Vera Louise Harwood Cheek Tribute

She was born Vera Louise Harwood,on Oct.6th 1920 to James and Eva Harwood.in Stedman Ga. She was the oldest of 8 children two brothers and five sisters. Manford (Billy), Marion (Fred), Viola, Maurice (Rennie),Bettty, Clara,and Frances (Polly). Most of her relatives lived in Cedar Town Ga. Her father was a farmer as were most folks back in those days. That's how they earned a living. Her mother's family were mostly christians and love to play different instruments and sing. I think that maybe where I get my love for music. My grandmother played the piano and organ. And I was told by my mother that when she was young she played the banjo. She was married on April 10,1944 to my dad Leonard Cheek by her uncle Rev. John Bachlor in his house. My dad was still in the army when they got married so when their first child Vera Dianne was born  the next year on June 3rd she was born at Fort Mcpherson hospital. Next came Allen Eugene on September 11th. Next came the twins Lillian Arnell and Vivian Bernell on Apr.3rd. Later she had another girl Linda Joanne  on Dec 18th and a boy David Leonard Oct.9th. And last came me Nancy Sue on July 9th. She dearly love her kids they meant everything to her and she always took awesome care of us. But beyond everything else she love God the most. She had more faith than anyone I have ever known. I was just 13 and was coming home from school one day when my sister in-law who lived across the street from us saw me and called me over. She sat me down and told me that they had put my mom in the hospital that day because she had Pneumonia.They did alot of test and later found out she had a tumor the size of a grapfruit on her colon and that it was cancer. She had probably suffered with it for years but didn't complain because that's just the kind of person she was. She had 8 hours of surgery and they had to remove her retum also because it had spread. She ended up having to have a colosomy made in her side. She had alot of treatments that never really helped very much. I remember days when she would be so weak and counldn't even eat anything but she would still thank God for giving her that day. I know she had the faith that God tells us about in the bible that could of healed her, but God had other plans. I wish he would have let me keep her longer but I have enough faith in God to know that he knows what is best. She lived five years with the cancer with the last year of her life spent mostly in bed. I got married to David on Nov.19,1975 we had only been married for a month when she died. On  Saturday morning Dec. 28th my sister Vivian had to call for an ambulance to take her to the hospital. She made it through the night then on Sunday morning Dec 29th  1975 around 11 am God came and took her home to be with him.There have been many times when I would have loved to have her with me. But in those times of greatest difficulty I can feel her beside me,giving me strength  and telling me it's going to be okay. She told me before she died that I was going to have a baby. I had no idea since I hadn't miss my period. In Jan 1976  I found out I was pregnant. I don't know how she knew but some how she did. So David suggested that we name our daughter Vera Shantay. She reminds me so much of my mom, they have alot in common. I just thank God everyday that he let me have her for as long as he did. He truly blessed me with the best mom anyone could have.She molded my mind and heart into the person I am today and I thank her for that. I hope she would be proud of the person I turned out to be. I love you mom and I know without a doubt how much you loved me. And I know that you are still taking good care of me even though you are so far away. I can't wait until the day I finaly get to be with you again. To me death is nothing to be afraid of,  if you know when you leave this earthly body where you are going, and I absolutely do.  Mom you are in my heart and thoughts every single day of my life. I am apart of you that lives on and even though my kids never got to meet you they know as much about you as I do. I have made sure they know what a special grandmother they had. And sometimes when I look into my daughters eyes I believe I can see you looking back at me. She is that much like her grandmother. God took you from me but he gave me Shantay in your place. David tells me all the time that the reason Shantay is such a good mother is because I was a good mother to my kids. But I tell him that it is because of my mother that I am the person I am so I give her all the glory . Awesome Mom!!!