Memorials › Bertha Myrtle Bristow Fitzgerald

Bertha Myrtle Bristow Fitzgerald

24 May 1918 – 3 Apr 2015

Birth24 May 1918
Death3 Apr 2015
CemeteryLiberty Cemetery
Bradford , Anderson County , Texas , USA
Added byThomas Wylie on 06 Apr 2021
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144716215

Bio

Bertha Bristow Fitzgerald, 96, of Athens, moved to her heavenly home on April 3, 2015. She was preceded in death by husband Robert Fitzgerald, daughter-in-law Linda Fitzgerald and grandsons Kyle Fitzgerald, Jason Atwood, and Brandon Martin Survivors include daughters Dell Martin (Robert) and Sue Wylie (Thomas); sons Butch Fitzgerald (Ann) and Garry Fitzgerald (Kaye); granddaughters Debie Atwood, Shannon Sims, Susan Ballow, and Miranda Wylie; grandsons Ricky Martin, Lane Harrell, Matthew Wylie, Kevin Fitzgerald, and Jason Fitzgerald; great-granddaughters Brittaney Atwood, Kennedy Ballow, and Ashlyn Fitzgerald; great-grandsons Keaton Sims, Klayton Ballow, Reagan Harrell, Parker Harrell, Colin Harrell, Levi Wylie, and Noah Fitzgerald; and great-great-granddaughters London and Brooklyn Atwood. Bertha was born in LaRue, Texas, on May 24, 1918, to George and Florence Bristow, the seventh of eight children. She was the last survivor of the eight and lived longer than any of her family. She was less than two months short of turning 97. Her oldest brother gave her the name Bertha after she went nameless for several days following her birth. Bertha was a popular name in 1918. Her family called her "Sue" or "Little Sis." She grew up in hard times and picked cotton. She attended school whenever she could. She never completed high school but was self-educated. She loved to read and could entertain herself for hours with a book or magazine. She admitted to being a tomboy in overalls while growing up; riding horses and playing basketball. She liked caps--not bonnets--and baseball. Her memories from a simpler time would recall houses with cracks in the floor, outhouses, kerosene lanterns, milking cows, and toting water and washboards. Her early transportation was walking or a horse-drawn wagon. She remembered the first automobiles with hand cranks and rumble seats. She remembered doctors making house calls. In her life communication went from party lines to cell phones and the internet. She never understood the internet and never knew her picture was on it. She loved animals, especially dogs, but NOT cats! Her dislike of cats came from the many annoying cats at her house while she was a child. Bertha married Robert Fitzgerald and was his helpmate for almost 50 years. She helped him in the garden as they grew food for the family. She spent many hours over a hot stove canning the garden produce. Her pantry was stocked full of her canned goods. She did whatever she could for the family while her husband earned a living as a barber. Bertha and Robert raised two sons and two daughters. After listening to her talk about her children, you knew they were her life and her light. She was her kids' biggest advocate, encouraging them all the way. She also disciplined them. Oh, that switch hurt. If they got in trouble at school, they knew what waited at home. She was a momma grizzly when it came to protecting her family and was not shy or scared of anything. She usually spoke her mind. She was an energetic, fun and unpretentious little lady. She was a caregiver by nature and wanted to feed you. If you had already eaten, then surely you could eat some more or have some iced tea and cookies. The cookie jar was always filled with homemade cookies. "How about a hot cup of coffee and some old dry cake?" she would ask. She always had a pound cake available. She worked hard all her life, but never away from her home. She made home a sanctuary of comfort for her family. Her children always knew where their mom was--she was at home. Home was a special place because of her. She cooked hot meals for them from that heavily stocked pantry and freezer. And she cooked those good country breakfasts: biscuits, bacon, ham, sausage, gravy, eggs, and good beginnings for the day. When the children or grandchildren got off the school bus, she always had snacks waiting for them. In the winter it would be something warm and soothing like Indian bread or fried pies. In the summer, it was something cold and refreshing. She comforted them when they were sick so staying home with her was almost worth feeling bad. She believed that cleanliness was next to godliness. She washed clothes and often hung them on a clothesline. Her family did NOT wear un-ironed clothes or clothes with holes. For years she sewed clothes on a treadle sewing machine. This machine provided many hours of entertainment for the kids...until Mamma caught them peddling it. Her mansion was a simple country home that she cleaned, painted and decorated. She could transform an ugly duckling into a decorating item. If it didn't move, it got painted. If she didn't like the color, she repainted it. Her fearless passion for painting has been passed down. She was a Christian momma and took her children to Virginia Hill Baptist Church. Pappa was the song leader and Mamma helped out in many areas. She also wrung the chickens' necks and fed the preacher fried chicken and banana pudding on Sunday. She loved her grandchildren and they all loved to visit Mamma. Some of the grandkids had to be dragged to the car screaming when it was time to leave. Kyle and Susan lived with her and she devoted her life to raising them. When her man was disabled by a stroke, she took care of him at home until his death. She was a strong-willed woman and kept busy at her home after Pappa's death. She continued to have a vigorous vegetable garden, mowed her large yard with a push mower till age 82 and even painted the exterior of her house. Her manicured yard was filled with lots of plants and beautiful blooms. Her thumb was definitely green. With a love for the outdoors, she felt confined when she had to be inside. When the weather did not allow her to be outdoors, she made beautiful quilts for her family. If the fabric scraps were not suitable for a quilt, she cut them into strings and made rag rugs. She had lived through hard times so she did not allow anything to go to waste. She was the queen of recycling. She crocheted doilies, table cloths and bedspreads while listening to radio station KBUD. Her favorite singer was Jim Reeves. She loved "He'll Have To Go" and sang along with him on "It Is No Secret What God Can Do." After Robert's death in 1985, she became a member of Central Baptist Church. When her health made going to church uncomfortable she continued to read her Bible daily. She would preface her plans by saying, "Lord willing, I will get it done." If you complained about the weather, she would say, "It will change when the good Lord gets ready for it to change." In 1987 she again relied on God for her strength with the death of her grandson, Kyle, who was like a son to her. In 2000 her pace was slowed by a light stroke but it did not get her down. Realizing that she could no longer take care of her house and yard, she consented to move to an apartment in Athens. The move was not as emotional for her as it was for her children. She said, "I just told myself it was necessary and did not look back." Her children made the move more exciting by decorating her apartment and making Mom's new pad beautiful. She adjusted to living in the city much better than anyone expected and set about making her apartment a home. The small flower beds came alive with colorful blooms to welcome everyone. And as always, her new home was spotless because everything had to be clean and organized. This is another trait she passed down to her children. She did not let circumstances get her down as she always looked for the bright side of a situation. She fought against boredom by staying busy at something. She often commented that when folks ask you how you are, they really don't want to hear about all your aches and pains and problems. Don't bore them with the details, she would say. And she didn't. You rarely knew just how bad she felt. In later years, her patience grew thin, especially in a doctor's office. One minute was like thirty to her. "Waiting is a waste of time," she would say, " I have things to get done at home." She had to be busy--no idle hands for this woman. ln 2007 it became clear that she could no longer live alone at her apartment. Her children had dreaded this day, wondering how they would tell her it was time to go to a nursing home. That day came as she went straight from the hospital to South Place Nursing Home. She made the transition and never mentioned going back home. It was easier for her than for her children. She called her room "HER PLACE" and her kids decorated it with familiar things from her apartment. She loved watching the birds and the rabbits through the window. When family visited, she still asked if she could get them something to eat although she no longer had a kitchen or food to serve. She still talked about how busy she had been and about work she needed to get done. She worried about her daughter getting home safely, still telling her to be "doubly careful" and to call when she arrived home. Mamma forgot there was no phone in her room. She lost the ability to walk but that didn't slow her down. She peddled her wheelchair with impressive speed up and down the long halls of the nursing home. Mamma could not hear much. Her speech turned to garble and it was difficult to understand her. But when she got irritated, she put some "umph" into her words and they came out pretty plain. This was when you better leave her alone for a while. Dementia altered her mind but her spirit was not broken and her determination was strong. There were times when it looked like she was on her way out but she popped back up and away she wheeled in her chair. Her love was felt through her smile, her big hugs, and her strong hands. Her excitement to see family members was priceless and will be missed. She still had a sense of humor and would laugh at herself when she slid out of her wheelchair, which happened a lot. And she fell out of the bed onto her face. Mamma never broke a bone. She made several attempts to escape the confines of South Place and once she made it to the street. Another time she shuffled her wheelchair out an open door, off a ramp, and landed on her head. Sometimes she hid in vacant rooms to be alone and she went where she should not. She broke rules and got into trouble frequently. It was suggested that she should find a new home. God watched over Bertha. She was a modest little lady with a strong desire to be independent and care for herself, even when she could no longer do so. She had a determination made of iron and grit and a heart full of love. Her life has given her family examples of morals and values to live by, of independence and tenacity, of hard work, of unselfishness, and of love. Her family is grateful for her life, for the memories and the imprint she has made on all their lives. She has finally escaped and found a new home. It is just heavenly. The move is complete. She has gone to reunite with her mate. Rest now, Mamma, and enjoy the good life. YOU DESERVE IT! (Biography composed by Sue F. Wylie)

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