A Grandson's Tribute

My Granny was the most Christ-like person I have ever known and embodies everything I ever hope to become.

She possessed the two greatest qualities any human being can ever posses: unconditional love and a heart that never judges.

Nora Nadine Denton-Yerton: My Granny – she was a woman ahead of her time.

She was born in Beggs, Okmulgee Co., OK in 1926 to Elsie Mae Burns and Thomas Finley Denton. She was raised in a family with a strong Christian background. Her 10th great grandfather was the first Presbyterian minister in the United States and many other grandfathers passed down their ideals learned through generational years of great military service. She also descends from Cherokee heritage.

She married Thomas Roland Yerton Jr. 2-22-1946 in Tulsa

Aside from raising four children she also owned and managed a family Laundromat, was a den mother for many years and city wide PTA president for several terms.

After her child rearing days were over she helped run Perry's Meat Market located at Admiral and Lewis. She was well loved and admired by her community.

She was the epitome of a community servant before we called them community servants. Every Friday she could be found at the local Christian church teaching ceramic painting techniques and loading the kiln for all of the local blue-hairs. I remember spending many Saturday mornings unloading the kiln with her so she could run a second "firing". When she retired from her full time job she started volunteering full time at Doctors Hospital to do whatever was needed to ease and comfort patients and their families - and so much more.

As the first of 13 grandchildren I enjoyed a few years as an only grandchild and bonded as deeply with her as my own mother (as my mother lived with her during my father’s deployment to Vietnam). She helped mold and nurture my spirit from birth. I often felt like I was the fifth child instead of the first grandchild.

A favorite story is the one where, as an infant, I developed a rash. Granny kept apply baby oil to the rash to make it get better. The more she applied the worse it became untill weeks later when the doctors said I was alergic to baby oil.

As a young child I would spend the night with her and my Papa almost every weekend. We'd always have an egg sandwich every Saturday morning, along with a glass of the most fowl/foul tasting Donald Duck orange juice. Saturday night we'd have a Tony's pizza. And on Sunday morning before church we'd head to the Borden's Cafeteria for biscuits and gravy where she and my grandfather were almost treated with celebrity status (he ran the Tulsa Police Academy for 30 years and was known seemingly known by everyone)

I also remember fondly the many, many Wednesday evenings we spent after church at Dairy Queen, and later Braums, just catching up on the events to the three previous days. 99% of the time I sat next to my Granny at church. As a young one she would take my finger and underscore the lyrics in the hymnal as we sang or read scripture (which she did for all 13 grandchildren when they sat with her). Later in my youth I slid into the spot next to her left vacant by my grandfather.

Leaving her behind at that church, when God decided my family must leave, was the single most difficult thing I have ever done in my life - knowing ho alone she might feel in the pew without my regular presence. In true Granny fashion she gracefully let me go without guilt and, although she did, once, let me know how much she missed my sitting next to her.

Granny was such a thoughtful person. She knew a long time ago that she wanted to pass along a legacy that reminded her grandchildren of her life and faith. For each of the 13 grandchildren she made a "Granny Blanket" a hand embroidered blanket that she created for each child along with her own child's input. She also created a "Granny book" that illustrated each letter of the grandchild's name. I know that these are two of my most cherished possessions.

As well, each Easter for 25 years everyone recieved a handpainted ceramic egg. Every year these come out of their wrappings to be displayed to the world. Also, every Christmas we all recieved a hand engraved brass ornament, and many years a hand painted ceramic ornament. So every year at Christmastime she'll be well rememebered as we all hang our ornamnets on our trees.

But above all, the biggest lessons Granny leaves behind are those of unconditional love and a heart that knows no judgement.

Granny was so quick to show love for everyone she knew. I put her right up their with Jesus. She was a true friend to so many that society would have her ignore. Beyond the effortless love for those she was related to, there was the "Psycho Cat Lady" whom she would allow to cook chicken gizzards on her patio for her 100 cats; the "Crippled lady" who she delivered groceries too every Friday; the "Grumpy Hermit" across the street who would only talk to Granny; the "Poor Kids Next door" who always needed a bath and some food & "those Hispanics folks" who took their place when they moved and brought their loud music that she overlooked every Saturday night and Sunday afternoon; the hundreds of poor, downtrodden, and forgotten who wandered off the streets into Perry's Meat Market and were greeted by name and for whom she would buy a sandwich or cold drink.

Granny is the only person I know who never judged another, at least not in public. She always was willing to see, not only the good in a person, but was able to acknowledge when there were circumstances beyond their control that went into their decision and played out in every outcome.

She was an ever constant ear, never giving advice without being asked. She was slow to reach disappointment and very quick to forgive.

She was raised with a very strong work ethic. She and her husband worked hard, spent wisely, and saved where possible. It was this wisdom in thriftiness that allowed her to live in relative comfort these last few years with the highest degree of care available.

I will forever remember the countless sunday afternoons spent at her house as 35+ people gathered on a weekly basis for Sunday lunch. There were almost always her infamous carrot pennies, Evelyn stone salad, pickled beets, pickeled oakra, cabbage, angel food cake, and cinammon applesuce jello. Aunts, Uncles, and cousins would sit a swap stories, play endless hours of dominoes and cards and just enjoy being around one antoher - but most being around their Granny.

Even the friends we would bring over were introduced to our Granny as "Granny". Many of our friends probably did not even know here real name. And she was so accepting of them all, even if she may have been hesitant about their character (although she would on occassion make sure to lock her purse in the closte when a certain few were in the house).

Her final passing is a gift to us all and a final blessing to her. She now continues her journey on the other side of the veil. Her new existence must be so exciting as a life force that exists in a dimension of time and space that we only theorize and dream about. She's free of the human form that kept her bound and constrained to a physical earth and now exists in the realm of God.
It is such a comfort to have a faith that allows you to know that you know that this fleshly death is just the sign of a spiritual existence that has taken over and a life that is nowhere near over, but just really starting.