Favorite Grandparent Memories

paula · February 23, 2005

This is for all of us (Kathy) that have lost our grandparents - and want to share with others how wonderful they were.

Lastnight I was listening to my 9yr old read a book called "Thunder Cake'. It was about a girl (the arthur) that went to visit her grandmother and while she was there, a thunderstorm started brewing. Her grandmother realized how scared she was and decided to help her 'overcome' this fear by making a cake (ha! having cake overcomes ALL my fears!) So she and her grandmother went to the barn to get certain ingredients for their cake, to the celler to get other things, then to the garden for something else. Did all of this while the thunder was booming in the sky...

Thanks to her grandmothers wisdom, this little girl overcame her fear of thunder.

Wonderful little story.

(Ill post some of my own stories later)

Iluvharleys · February 23, 2005

Good one Paula!

My Grandma and Grandpa on my Mom's side was the sweetest Grandparents in the world. My Grandpa worked for the Railroad, and their house was right across the street from the tracks. When a train would come through, it would shake the whole house. When we went to visit, it would wake us all up during the night everytime a train passed. My Grandma would cook big southern style meals, and they were so good. Her favorite saying was "Don't worry, if there's not enough, I'll cook more." I never ever saw her cook more though, but we never went hungry. When my Grandpa retired from the railroad, he owned a small gas station. Well, when we went to visit them (we lived about 550 miles away) he would let us eat and drink all the candy and pop we wanted. I always thought that was so sweet. I have so many fond memories of them, and they raised 9 children and all of them ended up with good jobs and families.

My Grandparents on my Dad's side was a lot different. My Grandfather was a sweet old man, but my Grandmother was mean, and I mean really mean. My Mother didn't allow us to eat at their house, because she made meals with awful stuff, things that would poison the normal person. My Mom use to walk us to the Market and buy us some fruit to eat while we were there. My Grandma use to accuse everyone of stealing her money, when nobody did. We went to visit them, but didn't stay long, usually 1 or 2 nights. Grandfather passed away first, and she got even meaner. I can honestly say my Dad took after his Father, not his Mother.

The one thing I do remember was that my Grandmother on my Mom's side didn't believe in a woman smoking, and until the day my Grandmother died she didn't know my Mother smoked. When Grandma was there, my Mom hid in the bathroom and smoked a cigarette. I always laughed at her.

Penni60 · February 24, 2005

Great thread Paula!!

Mother's parents - Grandaddy and Mammie

Grandaddy worked for the railroad as a brakeman. His nickname was TURKEY. Not sure why he was so skinny he didn't have the turkey neck you might think either. He was very strict and as a child I was scared of him till I was in my 20's. He and my grandmother went to have a portrait made, the only one they ever had made. He was told to sit on this box with a rug over it, you know what I mean. Well he threw his leg over the box to straddle it and the box fell and he fell. I shrieked and he came up laughing his arse off. It was the best picture they ever had made. BIGGEST smiles!! I laughed so hard. He came over to me and kissed me on the cheek and said, "I am happy I made you laugh." See I was in a bad marriage and he wanted to make me smile. He did it on purpose. SNIFF SNIFF!!

Mammie used to take me to babysit me every Thursday while mom got her hair done. I would walk to Mammie's car after school and sit in it till she got off work. Who would think to let their child do that nowadays? We were so trusting back then. Anyway, she would get off work at 3:30p. We would go to Mammie's favorite magazine store. She bought the racy detective magazines that Grandaddy wouldn't have approved of but Mammie bought anyway. Fiesty lady she was. I would get some candy, of course, and MAD magazines. We would each get a coke, in a glass bottle, and a bag of peanuts. You had to have the peanuts for the coke of course. Then we would have a belching contest on the way home. One Sunday we were leaving the Baptist Church and my husband was walking out in front of us. He was attempting to grow a mustache. My grandmother leaned close to me and said these exact words, "I have more hair on my pu$$y, than he has on his upper lip." SORRY if that offended anyone but that was my grandmother. She didn't care where she was or what she was doing. She told it like it was. I laughed so hard I nearly tripped down the steps. She just winked at me.

More on my father's parents after I dry my eyes.

paula · February 24, 2005

Betty, your mom would go into the bathroom to smoke??? LOL... too funny. See, even in those days kids were trying to fool their parents. (I bet your grandmother knew)

Penni, LMBO!!! My sweet ole frail grandma would say that word all of the time.

ok, here's one of mine...

My grandparents (mom's) were poor, simple, country style folks, VERY comical!

They had some friends that would visit them from time to time and the problem with this was that they would stink (the friends) - underarm pitt smell, dirty a$$ - whatever kind of smell, they had a very strong odor!

Well, Mawmaw LOVED vick's vapor rub - always had a jar close by *Vicks has a very strong menthal smell*.

Before these people would come to visit, my grandmother would tidy up things and slip the jar of 'vicks' into her duster pocket.

Once they arrived and everyone was sitting around visiting - and their smell was getting strong, Mawmaw would take out her jar of 'vicks' and dab some in each of her nostrils.

Voila! The smell was gone - for her!

Whats so funny is that she would do it so secretly that unless you were paying attention to her, you never realized what she did.

Mita · February 24, 2005

This is my favorite and I have only told this to one other person my husband. This happend after she actually passed away though we had very special times together when she was alive. It must have been less than a week after the funeral I was in a sound sleep when I was awaken by a noise in my living room when I sat up I could see to the couch and I called out who's there? No answer but I knew someone was there, again I called out but this time My Mom (Grandmother) says it's only me I'm going to sleep on your couch. So I said Ok never giving it another thought. Well you all know what happend in the morning she was gone. I sat there for quite awile because I really saw her and I could smell her perfume it was so real. Anyway I figured it had to be a dream so I put it in the back of my mind. Well here came another night and the same thing except she was going to sleep by my side, she held my hand all night I could feel every bone in her hand but then right before dawn she said she had to go. When I think of her I always recall those nights they meant the most:(

DeniseG · February 24, 2005

Bubb,

that was a great story. I had a similar experience with my Grandmother on my mom's side. Not to the extent that you had. When she died I wasn't there I lived about 300 miles away. I knew, before anyone told me, that she died because I felt her presense, and so did my cat. There are many times when I know she is around me because I will smell "Jergens" lotion the way it use to smell, or I will smell "White Shoulder's" She doesn't come around as much as she use to. Her husband, my Grandfather passed almost 2 years ago, so I guess he keeps her company now. Occasionally, I will feel his presence when I have car problems. he was a stickler for me to get my oil changed or tires changed. (I feel his presence as I write this lol) The spirit that stays with me the most though is my favorite cat that passed. Every night when I go to bed, I feel him jump up on the bed with me......I know you are probably going "Do do, do do" (twilight zone song)but, seriously, when I am in the bed alone, I will feel little footsteps at the foot of my bed where he use to sleep. I will look to see if my other cats are on the bed, and they are not.

I too miss my Maw-Maw's southern cooking. No one has ever been able to make her gravy or fried chicken. She use to bird watch and I would love to join her by feeding the birds each morning when we visited. She could watch them for hours. She use to always have "fruit stripe" gum for us and Hi-C in the can.

paula · February 24, 2005

Mary, your story gave me chills.... wow. Your grandmother must have had an abundance of love for you.

Kelly, I cried when I read yours. How sweet, the blanket memory.... awe!

My dad is an only child. His parents were typical depression era people - very tight, tight and VERY tight. But they lived on the next street from us, so we were close to them - we were all they had, and they were all we had.

Funny how God works... Mike and I bought our first home right down the street from them. So, grandparents were down the street and parents were on the next street. Close family .

Anyway, so many times I can remember walking my kids - whether they were in a stroller or just learning to ride a tricycle - "down to Mamaw and Papaw's house".

Well, in mid December 02 I had my third child. The day after Christmas my grandpa brought me a big bag of over ripped banana's that he had gotten at the market for .99c. During this visit, I can remember him holding my new baby and just looking at him... something I had never seen him do with the first 2. (makes me cry) He had a different spirit about him that day. He laughed, talked about the baby looking like his people (and he still does). That visit was the last time I saw him.

He passed away in his sleep 3 days later.

Mita · February 24, 2005

No Denise I'm not hearing that song. I was thinking while I was writing it you all were going to think I really went OT or off the deep end but I can never forget those nights and some times I smell Occur out of know where. Just have to smile to myself that I know she is hear with me.

Kelly that is wonderful that you found the Blanket. Very special Memories.

Wow Paula I bet having your family close by was great. What a special memory that is.

paula · February 24, 2005

Mary, I believe you - and I believe it really happened.

Denise, just how many 'other' cats do you have???

kellymoos · February 24, 2005

Ya'll are making me tear up...Awesome thread!!

DeniseG · February 24, 2005

Surely you don't think I am one of those crazy cat ladies? lol

I have one of my own, and my neighbor's cat lives at my house. Long story

the best me · February 24, 2005

Okay, I can hardly take it! These stories are so sweet. My Nana wore White Shoulders cologne and Shower to Shower powder and Secret deodorant. My other grandmother...well, I guess I'll save it for next time since it's kind of long. When I can stand another dose of sentimentality...wow. Thank you all for your stories, I hope there are more to come! Grandparents are so special. Thank you for this thread Paula!

Penni60 · February 24, 2005

Father's Parents: O'Daddy and O'Momma

O'Daddy was a farmer, lifestock hauler, jack of all trades. I have very fond memories of walking his fields with him and holding his weathered hand in mine. He would look down at me and smile that HUGE smile, pat me on the head, and say, "Penni the lord surely blessed me in having you as my grandchild. Now let's go get O'Momma some blackberries before she skins us alive." I ate more than we would bring home and O'Momma would act all mad but then I would see her smile in her eyes. O'Daddy would take us to the local grocery store (actually it was a small country store with wooden floors and a glass candy display case) in his 43 Chevy wooden sided truck he used for livestock hauling and would put fresh hay in the bed so we could sit in the back nice and comfortable. He would buy me and my sister each a coke with peanuts and I would get Lay's potato chips or cheetos and my sister would get a candy bar. We were not supposed to tell O'Momma about the candy, chips and coke. So this was our little secret. But I knew she knew. When my cousins would come to visit from "up north" O'Daddy would let all 6 of us ride his mule, TED. What fond memories I have of my country grandparents.

O'Momma was the best cook in all of the surrounding counties. She would win all kinds of prizes for her dishes. The Merrick clan was known for it's prize honey. The table was always set with fresh honey. Every meal there was honey used in some way. Fresh homemade biscuits with warm butter and honey at every meal. Not left over biscuits from the morning Breakfast but FRESH with each meal. When she passed she took the recipe or she used to call it "receipt" for her fried apple pies. I have tried to make them and they just don't taste the same. One very fond memory that comes to mind right now is related to my first pet cat. I had been wanting one for a long long time. My grandmother knew I was wanting one. She asked her neighbor to bring one of the new litter to the house. I picked a white calico female for my kitty. I named her Missy. She grew up and was pregnant and delivered her 9 kitties while I watched and was just totally fascinated. My grandmother explained what was happening and I think I was all of 5 or 6 at the time. Well my grandmother new something wasn't right. She shewed me into the living room saying that the momma kitty needed some quiet time with her babies. Little did I know that the momma and her babies were dying. Within an hour they were gone. All 9 babies and momma. O'Momma told me they had to go to heaven to make way for more babies. I was so upset. I was 5 now remember so I wanted to have a funeral. My dear sweet grandmother found a shoe box, put some of her quilt scraps in there to cushion mother and babies, then took some roses out of her garden along with apple blossoms and put on top of the box. We got all dressed up in our "sunday best" and she sang "amazing grace" while we carried the box to a shallow grave that my grandfather dug for us. He was there with his "sunday best" on and read the 23rd Psalm from the bible and then we buried them. This was a special couple of people that would do anything for anybody friend or foe. I miss them terribly.

DeLarla · February 24, 2005

Babchi (Gramma) fell ill last year and has been in bed ever since - coming to terms with the inevitable certainly leaves a lump next to the golfball.

She's my savior since Mommy Dearest is severely mentally ill and never (not even once) offered an ounce of motherly love, tenderness, care or concern. Bapchi taught me my prayers, swaddled me in huge bath towels, sat me on her lap and snuck me Jello pudding.

If I could chose one memory, it would be when I was about 6 years old, sitting on Babchi's lap in the car while my Mom was driving. Babchi held her hand over my eyes the entire trip so I couldn't see where we were going. I never asked why she covered my eyes since I always felt safest with her and trusted her completely. It wasn't till I was much older that I realized she was just keeping the sun out of my eyes. Thinking back, her upper arm must have gotten sore from the long ride, but Grammas don't feel that kinda pain. Just love.

lapbander081004 · February 24, 2005

I had the fortune of knowing all my grandparents (one grandfather was not maternal but you'd never know it) and three of the four sets of great grandparents well into my late teens /early twenties. The stories I could tell would expend past the time I have left on this earth.

Three of my children will only know two grandmothers. My oldest son had the pleasure of knowing my father but unfortuneatley he was dying of cancer the whole time but my son says he was still a great inspiration to him.

But one short story. My dad's father was 22 when he died in 1922. My grandmother then left her two son's with family in the upper part of the State of Michigan and moved to Detroit for a factory job in those days. She got employeement in a Chrome Plating factory. When my grandmother re-married she was able to bring her boys to Detroit to live with her again. Well as it turns out the factory she worked in is in the suburb of Detroit where I live and was closed about 20 yrs ago. The building is still there but the busniess have changed several times.

Once I was having a difficult time (personal issues) and I was working the midnight shift as a cop. I was feeling pretty depressed and I had drove my scout car to the rear of the building so I was hidden from the public in order to relax and think things out( ok so I would catch a few zzzzz there now and then). It was there at least 8 yrs after her death that I actually found myself hearing her voice. I talked to her and she gave me advise. As it turns out I did take her advise and shortly there after my personal problems began to work out and I got over my depression. After that when ever I had a problem I could go there and for some unknown reason after I pulled out from behind the building I could figure out what I need to do to handle any problem. I know she has guided me thru many times of troubles. She was always known by family members to be the one to go to when she was alive for advise. She'd take hours to talk to anyone who need help.

The strange thing is that I live directly across a freeway from the building. every single day I leave my home and point my car to the end of the street I see the building and I remember her and thank her. The building now houses a new gym...and I think she is calling me to come join it ...lol It won't surprise me on bit.