alcohol across the river from Canada to Detroit. It was prohibition. No one could legally buy alcohol.
They had 4 children -Luellyn Earl (Bus), Robert Charles, Marjorie Mae and Evelyn Pearl then Grandma got pregnant with my mother, Mildred Loretta before Grandpa died. Grandpa died from bone cancer.
Grandma gave birth to my mother 2 and a half months after Grandpa died. Alone. She married William Pearson in 1925 and buried Evelyn in 1927. Grandma had 2 more daughters, Yvonne and Patricia with Bill Pearson.
After Bill died, she married a man named Harold Davies who was abusive. She divorced him then married J. J was the nicest man. He was always friendly. He always had a smile. He and I both loved baseball. When J died, Grandma told us she was always sorry her grandchildren didn't call J grandpa.
When J got out of the hospital, he and Grandma drove me home. I seriously thought I was going to die. J drove down the middle of the road. I guess he figured he could choose where his half of the road was. I saw cars coming right at us. I finally laid down on the backseat and prayed that we not die. I'm not kidding about this.
I was so excited about the stories Grandma told me about my mom's dad that I told Mom. She got mad at me and told me her father never ran booze. I was not to mention that again. I didn't realize that my mom never knew her own father, but that she had probably put him on a pedestal. With one fell swoop I almost knocked him off that pedestal.
Grandma was 'spicey'. She used language that would make my dad blush. She said what she thought. She laughed loudly. I loved her so much. She was a brave survivor.
I miss her to this day.