Rite of Passage Question, What I remember of my grandmother

This story reminded me a lot of my own grandmother.  I remember her house always being the place to go for family dinners, Holiday's, Birthday's, etc.  She always made the best food.  I loved walking into her house and thinking I love that smell, the smell of fresh apples and cinnamon.  She always had apple crisps for us.  To this day when I smell it I think of her.  She was her families "Rock".  Her husband, (my grandfather) died from lung cancer at the age of 50 so grandma had to take care of the 9 children alone.  She learned to be strong in every situation.  A few years later one of her sons died in a car wreck at the age of 19.  I never got the privilege to meet my grandfather or uncle, I just get to hear the stories and see their pictures.  After that she tried to keep the family together the best she could.  As my dad, aunts, and uncles got older they moved out, moved away, got married and began families of their own.  She would have Sunday dinners every week with those of us that were around.  As time passed we started noticing she didn't know who we were or where she was.  She would yell about things that no one knew she was talking about or talk to herself.  All of my aunts took turns caring for her until one night she woke up in the middle of the night and took off walking.  After a long search the police found her walking down a street.  The next day she was taken to a nursing home where we visited her every week until she passed away in 1996.  I remember going to the funeral and watching my family cry harder than I've ever seen.  To this day we still talk about her at family dinners like she is still here.