My Granny (1902-1994)

Junction-Guy

Helncon's post on grieving made me think back about my Granny. My Granny was widowed and lived alone in Kentucky in a 2 story house.

She was raised and died a Baptist, though she didnt attend church much once she was widowed. She didnt drive, and never had a drivers license in her life.

Even though she didnt have a car she always walked across the street to the grocery store pushing a little collapsible cart.

She was what everyone called a true pioneer woman (not the JW kind either) She lived by the old ways and doctored herself when she got sick. She knew all the old home remedies.

She was the best cook in the world. Her fried chicken was delicious, along with her homemade pies.

Breakfast was always a special time for her (and us), she made homemade biscuits and gravy, fried apples, fried potatoes, and many times she would fry chicken for breakfast.

She always wore her hair long, and in a bun. She never wore a pair of slacks in her life.

She used to tell me stories about how her grandparents lived through the civil war, and also the indian days of old kentucky.

She was baptized in 1914 in a creek, in the dead of winter, they had to actually break ice.

I used to love to sit and hear her tell stories of long ago. Growing up no-one had cars in that part of the country back then. She used to tell me about hitching up the horses to the wagon and riding to church or the general store.

Granny was a thrifty woman, but she was very generous to us kids. She had an old gas stove that had 2 caps burnt out on it. She never had air conditioning, in fact she had an old iron-grate floor furnace. The heat never bothered her, but to us kids it was awful in the summertime.

She had an old wringer washer, and she even used the washboard occasionally.

I remember one time we were singing kingdom melodies (puke), and she said to us, "children dont you know any of the old hymns, like the old rugged cross" we just looked at each other and smiled.

Granny canned all of her vegetables, and she always had a cupboard full. I loved her pickled corn the best.

Im sure that todays generation would find all these things amusing, but this is what I grew up on.

My Granny died 2 weeks after my wedding from colon cancer in 1994. I still miss her to this day. Heaven gained one bright star when Granny left us.

Who are you?

JG...Your granny sound awesome! My granny was also my favorite. You could talk to her about anything. On the farm, she would go out on the porch to ring the huge bell (the size you find in a church) so that my Grandpa and his helpers could hear it from the south 40, and know that lunch was ready.

The homemade bread and cinnamon rolls that she made from scratch each week were legendary.

She also canned everything, especially peaches.

She taught at the local school into her 70's and traveled to Alaska with her church group to help underpriviledged Native Americans.

She cut her hair three times during her lifetime. She kept it in a bun too, and each night would spread it out on the bed and comb it 100 times. When standing it fell almost to her ankles.

Thanks JG you put a great big smile on my face.

AWAKE&WATCHING

Your Granny sounds like a remarkable woman. I'm sure it would warm her heart to know what an impression she made on you. Thank you for sharing such a sweet story. I don't have one of my own to share but I sure hope my precious grandbabies feel the same way about me.They are the joy of my life. I'll bet Granny felt the same way about you.

Gopher

Thanks for sharing. I loved listening to the stories my grandmothers told about how things used to be.

That generation that went through the depression and WW2 was a very special one. I wish their legacy and their experience was more appreciated by today's generation, because their sacrifices paved the way for the better life many of us have enjoyed the last few decades.

Junction-Guy

Thank you all for your responses, yes she was very dear to me. She loved me alot.

When she died, my Dad and Uncle gave a JW sermon at her funeral, which was totally opposite to what she believed in.

They tried witnessing to her, but it never worked. All 3 of her daughters, all of her grandchildren, and all of her great grandchildren became baptized JW's, except me.

Oh I forgot to mention that she taught school in a one room school house before she married.

Mincan

I don't find that amusing. I find it greatly disturbing that these things are becoming forgotten, just when we need them the most soon....

jaguarbass

Thats a nice story about your granny. Reminds me of my old granny in Georgia, who lived in an old wood shack with a pot belly stove. No electricity. No phone. She used snuff. Had chickens all around. Drank coca colla in little green bottles. The front yard was dust. She was my great grandmother. And she died of old age before 1970. She never was sick or had been to the doctor. She was a great great grandchild of Andrew Jackson.

Double Edge

Very nice story.... the "real" simple life... how refreshing. Reminds me of my grandparent's stories when I was a kid - they too only used horses and wagons and if you gave your word, it was good as gold... it meant something. It would be interesting to know what our grandparents would think of today's world (I could see the eyes rolling now). Thanks for sharing....

juni

What heartwarming history JG. Thank you. It brought back such good memories of my two grandmothers. It was certainly a different time then. So simple.

My neighbor and I were talking about this today - how different it was when we grew up and visiting our grandparents - we found things to do w/the most mundane things. No video games or many toys.

Juni

delilah

What an awesome thread, JG. It brought a grin to my face as well, remembering my own Grandmothers.

My Grandma died this past October, and I miss her greatly too. She was one of 16 kids, the two eldest brothers died before my Grandma was even born, so she never knew them. She raised 7 children, one of whom died at 15. She was always cooking and baking pies. Her cooking was really good. She loved to go fishing, and she'd even clean what she caught We'd watch and make yukky sounds when the innards came out. She'd chase after us if we were getting into trouble, threatening to give us a "fat eye", but she never made good on any threats. We were too cute I s'pose.

Grandma's are wonderful......

My Granny (1902-1994)

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