Dotty Ingram

It is with a heavy heart that I share we lost my grandmother Dotty, the beloved matriarch of our family. Grammy passed away peacefully Saturday October 26th, with my mom (Jill) faithfully by her side. I've struggled to find the words that could even begin to capture the beauty of my grandmother. A woman whose love is sprinkled around the world in the form of hundreds of teddy bears, dolls and quilts she made for loved ones and countless children in need. I'll never forget Grammy's laugh, one of sweetness and pure joy. The kind of laugh you couldn't wait to hear as it was contagious and would have us all in tears before long. She had a way of finding amusement and awe in simple things the rest of us often take for granted, even as Alzheimer's began to cloud her mind. She loved color, always pointing out the green of the trees, the blue of the sky, the flowers. She had an affinity for pattern and fabric, no doubt from her years of quilting. She loved animals, especially her cat Rocky who mysterious died a few days before Grammy did. To put it in the simplest terms, Dotty showed her love through her hands. Each year we looked forward to the outrageous number of cookie tins that she would certainly have in tow, making sure to make each family member's favorite. As a little girl, Grammy made me a beautiful dress for both my birthday and for Christmas. I excitedly anticipated the day she would take me to the fabric store to pick out the pattern and fabric I wanted and if my magic, this perfect dress would be mailed to me several weeks later. I loved that she involved me in the process. She gave me an opinion and helped me bring my vision to life, something I so deeply value to this day. Then there were her quilts. Each one with a small quilter's square on the back with a small note of who she had it for, in her own handwriting. I'll always cherish the beautiful teddy bears she made us each, with her initials "DI" stitched on the pad of one foot. I'm so grateful for the time I've had with her over the last 3 years since moving her to CO. While there have been very hard days spent in hospitals, trying to soothe and her distract her from pulling the medical devices she was hooked up to, I wouldn't trade any of it. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to care for a woman who helped welcome me into the world to, in turn care for her as she neared her time to leave it. I'll always cherish the moments, though she no longer could conjure my name form the cobwebs of her mind, she would look at me, run her hand along my hair and tell me that I'm beautiful, as she had always done as a child, reminding me she was still there underneath the disease. There is nothing quite like the love of a grandmother. I'm lucky to have been able to soak up 30 years of it, she will be deeply missed. All my love to you, my sweet Grammy.