President Roosevelt’s mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, died on September 7, 1941 with FDR at her side. Eleanor memorialized her mother-in-law in her September 8-11, 1941 “My Day” columns. She wrote, “An anxious 24 hours culminated a little before noon today in the death of my husband’s mother. Had she lived until the 21st of this month, she would have celebrated her 87th birthday. One can have none of the resentment which comes when death cuts short a young life, but she was a very vital person with a keen interest in living and I think had she had a few more years vouchsafed her, she would have lived them with keen avidity and enjoyment.

She was born in the year 1854, brought up in a large family and endowed with the Delano beauty. She sailed to China on a clipper ship, as well as to Europe on the most modern of today’s steamers…Her life was a rich, full life. She had seen her only son inaugurated as President of the United States three times, and she still felt that her husband was the most wonderful man she had ever known.”

To read the full article, and the rest of the articles in this series, visit the “My Day” archives, hosted by George Washington University.