Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Through the generations

I eulogized my Aunt Shirley at her memorial service this weekend. I read to the very last line before I cried, which made her surviving twin cry. But the gathering provided closure, fellowship, and fun. 

Family members brought pictures, some dating back several generations. Can you guess who Little Miss Bossy is with hands on hips? circa 1952















I was thrilled to see this photo of my German, maternal great grandparents.  I learned my grandma's dad was in real estate. Her mom, pictured here, used to go to the beauty shop once a week to get her hair curled, then stop by to see my grandma and her six kids. My mother was a little girl then, and she always wanted to comb her grandma's pretty curls. 

My grandma would reprimand my mother, "No! Now you leave Grandma's hair alone; she just had it styled."  

My great grandma would say, "Oh, no. It's fine. You let her comb my hair." And Mom would comb her curls out. Such love!

That was always a special memory for my mom. I am glad I now have a face to go with the curls and the story.


This is a picture of  Liam's and Alex's great-great-great-great-great grandparents taken in 1942. They passed away before I was born.

My granddaughter, Ashley said, "Wow, they don't look very happy."

No, but they sure look sturdy. So this is the stock I came from on my maternal grandma's side. My mom's paternal grandparents were from Italy. Talk about a mixture of tempers and stubbornness. I can now attribute my wide hips and the genesis of my strong opinions to the Germans and Italians.






7 comments:

Sheree Nielsen said...

What a great memory Linda. There's something to be said for photos, isn't there. And the heritage we carry from those before. My mom's side of the family was German, and my dad's side Lithuanian. Talk about stubborn!

Val said...

Great pictures! My grandma (Dad's side) was quite blunt and outspoken. Nobody in the family took it to heart. "That's just the German in her," they'd say.

Connie said...

I'm sorry your gathering was because of a loss, but the day still made for some great memories and stories. I love seeing old family photos. They remind us how we are all connected.

Pat Wahler said...

I love looking at old photos. It's so much fun and stirs so many old stories.

www.patwahler.com

jabblog said...

Photos are so necessary. Sadly, funerals are necessary too, but the guest of honour is always absent, at least in the flesh.

Susan said...

That photograph is a true treasure, Linda. Oh my GOODNESS. I'd get a copy, frame it, and put it up in my house. Hope you will, too. It is so wonderful when we can find out more about our lineage. Also, Linda, thank you SO MUCH for your many visits and comments to my blog posts. I truly appreciate your faithfulness and kindness. Take care. Susan

Lisa Ricard Claro said...

Old family photos are a wonderful keepsake. I also come from sturdy German stock, Linda, on my mom's side. French on my Dad's.