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in Gladys Martin Family

Vienna, Virginia: the old homestead of my mom’s family

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The prompt for  52Ancestors this week is Old Homestead.

There isn’t an old homestead in any of my family lines. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that my parents’ house was the Old Homestead for my mom’s family.

color photo of a green ranch-style house on a snowy day. A few mature trees and shrubs in front of the house.

My parents’ house in Vienna, Virginia

My parents’ house was about the only house that was a constant in all of our lives, and everyone visited there. Some more than others, but everyone came. My parents aren’t living anymore, and the house was sold, but the memories stay with us all.

My parents (Charles L. HEISER and Gladys MARTIN HEISER) bought their ranch house in Vienna, Virginia in 1957. My sister, Joyce, was about 18 months old. My mom’s mom (Florrie THOMAS MARTIN) moved there with them. She had been widowed about two years before that. I wasn’t born until 1959.

B&W photo of 7 smiling people in front of house. All are middle-aged except for one who is elderly. Clearly a warm day since everyone is in short sleeves.

Charlie (my dad), Aunt Millie, Uncle Bobby, Aunt Ruby, Florrie (my grandma), Gladys (my mom), Uncle Tommy. All the aunts and uncles (and my mom) are children of my grandma. Photo taken in 1959 in front of house.

Family came and came again

My mom had seven siblings who were spread across the east coast, Midwest, and south. Her father had 10+ siblings who had many kids themselves. Her mother had a lot of family in South Carolina where she and my grandfather had come from.

Color photo of an elderly woman sitting on porch steps with an approximately 18 month old girl in her lap. Woman is wearing a short-sleeved, dark, swiss-dotted. Hair is graying and she's wearing dark-rimmed glasses. Blonde-haired girl is wearing a red and white dress, red tights, and white shoes.

Grandma and me on the front porch about 1961.

On holidays, and non-holidays, extended family would visit. Usually one weekend a month, family was there.

Sometimes it was planned, sometimes it was preceded by a call from the 7-11 around the corner asking if they could come by and visit, and sometimes there was no warming at all.

They came from Baltimore, Winchester, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, Louisiana, and other places.

 

Color photo of 3 children laying in the floor on sleeping bags and pillows. All are smiling. Girl on left is about 4, middle girl is about 13, and boy on the right is about 10.

My sister Joyce with two of our cousins, Becky and Norm, who are siblings. Taken in the living room of the house. 1959

 

 

 

 

It didn’t matter who came, or if the visit was pre-planned or not. My parents welcomed everyone with open arms.

Joyce and I fondly remember Mom hanging up the phone when family would call from the 7-11, and sending Dad to KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) to get food for everyone. Then she’d go to my grandma’s room and let her know who was coming so Grandma could freshen herself up before whoever arrived.

Color photo of 5 people standing on a porch. Everyone in short sleeves. Woman on the left has graying hair and a cane nearby. Next woman has write hair, dark glasses, and wearing a blue dress. Woman in middle has dark hair and wears a green skirt with a cream colored top. Man in middle in a grey suit. Man on right wearing a yellow shirt and dark pants.

Aunt Ruby, Grandma, Uncle Otto (husband of Ruby), Gladys, Charlie. Taken in mid 1970’s on the porch at my parents’ house

 

Florrie was the light that drew the moths

Everyone considered the house to be Florrie’s even though it was my parents’ house. Florrie was my grandma, and everyone wanted to come visit Aunt Florrie, Cousin Florrie, Mother, Granny, Sister, Sister-in-law, or whatever they called her.

Joyce and I were blessed to meet and visit with so much extended family, to hear stories that I so wish I’d written down, and to smile as they all laughed. Oh, how they all loved a funny story, and most of them were great oral storytellers.

Four people seated at a table with presents and a cake on the table. From left: gray haired, ruddy-faced man wearing an off-white button shirt; balding white haired man with glasses wearing a brown and beige checkered shirt; white-haired elderly woman with dark glasses and wearing a white dress; brown-haired woman wearing a red and beige checkered dress. All smiling.

A photo from Grandm’as 80th birthday party. Charlie, Uncle Jerry (another of my mom’s siblings), Grandma, Gladys. October 1974 in the kitchen of my parents’ house

Florrie passes away

When Grandma passed away in 1979 at 84 years of age, the funeral home was standing room only. After it was all over, many of us returned to my parents’ house in Vienna to have a bite to eat and decompress.

We sat around the kitchen table – my parents, my sister, some aunts and uncles, and a cousin or two or three – and we played Uno.

We let go of the day, and we let go of the pain for a little while; and we laughed and we smiled. That is one of the most bittersweet memories of my life.

Color photo of smiling couple in front of a green house. Man is wearing a white polo and has gray hair. Woman is gray-haired and wearing a black shirt with green and purple color pattern it.

My parents, Charlie and Gladys, in front of the house in 1982

Time marches on

My parents’ house continued to be the place to visit even after Grandma died, though not as many relatives came since some passed away, too, and others were too old to travel so far. But when they came, the house was still filled with laughter and stories.

Before Joyce and I sold the house in 2000, our cousin, Lynn, asked if she could come visit one more time. Of course, I said. As she sat in the dining room with me, reminiscing, she said it was like the end of an era. That it was.

Is there an Old Homestead in your family? Tell me about it in the comments. 

 

Copyright ©  2018 Nancy H. Vest   All Rights Reserved

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Comments

  1. Janet F Breithaupt says

    April 15, 2018 at 11:04 pm

    Hi Nancy,
    How are doing? Yes this is your former neighbor, Janet Fulford Breithaupt.
    I lived across the street from you growing up.
    Thank you for your lovely writing about your family and your parents.
    I sure enjoyed reading it because it brought back memories for me too.
    Just like it was yesterday or something.

    A funny thing, not so long ago I took my husband Jim to Vienna, Va and we went through Vienna and of course to Orrin Street.
    What a big change!!
    Some of the houses are beING torn down and Million Dollar homes are now being put in.
    So hard to believe these days.

    After working for Aetna Insurname for 18 years right after high school I was able to stop working for along time.
    We do not have any children but, have been blessed with wonderful dogs.

    My husband works for EPA, and I went to school and became a massage therspist.
    I love what I do.

    My brother David lives in PA.
    Yes, guess what he does???
    Yes, he is a Priest and Professor at a university.

    Wow what life changes have gone on.

    Well if you have time, Please text me sometime.

    Sincerely
    Janet F Breithaupt
    703 405 8590
    It would be very nice to hear from you

    Reply
    • Nancy H. Vest says

      April 16, 2018 at 8:52 pm

      Janet,
      How wonderful to hear from you! I’m glad you enjoyed the blog post, too. Orrin Street was a wonderful place to grow up, wasn’t it. 🙂 I’m sure you remember Barb Jenkins Ruckman. She and I were just talking about you last week. I talked to Barb tonight, and she said to tell you hello. I will text you Tuesday or Wednesday. Can’t wait to catch up some more.

      Reply

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