This forum is an opportunity for each Hill and Johnston family member to share personal memories that will be preserved for children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all future posterity.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Question #10
Tell what your grandmas were like. Describe one or two fond memories you had with each.
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Anonymous
said...
Grandma Heap Daily (Lillian Heap Daily - she remarried after the death of her first husband) had the prettiest white hair, and I always think of her in an apron. When company would come, she would quickly try to remove her apron and pat her hair. Grandma was a very hard worker and had to raise many of her 9 children by herself after Grandpa died. She had 5 girls and 4 boys. My mother was the middle child. Grandma canned lots of things from her garden and also stored a lot of her fruit and veggies in her cellar. Whenever anyone arrived, invited or unexpected, she always prepared a feast of wonderful food. My Father always made sure we went to Utah to visit Grandma at least once a year. Whenever we drove into Parowan, Daddy stopped at the town grocery store and paid off Grandma’s tab, and then stocked up on food to help feed us while we were there. Grandma loved the Utah mountains, and we always had our yearly family reunions in the mountains (Duck Creek or Wood’s Ranch, or at Navajo Lake). Everyone (and there were lots of us) would bring homemade dishes to share, play volleyball and horseshoes, and go for hikes. Grandma had a big iron pot that we would fill with potatoes and onions which we always cooked on the open fire. Our family and Grandma always stayed longer than most of the families to roast marshmallows in the fire ring and enjoy the outdoors. Grandma never got enough of the mountains, and neither did we. Grandma always wanted to travel, so one year when I was about 4, my parents left me with my favorite aunt in Utah while they took Grandma and drove to Canada. That was the highlight of Grandma’s travels. She loved every minute of her trip. The best description I can give of my Grandma is that she was truly pioneer stock. She was the Relief Society President when Mother was a young girl, and she won lots of ribbons in the Parowan County Fair for her quilts and for her flowers. Everyone loved my Grandma.
Grandma Fender (Bertha Mae Fender) lived pretty close to us in Santa Ana. She lived next to a dairy. Grandma Fender also wore aprons, and her hair was always in a braid wrapped around her head. One time when my cousin, Marsha, and I were about 9, we spent the night at Grandma’s house. The next morning I woke up and headed to the bathroom. The door was open, and there stood Grandma with her hair clear past her waist, brushing it. I was in shock. I never thought about Grandma’s hair being long. I tried to get her to wear it down (which would have actually looked ridiculous), but she braided it and wrapped it on her head again. Grandma was a very early riser and a hard worker. She had grape orchards and fruit tree orchards which provided lots of work and good food. She was a very good cook. I still remember her berry pies, her raisin cookies, and of course, her angel food surprise cakes. Today I still copy Grandma’s surprise in my angel food cakes. She would pour colored dot candies into the mix after it was in the pan. When the cake is cut, there is a rainbow of color where the dye from the candies would melt and streak the cake. Grandma had to do most of the work because of Grandpa’s bad leg and failing health. She was an excellent seamstress. One Christmas she made several outfits for the doll my parents gave me for Christmas, including a lined coat and a matching apron for me and my doll (that also matched one of Grandma’s). She did all of her sewing on a treadle sewing machine, and helped teach me on that machine. About the time we moved to Garden Grove, Grandma moved to Garden Grove. She had a really cute little house with a breezeway that was attached on the back of the house to a service room. She stored food out there and had her laundry facilities there. Beyond the back fence she had her trees and garden. Grandma never was in a hospital until she was about 86 and had her gallbladder removed. She was so proud of her stitches that she wanted to show them to everyone. She amazed the doctors by getting up the same day of her surgery and walking the corridors. I never remember her being sick. She spent many years in the fields picking crops with my Grandfather and my Father, but she never complained about anything hurting, except her baby toes. When she went in for her gallbladder surgery she begged the doctor to remove her baby toes because the corns hurt so much. He wouldn’t because she needed them for balance. She passed away at the age of 93. I can’t believe what a wonderful heritage I have with all of my Grandparents
1 comment:
Grandma Heap Daily (Lillian Heap Daily - she remarried after the death of her first husband) had the prettiest white hair, and I always think of her in an apron. When company would come, she would quickly try to remove her apron and pat her hair. Grandma was a very hard worker and had to raise many of her 9 children by herself after Grandpa died. She had 5 girls and 4 boys. My mother was the middle child. Grandma canned lots of things from her garden and also stored a lot of her fruit and veggies in her cellar. Whenever anyone arrived, invited or unexpected, she always prepared a feast of wonderful food. My Father always made sure we went to Utah to visit Grandma at least once a year. Whenever we drove into Parowan, Daddy stopped at the town grocery store and paid off Grandma’s tab, and then stocked up on food to help feed us while we were there. Grandma loved the Utah mountains, and we always had our yearly family reunions in the mountains (Duck Creek or Wood’s Ranch, or at Navajo Lake). Everyone (and there were lots of us) would bring homemade dishes to share, play volleyball and horseshoes, and go for hikes. Grandma had a big iron pot that we would fill with potatoes and onions which we always cooked on the open fire. Our family and Grandma always stayed longer than most of the families to roast marshmallows in the fire ring and enjoy the outdoors. Grandma never got enough of the mountains, and neither did we. Grandma always wanted to travel, so one year when I was about 4, my parents left me with my favorite aunt in Utah while they took Grandma and drove to Canada. That was the highlight of Grandma’s travels. She loved every minute of her trip. The best description I can give of my Grandma is that she was truly pioneer stock. She was the Relief Society President when Mother was a young girl, and she won lots of ribbons in the Parowan County Fair for her quilts and for her flowers. Everyone loved my Grandma.
Grandma Fender (Bertha Mae Fender) lived pretty close to us in Santa Ana. She lived next to a dairy. Grandma Fender also wore aprons, and her hair was always in a braid wrapped around her head. One time when my cousin, Marsha, and I were about 9, we spent the night at Grandma’s house. The next morning I woke up and headed to the bathroom. The door was open, and there stood Grandma with her hair clear past her waist, brushing it. I was in shock. I never thought about Grandma’s hair being long. I tried to get her to wear it down (which would have actually looked ridiculous), but she braided it and wrapped it on her head again. Grandma was a very early riser and a hard worker. She had grape orchards and fruit tree orchards which provided lots of work and good food. She was a very good cook. I still remember her berry pies, her raisin cookies, and of course, her angel food surprise cakes. Today I still copy Grandma’s surprise in my angel food cakes. She would pour colored dot candies into the mix after it was in the pan. When the cake is cut, there is a rainbow of color where the dye from the candies would melt and streak the cake. Grandma had to do most of the work because of Grandpa’s bad leg and failing health. She was an excellent seamstress. One Christmas she made several outfits for the doll my parents gave me for Christmas, including a lined coat and a matching apron for me and my doll (that also matched one of Grandma’s). She did all of her sewing on a treadle sewing machine, and helped teach me on that machine. About the time we moved to Garden Grove, Grandma moved to Garden Grove. She had a really cute little house with a breezeway that was attached on the back of the house to a service room. She stored food out there and had her laundry facilities there. Beyond the back fence she had her trees and garden. Grandma never was in a hospital until she was about 86 and had her gallbladder removed. She was so proud of her stitches that she wanted to show them to everyone. She amazed the doctors by getting up the same day of her surgery and walking the corridors. I never remember her being sick. She spent many years in the fields picking crops with my Grandfather and my Father, but she never complained about anything hurting, except her baby toes. When she went in for her gallbladder surgery she begged the doctor to remove her baby toes because the corns hurt so much. He wouldn’t because she needed them for balance. She passed away at the age of 93. I can’t believe what a wonderful heritage I have with all of my Grandparents
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