Monthly Archives: October 2019
Remembering our Elders
Joannie marks all our family dates on her calendar, e.g. yesterday, was Granddaddy’s birthday. She also notes the dates people died. I’m so glad she does this. On those dates, we talk about everything we can remember about them.
I’m terrible about these things, which is unfortunate, since I had relationships with most of our forebears being the oldest child of an oldest child of an oldest child. I’m glad she spurs my memories.
About Grandaddy, I remembered that he was all about hard, physical work, believing that it was almost immoral not to knock yourself out every day. He kept a record of al his earnings and expenses. He was very moral and devout. Evenings, he spent reading good magazines that he subscribed too. He never missed church and, if you were staying at his house, you went too. He was always loving and kind to me. I never received anything from him, not a birthday card, not a Christmas present, and not a penny when he died. Lots of memories, though.
I have many happy memories of spending time in the rock house he built. Joannie and I both remembered sleeping in quilt “pallets” on the living room floor in front of the fireplace with all our cousins.