“Grandma Northrop” was the only one of my great-grandparents whom I ever met. I recognize her children’s names from my father’s mention of his aunts and uncles.

I am extracting from Jane Lloyd-Crawford’s history here, as in many listings of Esther Lloyd’s immediate forbears.

When Lena was born the family consisted of the 3 children of J. Henry’s first marriage…
Lena loved the vineyards of her New York home but its climate was not beneficial for her father’s weakened lungs, so in 1890 the couple and their two respective daughters moved to Denver…
After a year or two… Mr. Forrester had sold real estate for a brief period of time and then returned to his former occupation as a salesman of fine teas and spices…
We have few records of Lena’s teen years. She attended Vassar School at the corner of Vassar and South Lincoln Streets and went on to South High. It is certain that music played an important part in her life then as later.
There is a good possibility that Lena met Howard Wayne Lloyd through their common links with the grocery industry. Her father may have supplied wholesale teas to the store managed by William Lloyd, and the Forrester family, no doubt, had groceries delivered by Howard from William’s South Denver store.
We have no stories about Lena’s wedding except the date: the 27 of December 1899. She was not quite 20 years old…
In a month Lena’s father was dead of pneumonia and her mother joined their household. Ella Forrester would spend the next twenty-five years caring for her daughter’s children… Lena was occupied with child bearing and nurturing…
During these busy years, activities of Cameron Church predominated [in] her life. Lena always made time for meeting of her beloved “In His Name” (I.H.N.) Bible Class and the “Women’s Christian Temperance Union” (W.C.T.U.)…
The death of her beloved husband in 1923 brought dramatic change in her family’s life style, compounded by the death of her mother in 1925… Each of the young children took whatever responsibilities they were able but economies were necessary, like hand-me-down clothing and limiting the meat and dessert servings…
While visiting Arthur at his rural job Lena met a certain rancher. Their affection grew and on 21 January 1937 Lena married Henry Clay Northrop in City Hall, San Francisco. Arthur and his wife were witnesses.
The highlights of her wedding trip were recorded for us in her notebook and revealed her excitement about traveling and seeing family members in California.
Back in South Denver, Lena continued her musical contributions in the choir and as an accompanist at Cameron Methodist Episcopal Church and with her interest in temperance issues. She also took on the daytime responsibility of granddaughter Jane, and later on of Lorraine.
Mr. Northrop was a fine gardener and an avid Pinochle player. He was a companion to Lena for nearly sixteen years. He was also a grandfather to several of the Lloyd family children (serving stacks of pancakes on Sunday mornings). On 3 December 1952, at the age of 93, he died and was buried in his family plot [in] Farwell, Michigan.
Lena lived alone in the big house for a number of years and then with a live-in companion. Finally, as her health became more and more fragile, she was a resident of a convalescent home, where death came to her on 21 April 1961.
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