Posts
Thanksgiving is a time of sharing and getting families together. I can remember many of them, usually at my Dad's parents' house. They would invite Mom's parents also as they lived in the same town for quite a while. Grandma was a great cook and never tired of all the family and friends who would show up. She always seemed to have left overs so prepared a lot of extra food. Her dressing was different and one time my cousin just point blank told her it was sloppy. It was always runny, never dry. The day after Thanksgiving Grandma showed us all how to shop. She was a pro at shopping.
After my Mom's parents moved to eastern Nebraska, we spent several Thanksgivings with them. While things were more simple with only six people at the table, Grandma still cooked up a storm. She was from the south so it wasn't unusual to have many vegetables along with pickles (always home made). Grandma made the best dill pickles ever!
The day after Thanksgiving was Husker football in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mom and Grandma would usually stay home, but Grandpa, Dad and my brother and I would go to the game. What fun to be part of the crowd and feel the surge of energy from yelling on the Huskers. We very seldom came home sad that the Huskers lost.
One time we had a different Thanksgiving. We spent it with friends who had three children. They lived in the country and it was great fun running all over the place. Dad and his friend went pheasant hunting early on Thanksgiving morning and the day after. Spending Thanksgiving with friends is great, but not as great as with family. Mom says that is because we are all blessed with family and that is why she loves doing genealogy.
Whether you spend Thanksgiving with family or friends, it's a time to share and be happy. Whether you have sloppy dressing or dry dressing, it's a time to be thankful for everything you have. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
School Days and Genealogy
Mom was and still is always studying. It's history, geography and, of course, genealogy. I don't think she has ever quit going to school. Now I take my daughter to school and Mom sometimes picks her up after school. While she waits Mom reads...genealogy magazines or books. Never a idle moment without genealogy!
When my brother went for his first day of school, Mom forgot to get him after school. She claimed she was busy preparing food when the teacher called to ask if somebody would please come and get him. I think she was probably knee deep in a genealogy problem, enjoying the fact that she was minus one kid for more than half a day. When she got there to get him, he was sitting with the teacher on the steps of the school, crying. He let her know that she had forgotten him.
Sometimes she would drag us off to cemeteries and then dispense strict orders that we were not to tell our Dad that she had spent hours in the cemetery. They were not exactly playgrounds, but they were just that for Mom.
For Mom it's genealogy 24/7 and she's zealous about finding ancestors and relatives. If somebody was born, they had a mother and father and she's bound to eventually find them. I just hope she doesn't forget my daughter at school. As long as she can take her genealogy goodies with her perhaps she won't.
When my brother went for his first day of school, Mom forgot to get him after school. She claimed she was busy preparing food when the teacher called to ask if somebody would please come and get him. I think she was probably knee deep in a genealogy problem, enjoying the fact that she was minus one kid for more than half a day. When she got there to get him, he was sitting with the teacher on the steps of the school, crying. He let her know that she had forgotten him.
Sometimes she would drag us off to cemeteries and then dispense strict orders that we were not to tell our Dad that she had spent hours in the cemetery. They were not exactly playgrounds, but they were just that for Mom.
For Mom it's genealogy 24/7 and she's zealous about finding ancestors and relatives. If somebody was born, they had a mother and father and she's bound to eventually find them. I just hope she doesn't forget my daughter at school. As long as she can take her genealogy goodies with her perhaps she won't.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Girls (Grannies) Go to Wyoming
Mom, #1, and Aunt Cheri, #2, of the team of You Go Genealogy Girls are off again. They are going back to Wyoming and even though they would like to head the car, aka Lil' Red, toward Salt Lake City, they are heading north to Sheridan. The Family History Expo is being held there July 17th and 18th.
A little over a week ago Mom was getting ready for a day-trip to cemeteries in eastern Nebraska. She sprained her knee just a few feet outside her door. That landed her in ER and ended her cemetery trip. Good thing she didn't do it in some abandoned cemetery in the middle of no-where.
Aunt Cheri has been entertaining her son and his family of eight children for almost two weeks. Mom reports that she calls from the peace and quiet of her computer/genealogy room but occasionally there are knocks on the door and response of "go away" or "be quiet out there."
Will the Girls be ready for this trip to Sheridan? If it pertains to genealogy...and it does...they will be ready. Mom is doing physical therapy for her knee and using a sexy, floral cane just in case. Aunt Cheri will probably need to take a wig because she's pulling her hair out. With eight grandchildren ages 17 to 6 months, it is difficult to not pull your hair out. All said and done, she loves every one of them. Tis just challenging at times. Mom wants to be out walking her mile a day, but finds it challenging to just get to the mailbox and back. She says it is like looking for ancestors...just another challenge in her life.
A little over a week ago Mom was getting ready for a day-trip to cemeteries in eastern Nebraska. She sprained her knee just a few feet outside her door. That landed her in ER and ended her cemetery trip. Good thing she didn't do it in some abandoned cemetery in the middle of no-where.
Aunt Cheri has been entertaining her son and his family of eight children for almost two weeks. Mom reports that she calls from the peace and quiet of her computer/genealogy room but occasionally there are knocks on the door and response of "go away" or "be quiet out there."
Will the Girls be ready for this trip to Sheridan? If it pertains to genealogy...and it does...they will be ready. Mom is doing physical therapy for her knee and using a sexy, floral cane just in case. Aunt Cheri will probably need to take a wig because she's pulling her hair out. With eight grandchildren ages 17 to 6 months, it is difficult to not pull your hair out. All said and done, she loves every one of them. Tis just challenging at times. Mom wants to be out walking her mile a day, but finds it challenging to just get to the mailbox and back. She says it is like looking for ancestors...just another challenge in her life.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Genealogy or Motherhood or Both
Mom began doing genealogical research on the family before she became a mother...actually before she even married Dad. Stories she tells indicate that she would work on her research when my brother and I were napping or in bed at night. She never missed a stroke, but her time was somewhat limited for genealogy.
When I was about eight months old Mom began working on a family genealogy for the Amsberry reunion. That was before computers, so she set the typewriter up in the living room on a card table, along with her paper and notes. To entertain my brother for close to an hour, without interruption, she cut out strips of paper and had him color them. After that he could make loops and a chain which he seemed to never tire of doing. That allowed Mom to be a mother and a genealogist. A eight month old is a bit different, so when it came time to feed me she learned how to balance me on her feet under the table and rock me while I drank my bottle. She would type away on the Amsberry genealogy notes.
Of course, there were the trips to visit relatives, to cemeteries and also to allow Mom to research in libraries. My brother and I both had chicken pox practically at the same time. He was about 7 years old and I was about 4 years old. After we had healed up, Dad took Mom to a library that had a genealogy section and told her to spend a few hours and he'd entertain us. Mom had definitely earned that free time!
Mom worked when we were in high school, but she still found time to write and column on genealogy and history for the local newspaper. She would stay up until the wee hours of the morning working on her writing and genealogy. I think that's why she doesn't need as much sleep as some people. When she and Dad moved to Iowa in 1996, Mom was having health problems and was diagnosed with cancer. After surgery in May of 1999, she was declared free of cancer. She's a ten year survivor.
By 2000, Mom and Dad had moved back to Nebraska. Where they were living meant that Mom had to travel quite a ways to do research. That didn't stop her. She had internet and from time to time she'd do some traveling. In 2004 Dad was diagnosed with cancer. After numerous operations, chemo and radiation, it was apparent he was not going to be a survivor like Mom. He left us on 26 June 2007. during those three years, Mom took care of Dad without any help. Their vacations were to hospitals. Mom never complained about not finding time for genealogy. She'd think about it, read genealogy periodicals in the hospitals and doctor's offices and try to do some research from time to time.
A few days before he passed away, Dad told Mom that he wanted her to resume her genealogical research after he passed away. Mom has done exactly that, but she still juggles that with the title of Mother and also Grandmother.
When I was about eight months old Mom began working on a family genealogy for the Amsberry reunion. That was before computers, so she set the typewriter up in the living room on a card table, along with her paper and notes. To entertain my brother for close to an hour, without interruption, she cut out strips of paper and had him color them. After that he could make loops and a chain which he seemed to never tire of doing. That allowed Mom to be a mother and a genealogist. A eight month old is a bit different, so when it came time to feed me she learned how to balance me on her feet under the table and rock me while I drank my bottle. She would type away on the Amsberry genealogy notes.
Of course, there were the trips to visit relatives, to cemeteries and also to allow Mom to research in libraries. My brother and I both had chicken pox practically at the same time. He was about 7 years old and I was about 4 years old. After we had healed up, Dad took Mom to a library that had a genealogy section and told her to spend a few hours and he'd entertain us. Mom had definitely earned that free time!
Mom worked when we were in high school, but she still found time to write and column on genealogy and history for the local newspaper. She would stay up until the wee hours of the morning working on her writing and genealogy. I think that's why she doesn't need as much sleep as some people. When she and Dad moved to Iowa in 1996, Mom was having health problems and was diagnosed with cancer. After surgery in May of 1999, she was declared free of cancer. She's a ten year survivor.
By 2000, Mom and Dad had moved back to Nebraska. Where they were living meant that Mom had to travel quite a ways to do research. That didn't stop her. She had internet and from time to time she'd do some traveling. In 2004 Dad was diagnosed with cancer. After numerous operations, chemo and radiation, it was apparent he was not going to be a survivor like Mom. He left us on 26 June 2007. during those three years, Mom took care of Dad without any help. Their vacations were to hospitals. Mom never complained about not finding time for genealogy. She'd think about it, read genealogy periodicals in the hospitals and doctor's offices and try to do some research from time to time.
A few days before he passed away, Dad told Mom that he wanted her to resume her genealogical research after he passed away. Mom has done exactly that, but she still juggles that with the title of Mother and also Grandmother.
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Girls Head West
Mom and Aunt Cheri (The You Go Genealogy Girls) are packing and repacking, getting ready to head to Salt Lake City. Mom leaves here in a few days. Every time my Mom goes somewhere she has to pack and repack several times. The first on the list is the laptop computer and her genealogy research items. Of course, she can't go anywhere without several pairs of shoes, normally at least five pair. She says that she is only taking two pair of shoes to Salt Lake City. I can't imagine why she doesn't need more!
According to Mom, Aunt Cheri packs everything imaginable. Maybe she'll take the kitchen sink. She will also be heavy on the genealogy items, but light on the shoes. Mom's the shoe fanatic. While Mom crams things into a couple of bags, I'm sure Aunt Cheri will have many bags of this and that. Then comes the fun...watch them stuff all that into Mom's car, Lil Red.
While the girls are gone, I am in charge of watering Mom's plants, inside and outside. Also will be in charge of making sure everything is okay in her townhouse. I will bring in her mail and advise her on the phone if she has anything that looks important in the way of genealogy mail.
Uncle Geoff does the housework (maybe) and takes care of Aunt Cheri's plants while she's gone. He also is known to call or e-mail her asking for money. As if the girls could send him money when they are traveling! There won't be extra money as they plan on spending all they have on photocopies and genealogy books. Mom may also conveniently buy a pair of shoes. Way to go girls!
If you want to know what the girls are up to, follow their blog, The You Go Genealogy Girls. They will find time to chat on that and fill you in on what they are doing. I will have to read it also...just to get my laugh for the day.
According to Mom, Aunt Cheri packs everything imaginable. Maybe she'll take the kitchen sink. She will also be heavy on the genealogy items, but light on the shoes. Mom's the shoe fanatic. While Mom crams things into a couple of bags, I'm sure Aunt Cheri will have many bags of this and that. Then comes the fun...watch them stuff all that into Mom's car, Lil Red.
While the girls are gone, I am in charge of watering Mom's plants, inside and outside. Also will be in charge of making sure everything is okay in her townhouse. I will bring in her mail and advise her on the phone if she has anything that looks important in the way of genealogy mail.
Uncle Geoff does the housework (maybe) and takes care of Aunt Cheri's plants while she's gone. He also is known to call or e-mail her asking for money. As if the girls could send him money when they are traveling! There won't be extra money as they plan on spending all they have on photocopies and genealogy books. Mom may also conveniently buy a pair of shoes. Way to go girls!
If you want to know what the girls are up to, follow their blog, The You Go Genealogy Girls. They will find time to chat on that and fill you in on what they are doing. I will have to read it also...just to get my laugh for the day.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
A Grandma Named Irene
Some time in our earlier years my brother and I used to call her Grandma Rene, which was our endearing phrase for Grandma Irene, our paternal grandmother. We didn't grow up in the same town where grandma and grandpa lived, so visiting was a treat.
Grandma kept a box of toys in one of the bedroom closets. It wasn't the normal toys, more like junk, such a old necklaces, odds and end and a few of the usual toys. Nobody seemed concerned that they might not be safe and we never choked on anything and didn't end up with lead poisoning, just lots of fun.
Our cousins would come to Grandma's house to play. We had several cousins of various ages and when there would be family get togethers, the house was full to the brim. Out would come the toy box and everybody would step over toys and kids. My two children never grew up with cousins...they don't know what they missed.
Grandma Rene was the best cook. She didn't stop with one of two things to eat. When the stove had several pots bubbling away, she would go to the phone and invite more relatives to come to eat. Later in life she began loosing her eye sight. Some of her meals ere interesting and we were not sure what we were eating.
One thing that Grandma excelled in was making home made noodles. She would add them to chicken in a huge pot and then call the relatives. There were always leftovers to go around. One day Mom asked for her recipe. The she watched her roll out the noodles. When Mom got home she decided to make home made noodles. They were like eating cardboard. Mom asked a neighbor what she thought went wrong as she had followed the recipe. The neighbor said she had left out a tad bit of baking powder. The next time Mom made noodles they tasted like Grandma's noodles! One day she commented to Grandma Rene that she had left out the baking powder in the recipe. This was followed by giggles from Grandma.
She told us that she learned to make home made noodles from her mother, Grandma Pearl. I wonder where she learned to make them. Pearl was only fourteen years old when her mother died. Maybe she learned young.
Grandma always told Mom that she was proud of her genealogical research on the family. She said if it wasn't for Mom she wouldn't know much about her family history. Thanks Mom! And thanks Grandma Rene for making my childhood interesting.
Grandma kept a box of toys in one of the bedroom closets. It wasn't the normal toys, more like junk, such a old necklaces, odds and end and a few of the usual toys. Nobody seemed concerned that they might not be safe and we never choked on anything and didn't end up with lead poisoning, just lots of fun.
Our cousins would come to Grandma's house to play. We had several cousins of various ages and when there would be family get togethers, the house was full to the brim. Out would come the toy box and everybody would step over toys and kids. My two children never grew up with cousins...they don't know what they missed.
Grandma Rene was the best cook. She didn't stop with one of two things to eat. When the stove had several pots bubbling away, she would go to the phone and invite more relatives to come to eat. Later in life she began loosing her eye sight. Some of her meals ere interesting and we were not sure what we were eating.
One thing that Grandma excelled in was making home made noodles. She would add them to chicken in a huge pot and then call the relatives. There were always leftovers to go around. One day Mom asked for her recipe. The she watched her roll out the noodles. When Mom got home she decided to make home made noodles. They were like eating cardboard. Mom asked a neighbor what she thought went wrong as she had followed the recipe. The neighbor said she had left out a tad bit of baking powder. The next time Mom made noodles they tasted like Grandma's noodles! One day she commented to Grandma Rene that she had left out the baking powder in the recipe. This was followed by giggles from Grandma.
She told us that she learned to make home made noodles from her mother, Grandma Pearl. I wonder where she learned to make them. Pearl was only fourteen years old when her mother died. Maybe she learned young.
Grandma always told Mom that she was proud of her genealogical research on the family. She said if it wasn't for Mom she wouldn't know much about her family history. Thanks Mom! And thanks Grandma Rene for making my childhood interesting.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Grandma and Cemeteries
As if growing up with a genealogy Mom wasn't enough, my maternal grandmother enjoyed going to cemeteries. She and Grandpa lived in York, Nebraska for many years. That's in the eastern part of the state and west of Lincoln.
If Grandma knew we were coming for a visit, and it wasn't winter, she would almost always have a cemetery she wanted us to visit. Sometimes they were only visible from the gravel road, far too difficult to walk up to. Sometimes they were churchyard cemeteries and sometimes they were cemeteries at little towns. She always found them. Then we would visit the cemetery in York where she would have us drive past numerous graves of relatives.
One time Grandma was very excited to show us a "new" cemetery. Well, it was new to Mom and I'm not sure how Grandma figured out where it was located. Grandma put on a long sleeve shirt to protect her arms from bugs and briars and then donned her big straw hat. You could spot her a long ways off in what Mom called her "cemetery garb."
Off we went to the Lincoln Creek Cemetery in York County. It is a pretty cemetery and not difficult to reach and walk around in. Mom had been looking for the grave of Dad's great, great grandfather, Henry Eberhart. He actually died in 1878 in Kansas, but all the family had been living in a around York County, Nebraska. Grandma walked around and around in one area of the cemetery, stopped and said, "This is where he's buried." There was no stone, no nothing.
Later Mom found a plat map showing the Henry had actually purchased lots in that cemetery before his death in 1878. So...who knows...maybe he's buried there. After all...I was brought up that Mom and Grandma were always right!
If Grandma knew we were coming for a visit, and it wasn't winter, she would almost always have a cemetery she wanted us to visit. Sometimes they were only visible from the gravel road, far too difficult to walk up to. Sometimes they were churchyard cemeteries and sometimes they were cemeteries at little towns. She always found them. Then we would visit the cemetery in York where she would have us drive past numerous graves of relatives.
One time Grandma was very excited to show us a "new" cemetery. Well, it was new to Mom and I'm not sure how Grandma figured out where it was located. Grandma put on a long sleeve shirt to protect her arms from bugs and briars and then donned her big straw hat. You could spot her a long ways off in what Mom called her "cemetery garb."
Off we went to the Lincoln Creek Cemetery in York County. It is a pretty cemetery and not difficult to reach and walk around in. Mom had been looking for the grave of Dad's great, great grandfather, Henry Eberhart. He actually died in 1878 in Kansas, but all the family had been living in a around York County, Nebraska. Grandma walked around and around in one area of the cemetery, stopped and said, "This is where he's buried." There was no stone, no nothing.
Later Mom found a plat map showing the Henry had actually purchased lots in that cemetery before his death in 1878. So...who knows...maybe he's buried there. After all...I was brought up that Mom and Grandma were always right!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Blogs in the Family
Everybody loves blogs! My Mom has added a new blog which is Nebraska Roots and Ramblings. My Aunt Cheri has added a blog, Those Old Memories.
Naturally Mom's blog is about doing research in Nebraska. Check it out! She said she'll post information on genealogy collections in Nebraska, tips about doing research in our state and a whole lot more! Her latest post contains a link to a You Tube video which is really great.
Aunt Cheri's blog will feature things that interest her historically and genealogically, family experiences and just fun things. She has a lot of nice photographs, but that's expected because she does photographic restoration.
As if that isn't enough to keep the two of them busy, they have a team blog, The You Go Genealogy Girls. Now that's a fun one. Wait until you see the header of the blog. That's Mom's car traveling across it, burning rubber as the two of them head off in pursuit of relatives and ancestors. Looks like they are loosing some of their things, too. Mom better slow down and Aunt Cheri had better pack better
They will be blogging about their research, their experiences and all the fun things that happen along the way. Mom says they will blog while in Salt Lake City in May. That should be interesting!
Join all of us...in the family...in our genealogy blogging!
Naturally Mom's blog is about doing research in Nebraska. Check it out! She said she'll post information on genealogy collections in Nebraska, tips about doing research in our state and a whole lot more! Her latest post contains a link to a You Tube video which is really great.
Aunt Cheri's blog will feature things that interest her historically and genealogically, family experiences and just fun things. She has a lot of nice photographs, but that's expected because she does photographic restoration.
As if that isn't enough to keep the two of them busy, they have a team blog, The You Go Genealogy Girls. Now that's a fun one. Wait until you see the header of the blog. That's Mom's car traveling across it, burning rubber as the two of them head off in pursuit of relatives and ancestors. Looks like they are loosing some of their things, too. Mom better slow down and Aunt Cheri had better pack better
They will be blogging about their research, their experiences and all the fun things that happen along the way. Mom says they will blog while in Salt Lake City in May. That should be interesting!
Join all of us...in the family...in our genealogy blogging!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Those Girls
The girls (grannies) are at it again. Aunt Cheri visited Mom for a week in February. They did non-stop genealogy. Mom has to get Aunt Cheri up in the mornings because she is a night-owl. Then Aunt Cheri is prowling around reading computer and genealogy books half the night. Eventually they both get in sync. In February they even managed to take my daughter and I out to eat dinner, and the chatter was completely genealogy and their efforts in trying to find people, alive and dead.
Aunt Cheri is returning in a few weeks. The You Go Genealogy Girls (grannies) are presenting the March program for the local genealogy society. Mom uses a Mac and Aunt Cheri has a PC. Ok...that's just another way they are different besides their night/day routine. Their program will be a power-point presentation on available software for the Mac and the PC. It's not a case of who will win or who has the best power-point presentation, but rather how much they can talk about in one hour. You go girls!
April...that's when spring returns full force to Nebraska. But, it can also be a time for a snow storm or two in Nebraska. The sandhills cranes have arrived early this year, so perhaps we'll have and early spring. Then the You Go Genealogy Girls will out in full force. Mom has a genealogy seminar she is presenting after Easter. It's a one day affair...another non-stop genealogy function.
May... those girls are really off and running! The first weekend in May is the Nebraska State Genealogical Society conference. Mom will pack up her little red car and head to the panhandle of Nebraska to meet Aunt Cheri. They will fill three of four days with genealogy lectures, get-togethers and meetings. I am sure everybody will know the You Go Genealogy Girls are there!
Mom returns home for a little over a week and really packs up the little red car. She will drive to Cheyenne, Wyoming where she'll stay at her nephew's house and meet the other You Go Girl...Aunt Cheri. They will do Wyoming research in Cheyenne and then set out after a few days for Salt Lake City, the mecca for genealogists. I'll let you know what the car looks like loaded down with the girl's "stuff." Mon will e-mail me the details. They have been working all winter on their packing list!
Salt Lake City is for genealogists like Las Vegas is for serious gamblers. Those girls (grannies) won't come up for air. Mom will be up early in the mornings to walk and get ready for a full day at the library and then nudge Aunt Cheri to get out of bed. They seem to strike a happy medium in their personalities and habits, both of which deffer.
Stay tuned for more episodes about the You Go Genealogy Girls. They have agreed that Mom is #1 girl and Aunt Cheri is #2 girl. They may differ in some respects, but they can also agree!
Aunt Cheri is returning in a few weeks. The You Go Genealogy Girls (grannies) are presenting the March program for the local genealogy society. Mom uses a Mac and Aunt Cheri has a PC. Ok...that's just another way they are different besides their night/day routine. Their program will be a power-point presentation on available software for the Mac and the PC. It's not a case of who will win or who has the best power-point presentation, but rather how much they can talk about in one hour. You go girls!
April...that's when spring returns full force to Nebraska. But, it can also be a time for a snow storm or two in Nebraska. The sandhills cranes have arrived early this year, so perhaps we'll have and early spring. Then the You Go Genealogy Girls will out in full force. Mom has a genealogy seminar she is presenting after Easter. It's a one day affair...another non-stop genealogy function.
May... those girls are really off and running! The first weekend in May is the Nebraska State Genealogical Society conference. Mom will pack up her little red car and head to the panhandle of Nebraska to meet Aunt Cheri. They will fill three of four days with genealogy lectures, get-togethers and meetings. I am sure everybody will know the You Go Genealogy Girls are there!
Mom returns home for a little over a week and really packs up the little red car. She will drive to Cheyenne, Wyoming where she'll stay at her nephew's house and meet the other You Go Girl...Aunt Cheri. They will do Wyoming research in Cheyenne and then set out after a few days for Salt Lake City, the mecca for genealogists. I'll let you know what the car looks like loaded down with the girl's "stuff." Mon will e-mail me the details. They have been working all winter on their packing list!
Salt Lake City is for genealogists like Las Vegas is for serious gamblers. Those girls (grannies) won't come up for air. Mom will be up early in the mornings to walk and get ready for a full day at the library and then nudge Aunt Cheri to get out of bed. They seem to strike a happy medium in their personalities and habits, both of which deffer.
Stay tuned for more episodes about the You Go Genealogy Girls. They have agreed that Mom is #1 girl and Aunt Cheri is #2 girl. They may differ in some respects, but they can also agree!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Family
From an early age I was taught the importance of family. Fortunately I had two sets of grandparents and remember my great grandfather, George. I barely remember my great grandmother, Opal (my father's grandmother). My father had a brother and sister which is not considered a large family by any means, but throw in cousins and nieces and nephews, it seemed to swell.
My January birthday usually falls in the midst of the worst weather in Nebraska...snow, wind, and frigid cold temperatures. Occasionally mother nature surprises us with a breath of fresh air, only to throw us back into the Nebraska-tundra of winter. With this uncertain weather, my grandparents very seldom came from out of town for my birthday.
That was okay, because we had one big celebration in March. My paternal grandfather, Freddie's birthday was on March 9th and my paternal grandmother, Irene's birthday was on April 3rd. They were married on March 20th. My Aunt Cheri has two boys, Daniel and Jason, and their birthdays are March 12th and March 18th. How many more could we add to March? My maternal grandfather, Bob, was born March 31st. My great grandmother, Opal, was born March 12th and my Aunt Stella was born March 31st. Okay, so March was THE month.
Sometime when the weather man reported descent weather, we would get together for a family dinner in March. Because of the size of the group, we would usually have it in a special room at a restaurant. Sometimes everybody would be together in Grandma and Grandpa's house. There would be a lot of smiles, a lot of visiting and for us kids, a lot of playing with cousins. Always there was a special cake. Most importantly it was a time to realize how thankful we were for relatives...our family.
As my brother and I grew older, these get togethers became more difficult. My brother was in college, I was married. But we tried and we did manage to get in our March celebration. I can remember a cousin commenting about my brother driving from Iowa to the panhandle of Nebraska in March for our usual birthday party. He said, "he really does love his grandparents." It was a natural...we had plenty of love to go around for everybody.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Memories
Thanksgiving 2008 is over. We ate turkey at Mom's house. It was a traditional Thanksgiving with the turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie and more. Nobody asked if they had Mayflower ancestry. Mom would have had little time to eat telling them about their ancestors and naming off all that came within a few years after the landing of the Mayflower.
While the Friday after was Black Friday for some, it is traditionally the Nebraska football game for us. And what a game it was this year when they won over Colorado. I can remember going to the stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska the day after Thanksgiving to attend the game. I would go with my Dad, my Grandpa and my brother. Earlier games my parents would take my brother and me to the game. Mom would longingly look at the Nebraska State Historical Society which is on campus and wish she could have a few minutes there. As the game became more interesting, she soon forgot about her genealogy.
In September 1995 Mom was in Salt Lake City doing research. Dad called her about his tickets to the Nebraska football game that weekend in Lincoln. Mom dropped everything and came home. She got off the plane, went home and repacked her luggage and they hopped in the car for the game. I would say at times Husker football is almost as high on her list as genealogy!
Mom is trying to figure out how many shoes she can pack and how many research notes and books she can cram into her carry on and big suitcases for holiday trip to Virginia. She will be leaving in a little more than two weeks to spend Christmas in Virginia with my brother. I am sure she'll find libraries, bookstores and cemeteries. They will be spending Christmas week in a mountain cabin in Virginia. I am not sure how Mom will survive without e-mail and Internet. That's why she needs to take fewer clothes (can always wash) and more books.
She also hopes to meet up with a genealogy friend in Washington, DC before coming home. They will talk non-stop genealogy (that's a strange language in case you have never heard it). I am sure she'll return with new information and also great memories of how Christmas 2008 was spent in the mountains.
While the Friday after was Black Friday for some, it is traditionally the Nebraska football game for us. And what a game it was this year when they won over Colorado. I can remember going to the stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska the day after Thanksgiving to attend the game. I would go with my Dad, my Grandpa and my brother. Earlier games my parents would take my brother and me to the game. Mom would longingly look at the Nebraska State Historical Society which is on campus and wish she could have a few minutes there. As the game became more interesting, she soon forgot about her genealogy.
In September 1995 Mom was in Salt Lake City doing research. Dad called her about his tickets to the Nebraska football game that weekend in Lincoln. Mom dropped everything and came home. She got off the plane, went home and repacked her luggage and they hopped in the car for the game. I would say at times Husker football is almost as high on her list as genealogy!
Mom is trying to figure out how many shoes she can pack and how many research notes and books she can cram into her carry on and big suitcases for holiday trip to Virginia. She will be leaving in a little more than two weeks to spend Christmas in Virginia with my brother. I am sure she'll find libraries, bookstores and cemeteries. They will be spending Christmas week in a mountain cabin in Virginia. I am not sure how Mom will survive without e-mail and Internet. That's why she needs to take fewer clothes (can always wash) and more books.
She also hopes to meet up with a genealogy friend in Washington, DC before coming home. They will talk non-stop genealogy (that's a strange language in case you have never heard it). I am sure she'll return with new information and also great memories of how Christmas 2008 was spent in the mountains.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Girls
I have written about my Mom and my Aunt Cheri ... the You Go Genealogy Girls. They aren't exactly girls. Mom has two grandchildren, my 20 year old and my 10 year old. Aunt Cheri has seven grandchildren and one on the way will be number eight. They all are in the same family. She sometimes thinks she's a "real" granny. Whatever that means!
Aunt Cheri recently suggested that they should be renamed You Go Genealogy Grannies. I don't know if that's appropriate either. I wouldn't want to slow them down thinking they are "old" grannies. They really GO, not only physically but mentally. Nothing stops them from pursuing their genealogy.
Mom will visit Aunt Cheri later this week. She is giving her two days to recover from her genealogical research trip to Wyoming. They plan on sitting up their laptops and going non-stop for several days in preparation for their spring trip to Salt Lake City. One thing about them, they don't procrastinate until the last minute.
This month Mom will finish teaching her genealogy class at the local college. She'll also get things ready for the program of the local genealogy society. Sometime along the way, she'll make some plans for Thanksgiving. It's a good thing she keeps a calendar to keep things straight.
I'm not sure about the next journey of the You Go Genealogy Girls. There's a few months between now and May, so who knows where they will end up and what they will be doing. Now I've decided...they are so young at heart, I'm going to continue calling them girls instead of grannies.
Aunt Cheri recently suggested that they should be renamed You Go Genealogy Grannies. I don't know if that's appropriate either. I wouldn't want to slow them down thinking they are "old" grannies. They really GO, not only physically but mentally. Nothing stops them from pursuing their genealogy.
Mom will visit Aunt Cheri later this week. She is giving her two days to recover from her genealogical research trip to Wyoming. They plan on sitting up their laptops and going non-stop for several days in preparation for their spring trip to Salt Lake City. One thing about them, they don't procrastinate until the last minute.
This month Mom will finish teaching her genealogy class at the local college. She'll also get things ready for the program of the local genealogy society. Sometime along the way, she'll make some plans for Thanksgiving. It's a good thing she keeps a calendar to keep things straight.
I'm not sure about the next journey of the You Go Genealogy Girls. There's a few months between now and May, so who knows where they will end up and what they will be doing. Now I've decided...they are so young at heart, I'm going to continue calling them girls instead of grannies.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The You Go Genealogy Girls
They are at it again, planning more research trips. They should be planning Thanksgiving and Christmas, instead they are already looking to spring when they will take off on a big trip.
In case you don't know the You Go Genealogy Girls, they are my Mom and Aunt Cheri. They both speak nothing but genealogy-talk. And they really aren't girls. The are grandmothers, but don't tell them they aren't girls. Sometimes they giggle and act like teenagers.
Their big trip 2009 will be to Salt Lake City to use the Family History Library. It will be Aunt Cheri's first trip there. Mom thinks it might be scary just taking her there. The problem is apparently on how to get there. There are various options.
At first they thought about going on Amtrak. That would mean Aunt Cheri driving to Mom's house and then me taking the "two girls" about 70 miles south of here in the middle of the night to get on the train. Same for return home. They both agreed, given their age and night time habits, it would be best to have a sleeping room with toilet and sink. After all, who wants to see an old granny wandering around a train the the middle of the night looking for a toilet?
The next obstacle is that such a sleeping room on Amtrak has a lower and upper sleeping compartment. Now the squabble is on as to which one has to climb the ladder to the top bed. That shows their age! They were delighted to learn that they would have a table that they could set up their laptop computers. Another squabble. Mom uses a Mac and Aunt Cheri uses a PC. While they don't work on the same genealogy, they occasionally compare notes and one wonders why she can't get something to work on her laptop that does on the other.
They are now thinking about driving to Salt Lake City. They will go to my cousin's house in Cheyenne and after visiting him and resting up at least one night, they will go to Salt Lake City. That means they will wait until at least mid-May so the mountain passes in Wyoming are clear. They now think this would be fun as they could stop as they want, they could possibly extend that one week trip on Amtrak to just a little bit more, as long as they still have some money. Coming home, they might even go somewhere else...who knows they might end up in Denver. One reason Aunt Cheri wants Mom to drive them there is because she can load the car with everything imaginable and buy to her heart's content.
When it comes to the You Go Genealogy Girls, anything goes. They dream in living color and compare notes on genealogy and trips by phone and e-mail. It's nice that older people can have so much fun!
In case you don't know the You Go Genealogy Girls, they are my Mom and Aunt Cheri. They both speak nothing but genealogy-talk. And they really aren't girls. The are grandmothers, but don't tell them they aren't girls. Sometimes they giggle and act like teenagers.
Their big trip 2009 will be to Salt Lake City to use the Family History Library. It will be Aunt Cheri's first trip there. Mom thinks it might be scary just taking her there. The problem is apparently on how to get there. There are various options.
At first they thought about going on Amtrak. That would mean Aunt Cheri driving to Mom's house and then me taking the "two girls" about 70 miles south of here in the middle of the night to get on the train. Same for return home. They both agreed, given their age and night time habits, it would be best to have a sleeping room with toilet and sink. After all, who wants to see an old granny wandering around a train the the middle of the night looking for a toilet?
The next obstacle is that such a sleeping room on Amtrak has a lower and upper sleeping compartment. Now the squabble is on as to which one has to climb the ladder to the top bed. That shows their age! They were delighted to learn that they would have a table that they could set up their laptop computers. Another squabble. Mom uses a Mac and Aunt Cheri uses a PC. While they don't work on the same genealogy, they occasionally compare notes and one wonders why she can't get something to work on her laptop that does on the other.
They are now thinking about driving to Salt Lake City. They will go to my cousin's house in Cheyenne and after visiting him and resting up at least one night, they will go to Salt Lake City. That means they will wait until at least mid-May so the mountain passes in Wyoming are clear. They now think this would be fun as they could stop as they want, they could possibly extend that one week trip on Amtrak to just a little bit more, as long as they still have some money. Coming home, they might even go somewhere else...who knows they might end up in Denver. One reason Aunt Cheri wants Mom to drive them there is because she can load the car with everything imaginable and buy to her heart's content.
When it comes to the You Go Genealogy Girls, anything goes. They dream in living color and compare notes on genealogy and trips by phone and e-mail. It's nice that older people can have so much fun!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Mum is Home
My Mom has been traveling most of August. Her latest trip was with my brother to London. That's as in England! It was her first trip there and his one of many. She said her first experience was going through immigration when the man referred to her as my brother's Mum. Otherwise she was pretty much known in London and England as Madam. I never think of my Mom in terms of either Mum or Madam!
What did my Mum enjoy most about the trip? Cemeteries, cemeteries, cemeteries! She doesn't seem to deviate. She would walk miles to get to a cemetery. The first she visited was Highgate Cemetery (west) where she took a tour. She had walked a long ways to get there and soon realized the tour would be a breeze. The elderly man guiding them was slightly overweight and winded, giving her adequate time to snap photographs.
On her trip to Salisbury and Stonehenge she said the coach would not stop at all the quaint Norman churches so she could walk the cemeteries. That means Mum will have to go back some day.
She said the best part of visiting St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminsters Abbey was exploring the crypts. That's my Mum!
The day before she left to fly home, she informed my brother that she was taking her own personal tour by herself in the Brompton Cemetery. Off she went on the tube in search ofa cemetery. Mom was snapping a photograph of tombstones when a man approached her saying to not trip over the squirrels. there were squirrels around her feet in search of food.
I am sure she is still dreaming of London, riding the tube, old cemeteries and crypts and trying to calculate how long she has to wait for trip number two. That's my Mum!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
House and home genealogy
Some people live in the same house all their life. Others, like me and my family, have moved a good deal. We never seem to forget the houses that we call home. I am so glad that Mom took photographs of all the houses that my brother and I grew up in.
Mom, the genealogist, recently prepared a Google map showing the towns where she has lived. She could attach photographs of the houses, but I am not sure she has done that. This is a great way to show others, particularly grandchildren, where you lived.
Generations ago our relatives and ancestors did not document their houses with photographs. I think it would be fun to prepare a family tree of the houses. Mom has two houses carved by a wood-artist in Pennsylvania. They are of her grandparents' log cabin and her great grandparents' house in North Carolina. The wood carvings are about 5 inches by 3 inches in size. They are painted realistically. I can remember my great grandparents' log cabin. It is still standing and in the family, though not lived in. The other house was gone long before I was born. There is also a story that Mom tells about the two little houses standing side by side on her desk.
When she was about fifteen years old she discovered her Granny's love letters. They were neatly tied together with blue ribbons. Reading some of them she also discovered that her grandparents had planned on eloping. Granny's father , a minister who lived in the beautiful, white house in North Carolina, was not in favor of a marriage. He told her she would never have a nice house to live in if they married. Comparing the two houses on Mom's desk, maybe he was right. The white house was very nice. However, we all loved the log cabin. It was full of love and stories and get togethers with relatives. It definitely was home!
Several years ago Mom located the Victorian house where her father lived in South Dakota. She was told that it was being demolished for a business. Mom took photographs of it from every angle. Dad tormented her that she didn't need all of those photographs. They are all that are left the house that once was my grandfather's home.
Recently Mom and Aunt Cheri discovered the falling-down house that belonged to Aunt Cheri's great great grandparents. There are holes in the wall, a sunken in roof and crumbling fire place. It is hard to imagine people living there, but I am sure it was home and they were proud of it.
A house is a house, a roof over your head. A home is what you make it....love, satisfaction, along with good and bad memories.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Genealogically Weathering a Storm
Last night in a display of lightening fireworks, thunder, high winds, rain and hail, a big tree in my drive came tumbling down. Had I not moved my car a few minutes earlier, it would have been crushed. Buildings around town sustained damage and trees are uprooted and broken.
The local newspaper features a photograph of trees uprooted in the cemetery. I am sure Mom will be checking on that early this morning. Mom and I kept a constant phone chatter going last night to make sure we were okay. She reported her wicker furniture blew into the bushes, but everything else appeared to be okay.
At one point Mom said she was shutting her computer down. I was certain she would probably grab her external hard drive full of genealogy information and head to the closet. She reports that she didn't even grab a genealogy book and head to her favorite chair. Mom is slipping! In fact she cleaned up her kitchen, started the dishwasher and left her pan of left over enchiladas on the kitchen counter. That's total preoccupation with the storm.
Looking back at storms we had so frequently here in Nebraska, I don't remember Mom ever putting genealogy before her family. She grabbed us first to run to the basement or crawl space (yucky place to weather a storm). I am sure all the while her mind was on what would happen to all of her years of research, the documents and the photographs.
One of Mom's most vivid memories is about being in a flood in Greeley, Colorado. She was about four years old, but sill remembers the family possessions floating away. Those included trunks of old photographs, At the time she just knew they belonged to the family. As the flood water was going over her head, an older cousin handed her the end of a broom and told her to hang on while he pulled her toward him. The family photographs were gone, but Mom was saved.
Mom always says the lives of our ancestors are important, but the family today are more important. Given the choice, she'd always come to our rescue. That's why I love my genealogy Mom!
The local newspaper features a photograph of trees uprooted in the cemetery. I am sure Mom will be checking on that early this morning. Mom and I kept a constant phone chatter going last night to make sure we were okay. She reported her wicker furniture blew into the bushes, but everything else appeared to be okay.
At one point Mom said she was shutting her computer down. I was certain she would probably grab her external hard drive full of genealogy information and head to the closet. She reports that she didn't even grab a genealogy book and head to her favorite chair. Mom is slipping! In fact she cleaned up her kitchen, started the dishwasher and left her pan of left over enchiladas on the kitchen counter. That's total preoccupation with the storm.
Looking back at storms we had so frequently here in Nebraska, I don't remember Mom ever putting genealogy before her family. She grabbed us first to run to the basement or crawl space (yucky place to weather a storm). I am sure all the while her mind was on what would happen to all of her years of research, the documents and the photographs.
One of Mom's most vivid memories is about being in a flood in Greeley, Colorado. She was about four years old, but sill remembers the family possessions floating away. Those included trunks of old photographs, At the time she just knew they belonged to the family. As the flood water was going over her head, an older cousin handed her the end of a broom and told her to hang on while he pulled her toward him. The family photographs were gone, but Mom was saved.
Mom always says the lives of our ancestors are important, but the family today are more important. Given the choice, she'd always come to our rescue. That's why I love my genealogy Mom!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Genealogy Spare Time
What do genealogists do in their spare time? They still do genealogy! I know that because my Mom is a genealogist.
Whenever Mom had a spare moment she was doing or thinking genealogy. She was always at our softball games, baseball games and swimming lessons. She always had a book with her. That book was almost always something pertaining to genealogy. If there was a moment that she could read a few lines or a paragraph or even a page and chapter, she did it.
The books were always ready at a moment's notice for her to grab. Sometimes she would stash them in the car or in her purse. We never went to the doctor's office but what she had a genealogy book with her.
Mom says back in those days (1970s and 1980s) there were not as many genealogy magazines or periodicals. One that she subscribed to and looked forward to receiving was The Genealogical Helper. It's been around a long time...long before Mom got into genealogy. She always knew when it was due to arrive in the mail box and it had better arrive then or she was pacing the floor and ready to have words with the mail carrier.
When I was about fourteen years old we went to Hawaii for almost two weeks. I slept most of the way there. Mom read. The Genealogical Helper arrived (miraculously) the day before we left. By the time we landed in Honolulu, Mom had the entire magazine read. I can remember Dad saying, "Now what are you going to do?" Mom just grinned and I new she had plenty of reading material stashed in her luggage.
Those were the days when there were no restrictions on carry on luggage as far as weight and dimension. When we were at the airport to leave Honolulu, Mom and I had to take our carry on bags through inspection. They were looking for flowers and plants and fruit. They found books! I had my school books, which I did not want to take. Mom had her genealogy books. The inspector looked rather surprised and said normally people do not bring bags of books to Hawaii let alone return with them. He didn't find a single plant, flower or fruit...just books.
Mom read her genealogy books in the car while Dad drove. She said once she would get engrossed in what she was reading, Dad would start speeding. It was a thrill to him to speed and try to avoid getting caught. That usually didn't happen. Her reading would be interrupted by the sound of sirens and red lights flashing behind them.
Even though Mom does her own driving now, I know she carries plenty of genealogy books and magazines. There's always some time in the day that she calls her spare time to read.
Whenever Mom had a spare moment she was doing or thinking genealogy. She was always at our softball games, baseball games and swimming lessons. She always had a book with her. That book was almost always something pertaining to genealogy. If there was a moment that she could read a few lines or a paragraph or even a page and chapter, she did it.
The books were always ready at a moment's notice for her to grab. Sometimes she would stash them in the car or in her purse. We never went to the doctor's office but what she had a genealogy book with her.
Mom says back in those days (1970s and 1980s) there were not as many genealogy magazines or periodicals. One that she subscribed to and looked forward to receiving was The Genealogical Helper. It's been around a long time...long before Mom got into genealogy. She always knew when it was due to arrive in the mail box and it had better arrive then or she was pacing the floor and ready to have words with the mail carrier.
When I was about fourteen years old we went to Hawaii for almost two weeks. I slept most of the way there. Mom read. The Genealogical Helper arrived (miraculously) the day before we left. By the time we landed in Honolulu, Mom had the entire magazine read. I can remember Dad saying, "Now what are you going to do?" Mom just grinned and I new she had plenty of reading material stashed in her luggage.
Those were the days when there were no restrictions on carry on luggage as far as weight and dimension. When we were at the airport to leave Honolulu, Mom and I had to take our carry on bags through inspection. They were looking for flowers and plants and fruit. They found books! I had my school books, which I did not want to take. Mom had her genealogy books. The inspector looked rather surprised and said normally people do not bring bags of books to Hawaii let alone return with them. He didn't find a single plant, flower or fruit...just books.
Mom read her genealogy books in the car while Dad drove. She said once she would get engrossed in what she was reading, Dad would start speeding. It was a thrill to him to speed and try to avoid getting caught. That usually didn't happen. Her reading would be interrupted by the sound of sirens and red lights flashing behind them.
Even though Mom does her own driving now, I know she carries plenty of genealogy books and magazines. There's always some time in the day that she calls her spare time to read.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Grandma's House
Some of my fondest memories are going to Grandma's house. I had two grandmothers that we would visit and for a while they both lived in the same town. Both of my grandmothers were great cooks. My paternal grandmother never seemed to mind as more and more relatives would show up to eat. She loved preparing big meals and seeing how many she could actually pack into the house. We ate in every place imaginable in the house! The toy box for the grandchildren was in the closet that went between bedrooms....a great place to hide out.
My maternal grandmother loved to garden and can her produce. She spent hours laboring over a hot stove and all of us dreamed of winter days when we could break open a new jar of jam or her dill pickles. She also was an artist. Her paintings were very good and she proudly displayed them, actually taking prizes in the county fair.
Because Mom was the family genealogist (still is), my maternal grandmother was always on the look out for a new cemetery we could explore. I can remember her taking us to cemeteries, grinning from ear to ear with her big straw hat protecting her from the sun. As she grew older and more crippled, she still loved to go with Mom to courthouses and cemeteries. Many times she was forced to stay in the car while Mom did the research.
This makes me wonder what my nine year old daughter will remember about going to Grandma's house. Mom lives in a new townhouse and she has it decorated nicely with antiques and family items as well as newer furniture. Tyrah loves to ask who owned that and who is in a photograph.
In Mom's genealogy-computer room the computer shares a spot with books and photos, some old and some new. The top of her book cases are decorated with a plate that belonged to my Dad's great, great grandmother, a black tea kettle that belonged to Mom's grandparents, an old black iron, Mom's grandmother's coffee grinder, old bottles (Mom dug some of them out of old privies) and photographs. On one wall she has photographs of her trip to the Outer Banks last year and proudly points out the island area where her ancestors lived in the early 1700s.
In her bedroom is a china doll sitting in the white wicker chair that was in my Dad's grandparents' house. In the master bathroom is a pitcher and basin that belonged to Mom's great grandparents. Her great grandmother's butter churn is in the living room, along with her quilted wall hangings representing family places that she and Dad frequented.
All of this represents my Mom and her love of family and genealogy. I grew up knowing about family and ancestors and relatives. Mom can recite names, dates, places for generations and knows exactly where to look for what record in the stash. She's a great walking history book. But more importantly when my daughter goes to Grandma's house she finds a grandmother that does things with her so she too will have memories.
My maternal grandmother loved to garden and can her produce. She spent hours laboring over a hot stove and all of us dreamed of winter days when we could break open a new jar of jam or her dill pickles. She also was an artist. Her paintings were very good and she proudly displayed them, actually taking prizes in the county fair.
Because Mom was the family genealogist (still is), my maternal grandmother was always on the look out for a new cemetery we could explore. I can remember her taking us to cemeteries, grinning from ear to ear with her big straw hat protecting her from the sun. As she grew older and more crippled, she still loved to go with Mom to courthouses and cemeteries. Many times she was forced to stay in the car while Mom did the research.
This makes me wonder what my nine year old daughter will remember about going to Grandma's house. Mom lives in a new townhouse and she has it decorated nicely with antiques and family items as well as newer furniture. Tyrah loves to ask who owned that and who is in a photograph.
In Mom's genealogy-computer room the computer shares a spot with books and photos, some old and some new. The top of her book cases are decorated with a plate that belonged to my Dad's great, great grandmother, a black tea kettle that belonged to Mom's grandparents, an old black iron, Mom's grandmother's coffee grinder, old bottles (Mom dug some of them out of old privies) and photographs. On one wall she has photographs of her trip to the Outer Banks last year and proudly points out the island area where her ancestors lived in the early 1700s.
In her bedroom is a china doll sitting in the white wicker chair that was in my Dad's grandparents' house. In the master bathroom is a pitcher and basin that belonged to Mom's great grandparents. Her great grandmother's butter churn is in the living room, along with her quilted wall hangings representing family places that she and Dad frequented.
All of this represents my Mom and her love of family and genealogy. I grew up knowing about family and ancestors and relatives. Mom can recite names, dates, places for generations and knows exactly where to look for what record in the stash. She's a great walking history book. But more importantly when my daughter goes to Grandma's house she finds a grandmother that does things with her so she too will have memories.
Grandma's House
Some of my fondest memories are going to Grandma's house. I had two grandmothers that we would visit and for a while they both lived in the same town. Both of my grandmothers were great cooks. My paternal grandmother never seemed to mind as more and more relatives would show up to eat. She loved preparing big meals and seeing how many she could actually pack into the house. We ate in every place imaginable in the house! The toy box for the grandchildren was in the closet that went between bedrooms....a great place to hide out.
My maternal grandmother loved to garden and can her produce. She spent hours laboring over a hot stove and all of us dreamed of winter days when we could break open a new jar of jam or her dill pickles. She also was an artist. Her paintings were very good and she proudly displayed them, actually taking prizes in the county fair.
Because Mom was the family genealogist (still is), my maternal grandmother was always on the look out for a new cemetery we could explore. I can remember her taking us to cemeteries, grinning from ear to ear with her big straw hat protecting her from the sun. As she grew older and more crippled, she still loved to go with Mom to courthouses and cemeteries. Many times she was forced to stay in the car while Mom did the research.
This makes me wonder what my nine year old daughter will remember about going to Grandma's house. Mom lives in a new townhouse and she has it decorated nicely with antiques and family items as well as newer furniture. Tyrah loves to ask who owned that and who is in a photograph.
In Mom's genealogy-computer room the computer shares a spot with books and photos, some old and some new. The top of her book cases are decorated with a plate that belonged to my Dad's great, great grandmother, a black tea kettle that belonged to Mom's grandparents, an old black iron, Mom's grandmother's coffee grinder, old bottles (Mom dug some of them out of old privies) and photographs. On one was she has photographs of her trip to the Outer Banks last year and proudly points out the island area where her ancestors loves in the early 1700s.
In her bedroom is a china doll sitting in the white wicker chair that was in My Dad's grandparents' house. In the master bathroom is a pitcher and basin that belonged to Mom's great grandparents. Her great grandmother's butter churn is in the living room, along with her quilted wall hangings representing family places that she and Dad frequented.
All of this represents my Mom and her love of family and genealogy. I grew up knowing about family and ancestors and relatives. Mom can recite names, dates, places for generations and knows exactly where to look for what record in the stash. She's a great walking history book. But more importantly when my daughter goes to Grandma's house she finds a grandmother that does things with her so she too will have memories.
My maternal grandmother loved to garden and can her produce. She spent hours laboring over a hot stove and all of us dreamed of winter days when we could break open a new jar of jam or her dill pickles. She also was an artist. Her paintings were very good and she proudly displayed them, actually taking prizes in the county fair.
Because Mom was the family genealogist (still is), my maternal grandmother was always on the look out for a new cemetery we could explore. I can remember her taking us to cemeteries, grinning from ear to ear with her big straw hat protecting her from the sun. As she grew older and more crippled, she still loved to go with Mom to courthouses and cemeteries. Many times she was forced to stay in the car while Mom did the research.
This makes me wonder what my nine year old daughter will remember about going to Grandma's house. Mom lives in a new townhouse and she has it decorated nicely with antiques and family items as well as newer furniture. Tyrah loves to ask who owned that and who is in a photograph.
In Mom's genealogy-computer room the computer shares a spot with books and photos, some old and some new. The top of her book cases are decorated with a plate that belonged to my Dad's great, great grandmother, a black tea kettle that belonged to Mom's grandparents, an old black iron, Mom's grandmother's coffee grinder, old bottles (Mom dug some of them out of old privies) and photographs. On one was she has photographs of her trip to the Outer Banks last year and proudly points out the island area where her ancestors loves in the early 1700s.
In her bedroom is a china doll sitting in the white wicker chair that was in My Dad's grandparents' house. In the master bathroom is a pitcher and basin that belonged to Mom's great grandparents. Her great grandmother's butter churn is in the living room, along with her quilted wall hangings representing family places that she and Dad frequented.
All of this represents my Mom and her love of family and genealogy. I grew up knowing about family and ancestors and relatives. Mom can recite names, dates, places for generations and knows exactly where to look for what record in the stash. She's a great walking history book. But more importantly when my daughter goes to Grandma's house she finds a grandmother that does things with her so she too will have memories.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Making Memories
My daughter, Tyrah, and I have recently returned from a short trip to visit relatives. We stayed with Aunt Cheri and Uncle Geoff who opened their camper for us to sleep in. How much fun is that?
Mom, Aunt Cheri, Tyrah and I spent a day at the cemetery decorating graves. This was an opportunity to also explain to Tyrah about relatives, their names and what we knew about them. We decorated graves of grandparents, great grandparents, great, great, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and of course, my Dad's grave.
Since Mom left her witching sticks at home, she told me to break two coat hangers and make witching sticks for Tyrah. It didn't take long before Tyrah was wandering the cemetery witching for graves. Soon people were asking her what she was doing. She was proud when two people who tend to the cemetery asked her question about her witching sticks. It was comical seeing a nine year old instruct them on holding the sticks and show they go together for a male and apart for a female. I know Mom was proud of her also.
As we began decorating the graves of some great grandparents, Mom reminded us that Aunt Grace has a child born in about 1914 or 1915, buried in that location, sex unknown. Tyrah began witching and discovered where the child was buried and that it was a baby boy. Mom checked her "work" and had the same information. She made believers out of many people who took the sticks and did their own witching that day. As needed some wire to anchor flowers pots, I broke up both of her sticks. That brought on a serious pout and words from her. Aunt Cheri promised new and better witching sticks, which she made and gave Tyrah before we left.
While there we drove past the places where my grandparents had lived. The restored park fountain across from my paternal grandparents' house was a highlight of the trip. Seeing my daughter there brought back memories of when I was her age and would play in the park and watch the lights on the fountain at night. Now she has her own memories of visiting relatives, both alive and dead.
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