April 26, 1983. Far Guy left every morning about 6:30 for work. Shortly before he left the phone rang. He answered..oh no. His Grandmother had died.
Tracie was 87 years old, she had been diagnosed with Liver Cancer and had died in the hospital. It was a good thing. She did not want to go to the Nursing Home, that was one of her greatest fears. I was happy for her..happy she escaped “the home” ..but sad..because we would miss her.
Both of Far Guys paternal grandparents died in the same hospital, on the same floor, fifteen years apart. They had been married for 54 years..just six weeks shy of 55 years when Grandpa died in 1968.
The past two winters I have transcribed Tracie’s diaries from 1911, 1912 and 1913. I have poured over family history, scanned photos and all the things she kept and treasured for years and years.
She had quite a sense of humor. This was one of the newspaper clippings she kept.
Just a few nights ago, I finished entering the last family obituary..it seems I am a collector of “things” too. Obituaries are wonderful sources of family information.
I am left with 13 years of farm journals from 1916 to 1929, written by Far Guy’s Grandpa and some entries are by his Grandmother too. They are in a manila envelope in my desk drawer. They are written in pencil, it will take some time to transcribe them. I have not decided if I will scan them or transcribe them..or both. They belong to cousin Bonnie, if she allows me to keep the farm diaries for yet another year perhaps I can wrap up this project.
So that all family members could follow this project I started a private family blog. So it is online, safe and sound and someday when I am finished with it, it will be a book.
Grandma wrote on the back of this photo “Our youngest kid.” This pump stood right outside the front step and the porch on the west side of the house that was covered in vines.
She had one of those old photo booth photos taken sometime in the late 1940’s when ladies still wore hats. I imagine she sent some of those photos that come in that long strip to her sisters.
Are you wondering about the party yet? Grandma always told me “When you get to heaven, there is one big party and I am looking forward to it.” She always loved a party:)
What an interesting "project" to work on. I've always been interested in ancestry but I don't have any photos or papers with which to start.
ReplyDeleteBet the party is still going on, :).....interesting project....love the old pictures, Francine.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin in Scotland started an ancestry website of our family years ago and is still working on it . It is very interesting to find out family history ! Love the old photos ! Thanks for sharing ! Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteShe sounds like she was a very wonderful person. I love that old photo of her from the booth. She had a sense of humor, you can definitely see it in her face. I hope she's still enjoying that party, since she deserves it! What an interesting person. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love this post. The clipping reminded me of that old song "I'm Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate our Home."
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Such a wonderful project.
ReplyDeleteA party for sure. I'm glad she escaped the home too. Expressive pictures and clippings, and my oh my, farm journals...
ReplyDeleteWe sadly didn't have any diary keepers in our family but the backs of photos are awesome as well. I agree most of what I get are obits and back in the day when they would publish lovely long descriptions of weddings and anniversaries!
ReplyDeleteYour family is so lucky that you have taken it upon yourself to preserve and share these fantastic memories. How wonderful! Grandma is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure! Thanks for sharing - it makes me want to drag out the old photos and read the backs for some hints into the lives of people long gone.
ReplyDeleteSo glad grandma skipped the nursing home and is partying in heaven. Love the picture of her in her hat in the photo booth! How wonderful that you have taken on the job as family historian.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post, Connie. My mother saved articles from the paper, too, as well as recipes, etc.
ReplyDeleteIf you have time, please scan AND transcribe the diaries. A person's personality can be seen in their handwriting.
I have my grandmother's diaries ... they are in pencil, so scanning doesn't work well, although I'm scanning some in to keep her handwriting. But I am using Dragon Speak to talk the diaries into text. It's hard to hold a diary open and type, so the reading into the computer is easier. I hope to have some done for my Mom for Mother's Day (better get to work, then).
ReplyDeleteThat is all I wanted to do with my sepia Saturday stuff but then the group lost direction and drug we away from family. My kids right now are asking questions since they are older.
ReplyDeleteI have the last letter ever written to my Great Grandpa from his dying wife and it is in pencil. So faded I can't scan or read it...really sad.
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
That sounds like one lady I would enjoy "partying" with.
ReplyDeleteI loved the newspaper clipping, pretty funny! I love the sound of the partying! She sounds like she was a firecracker!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a similar treasure trove. So many unanswered questionsand the people who know the answers are all gone...
ReplyDeleteShe was a very with it looking woman. It's good that they kept a lot of stuff and super that someone like you will take an interest to put it in a usable form.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have your work cut out for you with all those diaries, news clippings and other memorabilia. Phew. I vote scan and transcribe. Do it while your eyes can still see relatively well. I go cross-eyed just thinking about transcribing pencil, but waiting isn't going to make it any easier!
ReplyDeleteTom is our family historian, and he spends hours searching old records on line tracing ancestors. It would be wonderful if we had journals written by some of these people. We can only guess what their lives must have been like, and what they must have been thinking.
ReplyDeleteGrandma sounded like a fun person. How wonderful to know so much of your family history.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the newspaper clipping she saved!! She sounds like a spunky woman you were lucky to know. It is a lot of work keeping track of all the family history. More power to you!! :)
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