My only memory of my Francis J Gamble, my great grandmother, is of a tall, frail old woman.  She was appearently a lot tougher than she looked when she was in her 90s.  She outlived two husbands.  The second one died, well, that is the interesting part. 

My great grandmother told my mother, "Death hovers over this house."  Because she had a lot of health problems, Francis assumed that Death had come for her.  She taught her husband, my mother's step grandfather, how to make corn bread, biscuits, gravy, and sausage.  These were things he eat every day, or often.  She wanted him to be able to have his favorite foods when she was gone.

Death may or may not have been hovering over the house.  However, my step grandfather dropped dead of a heart attack one day that week.  Out of the blue, as no one knew he had heart problems.  Death had passed Francis by, at least for the time being.

Death did not come until Francis was 96.  Yes, she was a lot tougher than she looked to my three year old eyes.  Staring Death in the face and having the presence of mind to teach your husband to make his favorite foods takes some guts, all right.  Maybe that is why Death took him instead -- He wasn't ready to face her yet.