Tribute to my Grandmother

My Grandmother was born in the early 1900's in Hyde Park, Utah.  Her parents named her Minnie Neona Christensen.  But, everyone called her Leona.  I am not sure why, I guess it just fit her better or maybe she just liked it better.  When she was a young girl, her family moved to Idaho as the government opened up the Snake River Valley in southern Idaho to homesteaders, and allowed irrigation rights from the Snake River.  A desert land that had been covered with sage brush, was gradually turning into green and fertile fam lands, as farmers settled and began irrigating the parched earth.  Grandma's family had some hard luck getting settled in the valley.  They finally settled in the town of Heyburn, on the north side of the Snake River.  Though times were hard for her family, her mother, Retta, made sure that the children took music lessons.  Her father, Joe, had bought their mother a piano when they lived in Hyde Park, and they were sure to bring it with them.  Grandma took piano lessons and loved to play the piano.  She became quite accomplished and used her skills and talents to bless the lives of many.  Most of her callings in the church were related to her accompanying on the piano.  I remember her when she was quite old, being called to play the piano for primary.  She enjoyed it and was glad to still be of service.  Music was also a big part of her own home as she raised her children.  Many evenings, the children would gather around the piano singing as grandma played for them. 
Grandma married William Burr Christenson, so technically, her name is Minnie Neona Christensen Christenson, which is kind of interesting that she just had to change the spelling of her last name when she got married.  Grandma and Grandpa raised nine children, my dad, Larry being the 4th child.  The home my dad was raised in in Heyburn only had two bedrooms.  Grandma and Grandpa had a room, the boys had the other room and the girls slept in the living room.  Though their life was humble, they were happy and they never went without food, due to the efforts of their parents.  The house was situated on a 10 acre parcel of land.  They had a huge garden and many fruit trees.  Grandma canned and dried much fruit and produce so that they would have enough to eat throughout the winter.  Grandma also loved to quilt, so there were always enough cozy handmade quilts on those winter nights, when the cold seeped in through the walls and windows.  She made quilts for my first two babies, which I really appreciated.  I still have them.
Later after many of the children were grown up, grandma and grandpa sold their little farm and bought another house in Heyburn.  That is the  house that I remember.  Grandpa still had a huge garden and grandma also had rows and rows of flowers.  I loved walking through the flowers and picking snapdragons.  They  had a 'slippery slide' in the back that we liked to play on.  Grandma would always give us a piece of waxed paper to sit on when we went down the slide so we could slide faster.
My grandmother loved doing genealogy.  And she did a lot.  One day, after she died, my dad brought some of her records to my home in Utah for me to see.  I made a lot of copies.  She was very dedicated in this work.
 I miss my grandma and wish I had spent more time with her when I had the chance.  She was a great woman and left a wonderful legacy.