Mom’s Recollections of Her Grandma
My Grandpa used to tell me that Mom and Great Grandma were close. Yawm Grandma yuav yog tawv ncauj heev, ces yawg siv xa niam los nrog nws tham txog kev yuav mus rau tus kws kho mob, yam. Kuv yuav qhia rau koj txog nws pog nyob hauv nws cov lus qhia niam.
Caroline zoo li hli yog ib tug poj niam ua ntej nws lub sij hawm. Nyob rau ib lub sij hawm thaum cov poj niam feem coob xav tau nyob hauv tsev tus niam thiab ua rau lawv tej txiv subservient kuv Grandma yog tus ntxeev siab. Thaum yawg Grandma thiab cov txiav txim tias lawv xav sib yuav leej niam leej txiv thiab niam thiab nws txiv tau tiv thaiv. Grandma was German and Grandpa was Irish, and the parents wanted them to marry within their own nationality. Grandma tau uas nws yuav William lawm. Kuv nco nws qhia kuv tias ua ntej nws yuav Kuv yawg; she made it very clear to him that he would NEVER hit her. (Thaj rau lub sij hawm ntawd peb yav tas los yog kev xyaum siv tau.) Txawm li cas los, it wasn’t acceptable to my grandma. In her words to William “At some point you will have to sleep. Kuv yuav khi koj ob txhais cajnpab thiab ceg rau txaj tswg thiab tuav lub ntuj raug txim dawb huv ntawm koj.” If my Grandpa had lived longer, I am sure we would have had some great stories.
Daim duab ntawm William Ellis, Caroline nws tus poj niam thiab nws txiv, Frederick thiab Johanna Johannpeter
Hli tsis nyiam mus ua noj los yog tu, tiam sis nws hlub mus thiab mus nrog nws tus girlfriends. She told me that when my Dad was in the Military Academy if she went out to dinner with her girlfriends, she would send Dad money to get an ice cream soda when he went to town. Nws yog ib qho tseem ceeb rau nws uas nws paub nws tuaj. When Dad was about eight, lawv nyob thoob hauv lub koom txoos Lutheran lawv sawv daws khoom ib rau txoj kev. Grandma wasn’t a regular attendee but thought Dad should be. Nws hais rau kuv tias ib hnub xya nws cia li tsis xav mus pem tsev teev ntuj, so she told Dad that the church was too crowded, but he needed to go. Nws sawv ntawm qab khav kom nws tau muaj yam xyuam xim. Dad mus hauv lub tsev teev ntuj, came back out, and hollered across the street “Mommy, muaj ntau chav”. Nws yeej tsis siv qhov kev thov txim dua.
Grandma yog ib tug poj seamstress thiab ib tug poj niam ua hauj lwm. She made my sister and me many matching outfits, tiam sis nws yeej lawv xaws tau kiag li siv tes. Nws stitches tau li ntawd txawm tias nws tau ua ntsia rau xws li lawv yog ua los ntawm kev siv ib lub tshuab. Thaum kuv nyob hauv kuv 30's kuv puas tau ua nyob rau hauv txoj kev ua lag luam siv ceeb rau ob peb xyoos. Muaj seamstress tus uas tseem txog kuv Grandma. Nws yog hom poj niam uas tsis nco qab txog.
Thaum kuv nyob rau hauv Illinois, Kuv niam thiab txiv yuav coj kuv mus rau ib lub tsheb loj Greyhound thiab xa kuv mus rau me nyuam. Louis. Grandma yuav ntsib kuv ntawm lub tsheb ntiav loj. Nws coj kuv mus nojmov hauv cov khw tus uas zoo nkauj, tsos, khw excursions. Peb muab tsheb loj mus txog tod, but usually took a cab home because we had too much to carry.
When I was thirteen one of my birthday presents was a recipe card box. Tam sim no 55 xyoo tom qab kuv tseem siv txoj kev no thiab uas nws xav tias muaj kev hlub.
Ib tus kuv fondest puas tau kuv Grandma noj kuv mus tsev ua yeeb yam xeev cov ntawv Lowe saib Irma La Dolce starring Shirley McClain. She told me I could NEVER tell my parents she took me to that movie, or they would never let me come visit her again. Kuv twb tsis muaj lub tswv yim dab tsi kuv twb mus pom, tab sis, yog hais tias nws yog “forbidden” nws yuav tsum tau zoo. Qhov tshij, I saw the movie, tab sis, kuv muaj naïve heev thiab twb tsis muaj lub tswv yim dab tsi nws yog hais txog. Xyoo tom qab kuv figured li prostitutes. Kuv yeej tsis tau qhia rau niam thiab dad tias Grandma tau coj kuv mus pom. Nws yog peb daim card.
Grandma tswvcuab kuv rau nees sib xeem khiav, qhov cov cav tov, poker, canasta, and liquor. Nws kuj yog ib tus poj niam.
