Each year "The Mountaineer" chooses a Mother of the Year in order to honor all area mothers for Mother's Day.
This year is a repeat performance. Margaret Grubb has been the Mother of the Year before.
Since she turned 99 a couple of weeks ago, it seemed fitting to celebrate with her this Mother's Day.
Imagine this.
When Margaret's mother and father came to Big Sandy they were looking for homestead land. That is what brought them from Ellis Island to Chicago and then to Big Sandy where Martin Blazic, Margaret's father, opened up a cobbler's shop. The family lived in the rear of the shop. Margaret was born right here in Big Sandy and according to Margaret it was a far different Big Sandy than it is today. The family read in the evening by the light of Kerosene lanterns and Margaret recalls that when they got Coleman pump type lamps, it was a big deal. Just like when the family graduated from a wagon and horses to a car.
It is easy to imagine Big Sandy back then with dirt streets, lots of dust and mosquitoes and always the wind.
In what was called the Dirty Thirties, there was little rain and many homesteaders left the country. But not Margaret.
After she graduated from high school in Big Sandy in 1937 she moved to Missoula to stay with a sister. It was there that she met Joel Grubb and they were married that next year.
So, it was back then to Big Sandy, with a family of five children. Margaret recalls that they started farming around 1942. Of course they raised wheat and barley but they also raised pigs, horses, and anything that the family could eat or sell.
Long before electricity, it was again a far different kind of life than the Big Sandy community lives now. McNamara's lived in a big house and had the big store and the bank.
Margaret cannot remember when they got their first car but thinks it was in the 40's and was probably a Ford.
What is amazing about this story is here is a wonderful, jolly, kind woman who has seen Big Sandy from almost the beginning of time. And still she keeps going, having coffee every weekday morning at the Senior Citizens' Center and keeping up with her church work. And she is learning all about computers and about telephones that actually take pictures these days. Go figure!
Margaret spent a whole career at the Medical Center, too. She has done most everything that could be done in the community.
And, bless her heart, she has a list of what has helped her live a good life and a long life in this community.
"I really believe it is important to keep moving," said Margaret. "And by that I mean that I have always done a lot of walking. I have always worked on crafts and that has kept me going too. I eat healthy, I am always trying to learn new skills and I pray a lot."
There it is. And, probably Margaret would not mind if you knew that she might take a sip of a red beer or some wine once in a while.
Follow Margaret's advice and live a good and long life!
Happy Mother's Day to Margaret and all the mothers in the area.
