Monday, October 26, 2009

My Great Grandparents


I was chatting with my great aunt over the weekend. Just the two of us which gave us the opportunity to talk for real. She’s amazing. Ninety-three and her mind is as sharp as ever. We discussed many things and wound up talking about her parents, my great grandparents.

Gramp was born in 1880 in Carlisle. Gram was born in New Kingston in 1881 and moved with her family to Carlisle in 1898. A week after arriving in town she became the church organist at Gramps church which is how they met. She continued to do that until the mid fifties when the church upgraded to a pipe organ.

They were married in 1904. My grandmother was born in 1909, my great aunt in 1916. I was thinking about that and it amazed me a little bit. For that day and age they were fairly old to be married. I have letters they wrote while they were courting. Back then the mail went twice a day and it wasn’t unusual for them to correspond with each possible post.

They both worked at the Bedford Shoe Company, a ten minute walk from their house. He started cutting leather when he was 12 and continued to do so until he retired at 65. Only he went back to help out after that so he never really quit working. She was a tongue setter, a process that can be completed in under ten minutes. I wonder how many shoes she assembled in her lifetime.

I wish I had a picture I could post. I didn’t know Gramps but I do remember Gram. She died at 88 when I was seven. I’ll never forget her sitting on the floor with me, coloring clouds that weren’t drawn as part of the coloring book. Hmm, perhaps that’s why I can’t seem to stay in the lines now.

3 comments:

Sandra Cox said...

Thanks for sharing, Barb. Very special memories.

Regina Carlysle said...

I love hearing these kinds of family histories. It's just fascinating.

Anny Cook said...

What a wonderful blog. I miss my grandmother, too!