Honor Juanna's Legacy: Support Her Final Journey

Hello, I'm Brielyn Minden and today we are going to talked about my grandma Juanna, or as most people knew her as JoJo or Joey. It all started on June 10th 1938 the day she was brought into this world. She was one of five kids

She always told me she would make the best of what the had growing up especially growing up during those hard times. Helping her Dad milk the cow

or keeping the kids busy, just always trying to make the best out of the situation. She later would graduate highschool in 1956 at Benson high School

Then she moved in with her father and started to work at high-end restaurants all throughout downtown Portland as a waitress and bartender, she saved up and moved out and got her own place, then in 1959 she got pregnant with her first child Carrie who she gave birth to in 1960.

She was in aww with Carrie, she would tell me in stories how she would take her on tea dates and everyone would compliment Juanna on her Carrie was acting so politely and respectfully. Well a few years later Juanna met this man named William Minden (my grandpa ) and they just hit it off and then got married. And in 1970 the couples first and only child together was born my dad Robert.

Ooh let me tell you, if you knew Juanna you knew how much she loved her son, and if you didn't she would tell you.

Fast forward to the early 90's where my parents met and Joey welcomed my mom in with open arms. Shortly after my parents get married my grandma would soon find out she would become a grandma to a granddaughter, Kirsten. My goodness did she love my sister. That's was her first grandbaby, then a year later another baby, my other older sister, Tyler the love she had for her was um matched. Then the last of older grandchildren me the joy and love she carried around with us was truly remarkable.

Later on in life Kirsten would make Juanna a great-grandmother. Welcoming Katie in 2013. Sadly we lost our dear sister in 2017 but that didn't stop the love my grandmother had for her and her daughter.

Now lest jump to a few months ago, my grandma was experiencing some stomach pain and was often forgetful but that it was nothing so she just put it to the side and thought nothing of it. Well she had some pretty nasty falls and got admitted to the hospital and they ran some test and something can back that wasn't so normal, they told her she has late last pancreatic cancer. They told us hospice was our best option. So on the 3rd of November she cam back home to live out her final days with love ones and be as comfortable as she can be. We will always love you Grandma