It’s a daunting task, trying to capture a full life–in this case, my mother’s–in one hundred words (and a dozen pictures). But, today, on the one hundredth anniversary of her birth, this is how I choose to remember Helen Matilda Ferrell Johnson, beyond our story that sprang From Fertile Ground.

***

Born July 26, 1923; High Point, North Carolina.

Child of the Depression.

Dutiful daughter. Responsible older sister.

Fine furniture lover.

1945. St. Louis, Missouri, bound.

Patient wife. Long fuse. Quick temper.

Attentive mother. Hard worker.

Loyal friend. Compassionate trailblazer.

Unintended, unidentified feminist.

Reliable next-door neighbor.

Proud mother. Devoted grandmother.

Smart saver and investor.

Advocate for the disabled and needy.

Southern storyteller. Avid letter writer.

Rock and shell hunter.

Animal advocate. Grateful green thumb.

Observant camera bug. Crafty potter.

Contented retiree. Resilient fighter.

Northern Illinois octogenarian.

Wise realist. Chair rocker.

Fading sunset lover.

Gone January 26, 2013; Wheaton, Illinois.

Full moon.