99 years ago

My maternal Grandmother was born on September 26, 1911.  Her father( Dietrich) was not a nice man and not much is known about her mother ( Amanda) as she died when Grandma was 15 months old, Amanda fell ( or was pushed) down the stairs while she was pregnant.  Making Dietrich a widower with four small children.  

Dietrich, Amanda, Bill and Henry in1905?

Dietrich and Amanda had four children, Bill ( always known as Uncle Bill), Henry, Gunvold and my maternal grandmother Elsie.

What to do..what to do..well..keep the boys and ship off the little girl to your sister.
  This  is my Grandmother..doncha just love the big old bow in her hair?  She is pictured with Grandma Anderson..Dietrichs sister.  I will guess that this photo was taken in about 1916 when my Grandmother was five years old.  I asked my Mother what Grandma Andersons first name was..she did not know..as she was always called Grandma Anderson.  On a side note..Grandma Anderson and her mother ( who would have been my Great-Great Grandmother) were the first two white women in Toad Lake Township, Becker County, Minnesota in 1888.

Elsie..my Grandmother when she was about 2 or 3 years old..1913 or 1914.

I wonder how my Grandmother felt..abandoned first by the death of her Mother and then by the choice her father made.  Then how do you accept the fact that your father was probably the cause of your mothers death?   How much did it effect the mothering she would do in subsequent years?

I will say that I think she was a much better Grandmother than a Mother.  I think that can be said of many women.  I am a much better Grandmother than a Mother, I have more time for one thing..time to play games and time to listen.
Grandma was just 40 in this photo..a very young Grandma..that would be me in the photo with her..I was the one that made her a Grandmother.  This photo was taken in the spring of 1952, I was born the previous fall, our birthdays are just 40 years and six days apart.

Some of my memories of her:
She spoke German to the cats and dogs and they understood her.  She had a deep love for animals…and me and my menagerie were always welcome inside the house to visit. Twice I took newborn litters of Shelties to visit, and more often than not..I had four Shelties with me.

She was a wonderful cook, my favorites were her Lemon Bars and new peas and potatoes in white sauce..oh and Russian Dill Pickles and rhubarb sauce.

She had a table on the south side of the kitchen that was filled with flowers, blooming African Violets and a plant that began growing in the corner and up the wall and over the top of the windows.  It was chopped down one year when my Mother painted the walls..but quickly grew back again.  Grandma could grow anything..she had flowers inside and flowers outside.

She was stoic when my Grandfather was moved to the Nursing home and she wanted to go with him.  She was strong when he died..and she followed him exactly 64 days later, almost a day for every year that they were married.  They were married for 68 years.  My Grandmother was 84 when she died..and I was 44.. I was blessed to have her in my life for so many years:)