People like George Washington and Lizzie Borden are remembered because of the memorable things they did and the lessons their lives taught. George taught us to be courageous, Lizzie that anyone can snap when forced to eat mutton too many days in a row. My grandparents, and probably yours, weren’t famous and don’t have their own Wikipedia pages. Still, they did memorable things.
Dan and Florrie Martin, my maternal grandparents
My grandmother loved to crochet and make quilt tops. And she kept in touch with everyone in the family via snail mail. She was a devoted Christian and loved people regardless of their shortcomings.
My grandfather was principled. He was honest and when he shook a man’s hand, he took it as a contract. He was a tenant farmer and treated each farm he worked as if it was his own. He loved early professional wrestling; his favorite was Gorgeous George.
In a few generations there will be no one left who personally knew my grandparents, or yours, probably. Let’s keep them alive by passing their stories along to our kids and grandkids. Comment and tell me something about your grandparents.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy H. Vest All Rights Reserved
Between 1919-1923, my grandfather, like a great many others from his generation, was very active during the Irish War of Independence and subsequent Civil War, He was involved in quite a few ambushes of British troops, stole military documents and was tortured, In the Civil War, he was a member of he firing squad which executed Erskine Childers.
Childers wrote the novel, The Riddle of The Sands – a book I loved reading as a child. I never knew then that my own grandfather had played such a significant role in his death. I never got to meet my grandfather, but stories of his life inspired me to write my novel Tan.
Ordinary players in history have such interesting stories. It’s why I write my blog, and it’s why I really like your blog, Nancy, because it celebrates ordinary folk – our ancestors, who made us what we are and shaped the world we live in today.
Your grandparents sound like the type of people we should all aspire to be.
Wow, David! What a life your grandfather lived! He and my grandparents were ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. They persevered through tough times that I cannot imagine. I wonder sometimes if I would have been as strong and steady as they were.
Thanks for commenting, and for your encouraging words about my blog. Celebrating ordinary folk, and helping others do the same, is my goal.
Love this! I also like the idea of keeping our ancestors alive by telling their stories. My mom came to America from Switzerland in 1949, at age 13. I wrote a book “Coming to America: A Girl Struggles to Find her Way in a New World,” based on her experience. My grandfather, her father, was born in America, as was his mother. He had to move to Switzerland with his father when he was 11, but always wanted to return to America. Unraveling our family stories is so interesting. I enjoy reading the stories from others’ ancestors too! I will be following your blog posts, Nancy. 🙂
Diana, how wonderful that you wrote about your mom’s experiences with coming to live in America. That’s an heirloom that will be cherished for generations. Thanks for following my blog posts. I hope you continue to enjoy them!