Week 4 of 52 Ancestors/52 Weeks asks which ancestor I would invite to dinner if I could do that. This was actually an easy choice for me. I would invite my great-grandmother, Maggie THOMAS.
Dan and Maggie Thomas, my great-grandparents, lifelong South Carolinians
Margaret Ann GRANT THOMAS (1870-1948) was my maternal grandmother’s mother. Maggie lived at a wonderful crossroads of time in my family’s history. A few years ago I wrote a similar piece about her husband, my great-grandfather, Dan THOMAS.
Dinner with Maggie
First, I think I’d take in her southern accent and her mannerisms. It would take me awhile just to do that, I’m sure. I’d ask about her life and her faith. I know she was a Christian, so I expect she had some favorite hymns and verses that she’d memorized.
Maggie would be able to tell me about my beloved grandma (Maggie’s daughter) like how she was growing up; and if she was the stubborn, joke-loving, hardworking woman I knew. I’m told Maggie was an awesome cook. I think I’d ask her a recipe or two.
Maggie could solve some family history mysteries, too, like:
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How did Henry H. GRANT die?
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Were Malachi and Penny actually Jeremiah GRANT’s parents, and if not what was the relationship between them and Jeremiah?
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Was Jeremiah really a Union sympathizer?
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Was Annie Jane GRANT part/full Native American, and if so which tribe?
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Where did Maggie and Dan live in Chesterfield County?
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And lastly, who is the man in the tintype by himself, and who are the men in the group tintype and what was it all about?
mystery Grant Tintype #1
Mystery Grant tintype #2
It would be a 12-course dinner with everything I’d want to ask and hear about it. She’d likely have questions for me, too, about her descendants. It’s a lovely meal to dream about.
How about you? What ancestor would you invite to dinner and why? Comment below.
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Enjoyed your post, Nancy! It got me thinking… I think I’d chose a dinner with my grandpa’s mom who died when he was 3. She lived in NYC in late 1800s early 1900s. Would love to know more about that! She had a box of postcards from NYC that I was able to look at which were cool. Also I could tell her how her son turned out
She sounds like a wonderful ancestor to have dinner with. I bet those postcards are cool. I have some from that era, too. What did she die of? My father’s mother died when he was 5. Spanish influenza in 1919. Thanks for commenting, Diana. 🙂