In Loving Memory of Mary Adamson Owen

For our first-ever encore episode, we have Mary Adamson Owen, otherwise known as the best grandma in the world. Grandma was my inaugural podcast guest and reason for starting This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life.

After a long, strange, and beautiful life, Grandma died on November 14, 2025. She was 99. To honour her memory, I am reposting the extra special interview we did back in March of 2023. We recorded from her tiny room in long-term care, where she had just moved in. Unsurprisingly, she was an all-star guest. It is such a treasure to be able to listen to her voice and her stories now that she is “gone,” whatever that means.

I have added an only slightly teary intro and some VIP footage at the end. Check out the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PQACTE_CduA

To learn more about Mary’s life, you can read her obituaryor watch a wonderfully extensive interview series, created by the Crestwood history project, created when Grandma was 98!

Bravo, Grandma! We miss you so much.

Thank you everyone for listening.

Love, Erica

Instagram: @erica.j.schmidt

Substack: ericajschmidt.substack.com

Website: ericajschmidt.com

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