Virginia Lee “Make Me a Blanket” Written and performed by John Isaac Charles Coggins grandson 

Verse 1
Make me a blanket Virginia Lee
To swaddle this newborn baby please
And stitch his name on the corner seem
So when he's grown he can always see
With love from Virginia Lee
Make me a blanket Virginia Lee
To keep safe and sound while I sleep
To pull over my head if ever I’m afraid
From the things under my bed, it'll always keep my safe
I'll hold it closely Virginia lee
Chorus
With love, from the one who sewed the meaning of
Undying love, now she blankets all her warmth over us
From up above, so when times are tough,
We'll cling to the love
From Virginia
Verse 2
Make me a blanket Virginia Lee
To keep me warm through the years to be
That I may cling to, that I won't freeze
To bring me comfort to bring me peace
With love from Virginia Lee
Make me a blanket Virginia Lee
To snuggle my new found bride to be
And sew your heart on the corner seem
So when times get hard, we can always see
With love from Virginia LeeChorus
With love, from the one who sewed the meaning of,
Undying love, now she blankets all her warmth over us
From up above, so when times are tough,
We'll cling to the love
From Virginia
Bridge
Soak up the tears,
Fill our hearts
Keep us warm
Calm our fears
Keep us safe
Through every storm
And all these things we feel from you
Through every inch of thread,
You poured your heart and soul into everything you did
Verse 3
Make me a blanket Virginia Lee
To pass down with care to the family tree
With each new branch and each new leaf
Your love will live on eternally,
Sweet Virginia lee
Chorus
With love, from the one who sewed the meaning of
Undying love, now she blankets all her warmth over us
From up above, so when times are tough,
We'll cling to the love
From Virginia

Go to gallery to hear song 

Mom was with me or close by with every birth. Cheire was with me when Joel was born in Michigan.  Mom came on Monday she stayed until Friday and went home to be with Dad for the weekend. I cried when she left holding my new born baby wondering whats next. 

Joy was born in Tulsa Oklahoma two weeks past the due date. Mom flew in and we waited and waited went on walks and waited some more. We only had one car so she walked to the toy store with Joel in a stroller she bought him a red rocking chair with a train on it and a baby with a bottle so he could take care of a baby just like mom. they were a site coming down the street Joel in umbrella stroller with a large box on top  and a bag in her hand. Joy finally came in one October afternoon with ease and Joy filled the room. Mom cut the cord later she called Aunt Connie to tell her the news. We had ham and cheese on onion buns with bread and butter pickles cottage cheese with lawreys season salt as our potato chip dip. One of my favorite lunches me and Mom.  

Emily was born and Mom and Dad were there that time. Dad left early the next morning for a business trip but Mom stayed on cooking cleaning and rocking babies.

One of the worst phone calls I had to make was in April of 1985 my baby had died in the womb, Mom was there the next day She stayed and cooked cleaned cried with us, helped to make arrangements for a grave side funeral then we got the news Grandpa B died and she had to leave and go serve there. It was a hard year for our family. 

Then came Sarah in California, both mothers Chuck's and Mine came a week ahead of time Mom's back went out and I had to take her for treatments on her back so she could walk again. She tried to hold my head and wipe it with a cool washcloth while giving birth and she got my dust rag with pledge on it, it stunk! She thought she was getting to old for this. Mom would always say after that you should never have two mother in laws in the same house for a week at a time. 

2 years later when John was born Cherie was with us once again. Mom came after and was happy to be there in sunny California in January. They lived in Chicago now. 

Then 8 years later in Tulsa Anne was born now Joy took the lead in helping around the house until Grandma Ginny could come. Always a servant, always a helper always a friend. 

Now it is me 9 grandchildren later serving my children with the same love.  

Dear Don and family,

The four of us spent our childhood trying to get Mom to reveal the secret. What does PEO stand for??? She never told, though the organization has released the name recently, it still seems like it should be her secret.

She was the fourth generation of women who worked at fundraising, so women could go to college. Mom's Great-grandmother, Elisabeth Harvey Stevens and Elisabeth's daughter, Nellie, were P.E.O. members in the 1800s. Maude Drum Stevens, (Elisabeth's daughter-in-law and Mom's grandmother), Katherine Thompson, and then Mom were members. Mom attended two meetings a month for 64 years. I got to attend a luncheon in Walla Walla with her where she was awarded her 50 year pin. Mom said, "If you join P.E.O. you'll have friends whereever you go."

She was very happy that her sister-in-law, LouAnn, joined P.E.O.  Connie Lou has taken on similar work of helping orphans in Kenya get to college. Mom has tried for years to get me to join. Maybe when I retire, Mom. I'm getting them ready for college in kindergarten and first grade, right?

I wonder if as a memorial to Mom we could support another girl's college tuition - or start a fund for all her great-grandchildren to be able to attend college. 

Mom was a faithful member.

Mom had the softest skin. I remember as a girl, pressing my cheek to her cool soft arm while standing in the kitchen at the Barela house.

She put Jergen's lotion on before going out with Dad to choir practice, to lead the youth group at church, or a date night. The smell of Jergen's reminds me of my childhood mom.

When Emily and Joy came to Poulsbo for a visit they exclaimed how soft Mom's hands were. And Sarah did her nails for her while visiting. A simple pleasure she appreciated. 

On one visit to Mom and Dad's house (which I had been trying to do every two weeks) Dad went to choir practice,  I sat with my foot tucked underneath, on the couch, watching TV with Mom. She reached over and rubbed my leg with those soft hands. A simple gesture I will treasure.

Moms touch was soft.

The sky over ALE (Arid Lands Ecology Reserve along Highway 240) was full of dark storm clouds as the sun was setting Saturday evening. I had jumped in the car and headed for Poulsbo after receiving the call from the hospital. Mom was in ICU on life support. Jim and Richard, Mercedes, Liana, and Tracy had headed for the hospital to be with Dad, and to say goodbye as they removed life support. The clouds parted and a beam of sunshine reached down from the heavens and attached to the front of my car. A feeling of peace and happiness washed over me with that little miraculous piece of natural beauty. You are my sunshine, Mom.

For Mom's 80th birthday, we had a reunion at the Jacobsen's Sky Mountain Ranch in Idaho. All of us packed a quilt that mom had made. We had a quilt fashion show in her honor. Each great-grandchild wore and modeled a quilt down the runway in the lodge. Mom and Dad were seated in places of honor like the queen and king, while Emily M.C.'d the show.

Many talented offspring performed in a talent show. Pedro and Jordan played guitar, (Richard was in the hospital with a pig wire in the toe infection!) Tatyana sang a song that named all the Presidents, Connie and Chuck sang "Forgive them Father" Emma and Tatyana performed a dance routine to "She's a Grand Ole Flag," the Coggins family sang, "Sacrifice of Praise," and again, Dad crooned, "Misty," mom's favorite song.

Multigenerational teams were assigned chores: weeding the garden, cooking, cleaning up, and milking the goats. There was kayaking, horse riding, Blues guitar jams with Richard, water color painting with Rachel, and Mom offered a pillowcase sewing class. She taught her great-granddaughters, Emma, Sadie, and Tatyana to sew a project they got to take home. Mom was talented.

The last time I saw Mom was after a visit the first weekend in August. After a hug, a kiss, and "I love you,"  she stood, wearing her robe, holding Dad's hand, in the garage as I backed my car out. We waved goodbye and she blew me a kiss. I thought, as I drove towards the ferry, that I wished I had a photo of that moment. Now, I wish that more than ever. I will store that picture in my memory to save forever and ever.

As a young girl, somehow, I talked my mom and dad in letting me have an assortment of pets. I kept white mice in a box in the garage. I forgot to feed them. I brought Speedy Gonzalez and GiGi, weak and close to death, to my mom with tears streaming down my face. She placed them in a shoebox and gave them bread and milk and warmed them in the oven. They both survived! My mom was my hero.