Wistful Wednesday :1952

This is an old photograph from April of 1952.  We were probably gathered for Hilda’s first birthday.

My Mom, me, my cousins Hilda and Geraldine and My Grandma Y holding Gloria.  Gloria was a cousin of Hilda and Geraldines.  I think this was taken at Hilda and Geraldine's home place, their parents were my Uncle Ervin and Aunt Violet.  Geraldine is trying really hard to hold onto her little sister.

Aunt Violet probably took the photo..or maybe my Dad.  I can see the flash of the flash attachment of the little Brownie camera that was my Mothers.

Hilda, Gloria and I are about the same age give or take a few months.  I was always scared of Hilda because she would bite me and leave those terrible teeth marks on my arms.  I am sure I never bit back.

Sometimes on Saturday nights we would go for sauna at Uncle Ervin and Aunt Violets.  They had a sauna in their basement.  It was under the basement stairs.  I cannot remember what else was down there..but I can sure see the stairs and the sauna.  Having a sauna indoors was a real treat.  Most saunas are outdoors..in the winter it can be an invigorating walk back to the house:) 

Wistful Wednesday: Grandparents

I have two photos of me with my paternal grandparents.  This is one of them.

My Grandparents don’t look thrilled.  I am told that my Grandmother called me Connie Boy instead of Connie Joy.  My Grandmother died in 1953 of a massive heart attack. She was 64 years old.  Fourteen kids and being a farmers wife took it’s toll on her body.  I have  no real memories of her..just vague feelings that I associate with her..butter..that I hear she used to feed me from a spoon.

My Grandfather lived a good long life..he died  just short of his 88th birthday in 1978.  I have many memories of my grandfather..pink peppermints, long underwear all year round, white shirts on Sunday and the smell of moth balls that permeated his wool clothing.  Then he remarried…I cannot remember exactly when he married Grandma Annie..sometime in the early 1960’s..and he outlived her too. She died in 1968.

He visited many widow ladies in his quest for companionship. Not sure why he chose Annie other that she was a very kind lady and she spoke Finn. She had her own house..after her death he was told to move out.  So he built a small two room house at Uncle Hugo’s place on Shell Lake.  One Saturday at his lake place he was having a hard time hearing, I asked him why?  Turns out he was saving his hearing aid batteries for church on Sunday morning.  He was a kind man whom I enjoyed visiting with.

My Grandfather was old school..no dancing, no lipstick and no alcohol was allowed.  Spitting however was permissible. I think he chewed tobacco his entire life.  He thought that women should only go to school to be teachers..and if they were married ..well they should stay home have babies and take care of their husbands:)

Wistful Wednesday: Early 1900's

My paternal grandmother lived in Michigan until she was twenty-one years old.   Her family had moved to Minnesota and she followed them after a short time.  ( I will speculate that she was lonely and missed her parents and siblings.)  She had a very good job in Michigan, she was a housekeeper for a very wealthy couple.

Well do you suppose that a beautiful young lady of twenty one would have had just a few suitors? 

I found this Real Photo Postcard amongst the photographs that came from my Grandpa.. It is addressed to my Grandmother using her maiden name...it was probably sent by hand or with a package as there is no stamp.  I believe it to be from right around 1910.  My Grandmother married my Grandfather in 1911.

Hello Kido, Hows the world using you now these pretty summer days hope fine.  I am well and hope you the same. Don't get scared when you look at this sour face.

It is unsigned..so he doesn't even have a name.   I wonder if her heart had been broken in Michigan and that is why she came to Minnesota.   I guess we will never know.  Another thing we will never know is how she met my Grandfather..they were neighbors..they lived less than a mile from each other.  They did not go to the same church.  Since her dad was the local "Bone Doctor" perhaps that is how they met.  I guess I could speculate all day long.  Perhaps they met at a dance.  I was told once that the Finnish boys liked to go to dances so that they could dance with the German girls..the Finn girls wouldn't dance..and my Grandmother was a Finn girl:)