How it Started and Where it Went

This all began when Grace Reeder reached out about doing a story on Grandma and our brewery adventures. People got to see her, her outlook on life, and the fear that most older adults have…. falling. We didn’t know how big this was going to become, and I still don’t think Grandma had any idea the kind of impact she had.

With COVID restrictions lifted and everyone feeling safer, we decided to do a surprise birthday party at Ex Novo for the big 102. She drank cider, ate BBQ from Mike’s Mighty Meats, and chatted with many friends and family. It couldn’t have been a better evening.

On November 27, 2022, Grandma passed away at home at the age of 102. Less than 18 hours later, her eldest son, Mikie passed away at the hospital. He had Down Syndrome and lived to 70 years old! The Duran family was very good at exceeding life expectancies.

Elaine Briseño wrote an amazing article about Grandma and her life. She met with Grandma’s two children, Gilbert and Gerri Ann about her life, what she was like from their perspective, and what the brewery scene did for her.

Grandma started going to breweries a few years ago, and she enjoyed seeing all of the people, trying new foods, and realizing that she loved ciders.

When people started recognizing her, she never knew why. She assumed people came up to her because they were my (Carmen Jr.) friends. That’s how awesome she was. She would show up at the brewery and barely talk to me because she was so busy looking at everyone else.

She became everyones Grandma.