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Originally written on July 27, 2017, just before my Gram's 100th birthday. She has since passed, but she was one of my favorite people in the entire world, and I wanted to preserve this little celebration of the extraordinary woman she was.
This is a very special week, as my beloved grandma turns 100 years old on July 29! Does she look incredible or what!? I feel so grateful that my life has been surrounded by strong, inspiring women, and my grandma is a huge part of that unshakeable foundation.
Gram has been a trailblazer since she was born in 1917, and she graduated from college with a degree in math. Considering what an achievement that still is 100 years later, it was a remarkable accomplishment back then, too. And she learned from the best. She actually had Albert Einstein as a professor!
She's seen a lot over the last century. She went from being one of the first people to drive through the Lincoln Tunnel to watching the digital age boom around the globe. And through all of it, she's been a strong backbone of our family.
I'm so inspired and in awe of my Gram, and I'm not the only one. In honor of her 100th birthday, local community members have made a documentary about her astounding life. I look forward to watching it with my family, and I'll share it with you all soon. Naturally, she's full of amazing memories, so it's bound to be an interesting, heartwarming tale.
Do you have family members whose stories you could listen to over and over again? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below.
A little note from 2026: My Gram has since passed, and reading these words now brings up so much love. She was one of my favorite people in the entire world, and I feel incredibly lucky that I got to know her, learn from her and celebrate this remarkable milestone with her.
There are people who shape you so deeply that their influence doesn't disappear when they're gone. Gram was absolutely one of those people for me. Her strength, intelligence and independence were part of that "unshakeable foundation" I wrote about in 2017, and all these years later, I still feel it beneath me.
I'm so glad this little piece of her story still lives here.
With all my love, Gram,
Colleen
© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: July 27, 2017
Updated: August 13, 2026
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