As I have been working on my family tree again, I have been rereading obituaries. I know, something super exciting. And as I sit and read through them, I am struck by how something so simple can bring you closer to someone from your family. Even though you may not have known them very well, they can help give you a better understanding of who they were and what they did in their lifetime.
As I read through my grandmother's obituary, I had forgotten that in her youth, she had worked as a ticket taker at the movie theaters here in Sheboygan. It brought back a memory of a conversation that she and I had at one time. She had told me that she had to remember in her head how many tickets she had sold and for what price. If it was a matinee or a regular evening show. They didn't have calculators back then. Now all but one of the theaters she worked at is still in existence.
She is gone nine years now this past July and I miss her terribly. When she passed away from complications of a stroke, the nurses at the nursing home could not get her eyes to stay shut after she passed away. I arrived about half an hour after she was gone and when I went into her room, I was sad, but at the same time, she looked so at peace. I bent down next to her body and told her I loved her and reached up to close her eyes. They stayed closed. She was my rock and I wish she was still here. The picture is of her when she was about 16 years old. She decided one day to stop at a photographer's studio and have her picture taken.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, she was so excited, and it was 'her' baby, not mine and we all had to laugh.
As I continue on with my family history, I love to look at the old pictures that I have and reflect on how things were or appeared to be much simpler back in the 'olden days'. But at the same time, I wonder how they did things without modern technology like we have. We have become truly spoiled with all of the gadgets that we have.
My end message I guess, treasure the memories from the past. Learn all you can about your families and the history that they bring. No matter how uneventful it may seem. Teach your children about who they are and where they come from....
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing this. Nothing can compare to the memories and legacy of heritage left to us by our ancestors. You were blessed to be so close to your grandmother and know her as an adult. I know the influence she had on you is with you every day, especially in the memories you make with your child, your love of history and making sure the history of your family is not forgotten by future generations.
You are the historian, the thread that joins the past to the future.
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