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Memories of Golde Dicks Markham (1996) Golde Markham Dicks 103/125

Delivered by Ben Booz
Golde Dicks Markham
July27, 1908-May27, 1996

We’ve come together today to remember Golde Dicks Markham. I don’t think I’ve
ever called her “Golde,” though, because myself and all of our family have always called her
“Gee Gee.” That’s because when we kids were young, we couldn’t say, “Grandmother
Golde.” So, Mom and Dad just had us shorten it to “Gee Gee” and it stuck forever.
Gee Gee was my last living grandparent. Afid I’m gonna miss her real bad. Because

when you love somebody for so long, and then all of the sudden they’re gone, there’s a huge
empty place left in your heart and in your life. Losing Gee Gee was more than losing a
grandmother to me, because she was more than a grandmother, she was a best friend.

When Gee Gee left us two days ago, she took a lot with her. She took with her that
“secret something” that only she had that made her coconut cake taste so good, or her lemon
meringue pie, or her potato salad or turkey stuffing. Folks wonder why Gee Gee and I were
always so close. Well, I ate everything she put in front of me. And that’ll make any grand­

mother think you’re special.
But it’s certainly not just her good cooking that 1’11 miss, because Gee Gee also took
with her some of the best stories that could ever be told. Over the years I have always

enjoyed sitting around with her just listening to her stories. She had stories about swimming
down at the spring. And stories about cutting the head off the turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
She even had stories about putting charcoal in the Catholic Church’s “holy” water... but
the stories1 I’ll always like the best are the ones that we made together. Like the times we

went fishing together down on our dock in Jupiter. Or like the times we would go to
Morrison’s cafeteria together when I was at school in Gainesville. And I’ll always remember
helping her tend to customers who came to her house to buy planta and flowers. There were

times I felt like that flower business was half mine. It’s memories like these with my Gee Gee
that I’ll never forget.
Gee Gee taught me a lot of things over the years. Like how to plant an orange tree and
how to make “chicken pileau.” Like how to stand up for what you think is right and how to

forgive. She taught me howto enjoy bacon half-cooked. And how to gnaw a chicken leg till
there was nothing left. She taught me how to mix my eggs and grits together. She taught me
how to hang on like a bulldog when the tougher things in life come your way. She taught me

how to save money. And how to enjoy spending it. She taught me how to give. And how to

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