BY HER GRANDSON
She was the one who caught me as I was making entry into this world as my mother jumped out of bed during my birth.
She was the one who probably saved my life when my parents, on doctor's advice, returned with me from Blackwell, Oklahoma for the purpose of burying me in the family cemetery as no diagnosis could be made as to what was wrong with me. But one look at me by Grandma brought out immediately the startling fact that my Mother was Breast feeding me mostly water and that I was starving to death. So Grandma fixed me some mashed potatoes and gravy and I took off for at least another 95 years. So today mashed potatoes are still my favorite vegetable. Having so many to serve at dinner time, Grandma just stood by the table to make sure all were satisfied without having to get up, then when all seated were finished and gone she would sit down to eat. Her personality was that of one wanting to keep everyone happy.
She was the one who always milked the little Jersey cow. It was a small cow that didn't give a lot of milk but the milk was rich in butterfat. I would accompany her when she went across the road and thru the fence to milk her. (My longest stay with Grandma was when I was very young and my Mother was in a TB Sanitarium, although she was later discharged as not having Tuberculosis) I know we often had water gravy on biscuits for breakfast so must likely she needed the milk for butter.
She had chickens and eggs for food and as Raymond hunted for animal skins to sell, he must have supplied Rabbit meat also. I still remember seeing all the different animal skins stretched out on boards hanging in that little shed on the back side of the house. Today we would look upon this as cruel but then it was a way to keep living as skins were in demand and money was scarce.
Grandma always repeated the same prayer before every meal as she was very religiousHer prayer, said to be the Brock's Prayer:
Father, we thank thee for these and all other blessings. Sanctify a portion of this food for the use of our bodies. Forgive us our sins, and when thou are done with us on Earth, save us in heaven, without the loss of one. For Christ our Redeemer's sake. Amen.
The ending always sounded like "sakame" to me and I never knew otherwise until I finally saw the prayer in writing.
Grandma only had a Cistern and on occasion, when rainfall was short, she would have to have water hauled to fill the Cistern. Otherwise the rainwater came off the roof ran thru a charcoal filter before dumping into the Cistern. Since there was no ice box Grandma had to lower butter and other food that she needed to keep cool into the Cistern with a rope.
Since there was no TV we had to play cards after dinner and, on occasion, Grandma would put on a little show called Crazy Betsy. She got down on the floor and put a sheet over her and stuck her hand out with the back of the hand blackened with a burnt matchstick so as to make a mouth. It was cute entertainment for a preschooler.
The Privy was on the back of the lot. I'd say 80 or 100 feet from the house. There was no electricity so it seemed like a long walk, especially after dark. Although she had slop jars or pots to use during the night.
She had feather beds to sleep in and so I don't remember ever sleeping cold.
I stayed with Grandma at different ages often, and I'm sure her kindness influenced my life.
DON
She was the one who caught me as I was making entry into this world as my mother jumped out of bed during my birth.
She was the one who probably saved my life when my parents, on doctor's advice, returned with me from Blackwell, Oklahoma for the purpose of burying me in the family cemetery as no diagnosis could be made as to what was wrong with me. But one look at me by Grandma brought out immediately the startling fact that my Mother was Breast feeding me mostly water and that I was starving to death. So Grandma fixed me some mashed potatoes and gravy and I took off for at least another 95 years. So today mashed potatoes are still my favorite vegetable. Having so many to serve at dinner time, Grandma just stood by the table to make sure all were satisfied without having to get up, then when all seated were finished and gone she would sit down to eat. Her personality was that of one wanting to keep everyone happy.
She was the one who always milked the little Jersey cow. It was a small cow that didn't give a lot of milk but the milk was rich in butterfat. I would accompany her when she went across the road and thru the fence to milk her. (My longest stay with Grandma was when I was very young and my Mother was in a TB Sanitarium, although she was later discharged as not having Tuberculosis) I know we often had water gravy on biscuits for breakfast so must likely she needed the milk for butter.
She had chickens and eggs for food and as Raymond hunted for animal skins to sell, he must have supplied Rabbit meat also. I still remember seeing all the different animal skins stretched out on boards hanging in that little shed on the back side of the house. Today we would look upon this as cruel but then it was a way to keep living as skins were in demand and money was scarce.
Grandma always repeated the same prayer before every meal as she was very religiousHer prayer, said to be the Brock's Prayer:
Father, we thank thee for these and all other blessings. Sanctify a portion of this food for the use of our bodies. Forgive us our sins, and when thou are done with us on Earth, save us in heaven, without the loss of one. For Christ our Redeemer's sake. Amen.
The ending always sounded like "sakame" to me and I never knew otherwise until I finally saw the prayer in writing.
Grandma only had a Cistern and on occasion, when rainfall was short, she would have to have water hauled to fill the Cistern. Otherwise the rainwater came off the roof ran thru a charcoal filter before dumping into the Cistern. Since there was no ice box Grandma had to lower butter and other food that she needed to keep cool into the Cistern with a rope.
Since there was no TV we had to play cards after dinner and, on occasion, Grandma would put on a little show called Crazy Betsy. She got down on the floor and put a sheet over her and stuck her hand out with the back of the hand blackened with a burnt matchstick so as to make a mouth. It was cute entertainment for a preschooler.
The Privy was on the back of the lot. I'd say 80 or 100 feet from the house. There was no electricity so it seemed like a long walk, especially after dark. Although she had slop jars or pots to use during the night.
She had feather beds to sleep in and so I don't remember ever sleeping cold.
I stayed with Grandma at different ages often, and I'm sure her kindness influenced my life.
DON
BY HER GRANDSON
She was the one who caught me as I was making entry into this world as my mother jumped out of bed during my birth.
She was the one who probably saved my life when my parents, on doctor's advice, returned with me from Blackwell, Oklahoma for the purpose of burying me in the family cemetery as no diagnosis could be made as to what was wrong with me. But one look at me by Grandma brought out immediately the startling fact that my Mother was Breast feeding me mostly water and that I was starving to death. So Grandma fixed me some mashed potatoes and gravy and I took off for at least another 95 years. So today mashed potatoes are still my favorite vegetable. Having so many to serve at dinner time, Grandma just stood by the table to make sure all were satisfied without having to get up, then when all seated were finished and gone she would sit down to eat. Her personality was that of one wanting to keep everyone happy.
She was the one who always milked the little Jersey cow. It was a small cow that didn't give a lot of milk but the milk was rich in butterfat. I would accompany her when she went across the road and thru the fence to milk her. (My longest stay with Grandma was when I was very young and my Mother was in a TB Sanitarium, although she was later discharged as not having Tuberculosis) I know we often had water gravy on biscuits for breakfast so must likely she needed the milk for butter.
She had chickens and eggs for food and as Raymond hunted for animal skins to sell, he must have supplied Rabbit meat also. I still remember seeing all the different animal skins stretched out on boards hanging in that little shed on the back side of the house. Today we would look upon this as cruel but then it was a way to keep living as skins were in demand and money was scarce.
Grandma always repeated the same prayer before every meal as she was very religiousHer prayer, said to be the Brock's Prayer:
Father, we thank thee for these and all other blessings. Sanctify a portion of this food for the use of our bodies. Forgive us our sins, and when thou are done with us on Earth, save us in heaven, without the loss of one. For Christ our Redeemer's sake. Amen.
The ending always sounded like "sakame" to me and I never knew otherwise until I finally saw the prayer in writing.
Grandma only had a Cistern and on occasion, when rainfall was short, she would have to have water hauled to fill the Cistern. Otherwise the rainwater came off the roof ran thru a charcoal filter before dumping into the Cistern. Since there was no ice box Grandma had to lower butter and other food that she needed to keep cool into the Cistern with a rope.
Since there was no TV we had to play cards after dinner and, on occasion, Grandma would put on a little show called Crazy Betsy. She got down on the floor and put a sheet over her and stuck her hand out with the back of the hand blackened with a burnt matchstick so as to make a mouth. It was cute entertainment for a preschooler.
The Privy was on the back of the lot. I'd say 80 or 100 feet from the house. There was no electricity so it seemed like a long walk, especially after dark. Although she had slop jars or pots to use during the night.
She had feather beds to sleep in and so I don't remember ever sleeping cold.
I stayed with Grandma at different ages often, and I'm sure her kindness influenced my life.
DON
She was the one who caught me as I was making entry into this world as my mother jumped out of bed during my birth.
She was the one who probably saved my life when my parents, on doctor's advice, returned with me from Blackwell, Oklahoma for the purpose of burying me in the family cemetery as no diagnosis could be made as to what was wrong with me. But one look at me by Grandma brought out immediately the startling fact that my Mother was Breast feeding me mostly water and that I was starving to death. So Grandma fixed me some mashed potatoes and gravy and I took off for at least another 95 years. So today mashed potatoes are still my favorite vegetable. Having so many to serve at dinner time, Grandma just stood by the table to make sure all were satisfied without having to get up, then when all seated were finished and gone she would sit down to eat. Her personality was that of one wanting to keep everyone happy.
She was the one who always milked the little Jersey cow. It was a small cow that didn't give a lot of milk but the milk was rich in butterfat. I would accompany her when she went across the road and thru the fence to milk her. (My longest stay with Grandma was when I was very young and my Mother was in a TB Sanitarium, although she was later discharged as not having Tuberculosis) I know we often had water gravy on biscuits for breakfast so must likely she needed the milk for butter.
She had chickens and eggs for food and as Raymond hunted for animal skins to sell, he must have supplied Rabbit meat also. I still remember seeing all the different animal skins stretched out on boards hanging in that little shed on the back side of the house. Today we would look upon this as cruel but then it was a way to keep living as skins were in demand and money was scarce.
Grandma always repeated the same prayer before every meal as she was very religiousHer prayer, said to be the Brock's Prayer:
Father, we thank thee for these and all other blessings. Sanctify a portion of this food for the use of our bodies. Forgive us our sins, and when thou are done with us on Earth, save us in heaven, without the loss of one. For Christ our Redeemer's sake. Amen.
The ending always sounded like "sakame" to me and I never knew otherwise until I finally saw the prayer in writing.
Grandma only had a Cistern and on occasion, when rainfall was short, she would have to have water hauled to fill the Cistern. Otherwise the rainwater came off the roof ran thru a charcoal filter before dumping into the Cistern. Since there was no ice box Grandma had to lower butter and other food that she needed to keep cool into the Cistern with a rope.
Since there was no TV we had to play cards after dinner and, on occasion, Grandma would put on a little show called Crazy Betsy. She got down on the floor and put a sheet over her and stuck her hand out with the back of the hand blackened with a burnt matchstick so as to make a mouth. It was cute entertainment for a preschooler.
The Privy was on the back of the lot. I'd say 80 or 100 feet from the house. There was no electricity so it seemed like a long walk, especially after dark. Although she had slop jars or pots to use during the night.
She had feather beds to sleep in and so I don't remember ever sleeping cold.
I stayed with Grandma at different ages often, and I'm sure her kindness influenced my life.
DON
