On Tuesday (July 28) Big & Rich‘s John Rich took to Twitter to share some sad news with his followers. His beloved grandmother, Cleda Ann Rich, had passed away. She was 88 years old.
Known to John’s fans as “Granny Rich,” she served as the source of inspiration behind John’s whiskey line, Granny Rich Reserve. It made sense for John to name the whiskey after her, since she played a major role in his life.
When announcing Granny Rich’s death, John said “she was a Mother to [him], and [he’ll] strive to live up to her example.”
John shared that Granny Rich had been in poor health lately after suffering a stroke a month prior. “Granny Rich went to be with Jesus after battling hard for a month from a stroke,” he said.
He ended his tweet by naming the qualities that made Granny Rich so admirable, saying “She was strong, funny, caring, and an unapologetic American to the end.”
I lost a giant of a lady in my life today. Granny Rich went to be with Jesus after battling hard for a month from a stroke. She was a Mother to me, and I'll strive to live up to her example. She was strong, funny, caring and an unapologetic American to the end. #RIPGrannyRich pic.twitter.com/JeiFN1kqFp
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) July 28, 2020
John followed up with two more tweets about Granny Rich so his fans could get an even better understanding of the type of person she was.
He first shared a picture of Granny Rich peeling apples while smiling at the camera and wearing an apron that said “Cookin’ With Granny.”
“Those hands peeled apples, drove tractors, sewed clothes and worked through The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl Days and WWII,” John wrote of his grandmother. He said she always found joy in her work “and believed laziness was a sin!”
Those hands peeled apples, drove tractors, sewed clothes and worked through The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl Days and WWII. Granny loved to work and believed laziness was a sin! She was a thumper🇺🇸 #RIPGrannyRich 1932-2020 pic.twitter.com/VSMqWrFdiF
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) July 28, 2020
Next, John shared a video he filmed of Granny Rich back in May. He said she wasn’t letting the COVID-19 pandemic “get her down” and was still in great spirits at the time.
“She still ran her business, carried on with her work and snuck a cocktail in every now and then…And swore she never colored her hair,” John said.
Tune in below to watch the video John shared of his Granny Rich. The two-minute clip gives you a feel for her personality and the type of woman she was.
Our hearts and prayers go out to John and his family during their time of grief. May Granny Rich rest in peace.