Sarah V. Watson

Sarah Virginia Chadwick Watson was born in Knightsville, Indiana, on June 12, 1924, the third of four daughters of Ira and Annabelle Chadwick. As a small girl Daddy took his Sally Ann and her sisters to the drugstore soda fountain for their first Coke and after one sip she refused to drink the “nasty medicine.” She overcame her aversion and lifelong favorites included Coke, Hershey’s kisses, hot fudge sundaes, and butter beans. She convinced younger sister Betty to eat the hulls of the beans and give big sister the beans, and that the egg white was better so she could have the yolk.

Having grown up during the depression, money was tight. Her Daddy brought home the old honeycomb decorations from work which they used for their holiday. One Christmas her mother saved up and bought one manicure set and each of the girls got one piece of it as their Christmas that year. Sarah liked to tell about when their linoleum kitchen floor became faded, they would spend a couple of days painting each square to brighten the room. Even though they didn’t have a lot, they carried milk to the neighbors who were less fortunate. She followed her mother’s instruction that no guest ever leave her home hungry no matter what the time of day or night.

Always one of the world’s fastest talkers, when her daddy told her to slow down, Sarah told him to listen faster. She did well enough academically to skip third grade; and more than one mean girl on the playground learned that picking on one Chadwick girl led to being taught a lesson by all four. At age 16 she graduated from high school in Brazil, Indiana, and began a career as society editor and proofreader for the Brazil Daily Times. This began Sarah’s love of reading—and remembering—information on any topic. Later she was the family historian, encyclopedia, proofreader, thesaurus and dictionary. In the days before Google, we asked Mama when we needed the run down on politics, the Broncos, the economy or any other subject. Until the last month her children and grandchildren looked forward to the postal delivery of a “big box” from Grandma Sarah containing newspaper and magazine articles chosen for each one’s specific interests and with the goodies preferred by that recipient, though she remained puzzled by those who did not enjoy Hershey’s kisses.

George Watson, working in Brazil, asked out the good-looking girl in a plaid dress (even though he hated plaid) and on March 3, 1951, they were married in Fort Morgan, Colorado, where he had been transferred. While living in Fort Morgan the handsome guitar player and his wife performed on radio station KFTM as The Rambling Boy and Dynamite. She retained a fondness for bluegrass music her whole life.

The oil company job transfers continued and Sarah and George moved 35 times before settling in Colorado. Along the way the family grew to include Marcia Ann, born 1952 in Elk City, Oklahoma; Robert Wesley in 1953, in Elk City, Oklahoma; Georgia Sue in 1955, in Madill, Oklahoma; James Ward in 1957 in Price, Utah; and Donna Lynn in 1959 in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Family was priority for Sarah, as the children recall during various moves celebrating Easter in a Moab, Utah, motel room where the Easter bunny left baskets for each of them and decorating another motel room this time in Norman, Oklahoma, with strings of lights and a small tree. Santa Claus left the usual number of presents, which must have been carefully purchased, wrapped and then hidden in the car in the midst of packing to move a family of seven.

Life was a celebration for Sarah. Easter egg dyeing was a ritual begun when she grew up using beet juice and yellow onion skins to color eggs. Her children were instructed in the use of Paas egg dye in coffee cups, the primary use for these cups since she drank Coke and not coffee. Christmas celebrations include the hanging of velveteen stockings decorated with felt appliqués and sequins, elaborately individualized for each child and spouse, and grandchildren. (The pressure is on to take up the needle on behalf of the great-grandchildren!) She purchased the entire set of state quarters and sent them to each and every grandchild and great-grandchild as well as many friends. There were personalized birthday cakes and the supper menu was chosen by the birthday boy or girl. Non-holiday celebrations occurred too. When the family lived in Oklahoma City, George was working around the clock. One night around 11pm Sarah packed up 5 kids in pajamas, put a picnic in the car, and drove to Daddy’s workplace for a family celebration complete with fried chicken and a red checked tablecloth to spread on the floor.

Sarah was infinitely patient with her children. Mothering skills included room mother, Cub Scout den mother, Campfire girls leader and Bible class teacher until two years ago.

We have no idea how she kept from killing us when we broke the garage door window over and over, smashed the patio door twice, started a field next to the house on fire or broke the leg on antique chair. She allowed us to dig up the back yard to plant irises, learn to batik with Rit dye, and store roadkill for taxidermy in the freezer. She tolerated all varieties of pets, including dogs, mice, rats, turtles (she would stop the car and race to nab an injured box turtle in the roadway), ground squirrels, tadpoles, fish, salamanders, ducks, parakeets and injured baby birds. While living in her last home, Sarah maintained an animal sanctuary in her back yard, providing food and water in a safe spot for many creatures. She enjoyed regular visits from her feathered and furry friends, especially the raccoon with triplet babies and the black fox.

“You can find nice people wherever you move,” Sarah would remind her children. Holiday celebrations extended beyond family with more than 100 addresses on Sarah’s Christmas card mailing list as she stayed in touch with friends of more than 80 years. She faithfully sent cards to mark friends’ birthdays, anniversaries, and births and to console them in times of illness or difficulty and kept in touch with friends and family with frequent phone calls. Her children recall assembly-line production of fudge and banana bread for friends and acquaintances. When small, the children wondered why their mother took them to visit Grace, a Deaf friend, or Hazel, who didn’t read well, unaware that Sarah was helping by bringing groceries and good cheer as well as interpreting Social Security forms for them. A dedicated Christian who read her Bible daily, her actions in caring for others probably did more to instruct her children than words. Her family grew to include those around her wherever she lived as she “adopted” folks she saw regularly at the store, bank or post office, and especially those in her congregation. She especially loved babies and buying baby gifts was almost a hobby for her.

George and Sarah were best friends until his death in 1997. Often at the supper table she would ask, “George, are you eating onions tonight?” so they could kiss compatibly. Road trips provided a rollicking good time for these two, and George marked every occasion with a bouquet of her favorite yellow roses. After his death she missed him daily but continued to immerse herself wholeheartedly in her interests of reading multiple magazines and 2 daily newspapers, solving the Jumble puzzle in the paper, watching sports, and completing jigsaw puzzles. Her last audible words, at the start of the baseball game on the day of her death, were “Go Rockies!” She passed away peacefully at home, in Littleton, Colorado, on Sunday, June 19, surrounded by family.

Sarah is survived by:
• daughter Marcia Straatmeyer, grandson Tom Straatmeyer and wife Tracy, great-grandson Mason and a great-granddaughter to be born in September; granddaughter Laura Wagner and husband Gabriel, and great-granddaughter Harmony
• son Bob Watson and wife Nancy; grandchildren Elissa, Michelle and fiancé Dustin Hare, and Eric
• daughter Georgia Watson
• son Jim Watson and wife Ranae; grandsons Cory and Jesse
• daughter Donna Grace and husband Eric; granddaughter Sarah Dow and husband Matt, and a great-granddaughter to be born in October
• sister Eloise Chadwick
• one nephew and six nieces

Funeral Service will be Friday, June 24, 2011, at 10:00 A.M. at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 5303 East County Line Road, Centennial, Colorado 80122. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the family in honor of Sarah’s great-granddaughter Harmony, for Feeding Tube Awareness. Or contributions can be made
through Paypal to e-mail address tubieawareness@gmail.com

Please share your memories of Sarah and condolences with her family by signing the Guestbook.