Books by the old Leather Chair

  • Snow In The Summer
  • My Bible
  • The Power of Silence
  • What Comes Next and to Like It
  • Encore Provence
  • A Year in Provence

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Grandma




This post was written 3 years ago today.   My older grandchildren have not seen this - so this is for them.




Beatrice (changed to Bertie) Ellington Hartgrove. - 12/17/1896 - 11/28/1987 Grandma, that is what I always called her. She was my maternal grandmother. I can remember spending time with her during my young years the summers I would come to Tennessee. I enjoyed visiting her home in the country. She loved flowers and I guess the first gardener in the family that left a desire within me to one day have a garden. I can remember the many different varieties in her yard and how she would take the heel of her shoe and dig out a weed she spotted. She had a small garden house that was filled with African Violets. I would say that is where a part of my deep passion for nature and flowers comes from. Especially since I was raised in an apartment building with hardly a blade of grass in sight. Memories of the fresh milk from the cow that my grandfather milked. The cream would rise to the top and she would make a plate of fresh butter. I had never seen this done before or since that time. The best butter I have ever tasted. I remember that!
The only grandfather I ever knew I learned later in life was not my real grandfather. His name was John Crowe, he lived a military life which included World Wars 1 and 11 and months in France. His retirement years were spent with my grandmother on the farm I visited while growing up. I remember the deep affection they had for each other. The strong love was so apparent. My grandmother married young and had two daughters, my mother and my Aunt Bea. The marriage did not last for many reasons and that is another story at another time. When she married again it was to this grandfather. They had two daughters, my Aunt Betty and Johnnie.
As I go through this family history file on this early morning there is so much I do not know. So many names of people that are a part of my biological makeup or DNA, whichever is the correct way to describe it. My real grandfather's name was Robert Carmichael who lived in Lexington, Kentucky. 10/12/1892 - 10/13/1976. He remarried and had a daughter and 3 sons. Relatives I never knew existed. At times in the past I would wonder about them. When this was shared with me I had thoughts of driving to Lexington. Just a thought that soon left my mind. Here I had a grandfather and aunts and uncles I never knew. A cousin of mine who has done extensive genealogy searching, sent me some of his discoveries. Interesting that it goes back to the Revolutionary War.
So much of this information about my mother's real father has only become available to me since my grandmother's death. All of this was a subject that was never discussed while she was living. Wonder what other secrets are in the family?
So maybe some of my memories, information and the file that this One Woman keeps will be interesting to one of my grandchildren. Anyway, I feel that I should document all I can. Guess I have been assigned the keeper of memories for my family. Some information shared from One Woman on her Journey Through This Life


6:50 AM - jUST RECEIVED EMAIL THAT MY SON ARRIVED SAFELY IN THAILAND

SO MOM CAN CONTINUE MORE LIGHT HEARTED THROUGH THIS DAY. ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE MY SPECIAL 3 YEAR OLD WITH ME TODAY. WRITING WITH A THANKFUL HEART!!!!
Lunch statement from Amelia. Spotting my stack of journals "is that your homework grandma".

14 comments:

lilalia said...

Your words so well portray the warmth of affection and love you held for your grandmother.

It must be such a relief to know of your son's safe arrival.

Now you can go off and have some fun.

Tabor said...

You are so lucky to have this photographic history. My brother has all of my families photos, so I cannot peruse. Maybe I should bring a scanner and flashdrive if I fly out for a visit!

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

lilalia, thank you. Tabor, since my mothers death 7 years ago I have these photographs. Feel led to document all I can in case someone is interested.

Nan said...

I'd say Mr Crowe is your "real" grandfather! He's the one you knew, and with whom your grandmother shared such loving affection.

I love, love, love your blog header!! Those "slacks" - remember when they were called that?!

Our nephew is in Thailand for a year, and his family just went over to visit.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Nan, thanks for checking in. I have made your orange cookie recipe 5 times. Guess I am addicted to them.

Nan said...

I'm just so pleased, Ernestine!! I need to make them again, and soon. :<)

Judy said...

I am so glad your son arrived safely. I always hold my breath when one of mine is traveling until they get there. My mother was crazy about violets and had them everywhere in the house. I remember visiting an aunt and having homemade butter and how good it was on biscuits. I love that picture of you, too, at the top of the blog.

MsGraysea said...

Beautiful words about the formative times with your grandmother. I have similar memories of my paternal grandmother, who lived next door to us in the big farmhouse. I spent countless hours in her garden, learning about the flowers, loving every little bit of it, the scents, the colors, the shapes and varying colors of the foliage. I remember pondering the make-up of her beautiful climbing roses for hours on very hot summer days. She is the seminal woman of my existence. My mother was also a wonderful woman but she was very busy raising so many children and my grandmother really had the time to just "be" with me. Thanks for tapping in to those memories this morning.
Good luck with the geneaology. I had great success on line doing mine.
Enjoy your granddaughter today!

Bellezza said...

Oh, a son's safe arrival is good news indeed! May God bless you, and him, while you are apart.

Folkways Note Book said...

Your beautiful words in this post were wonderful to read on this bright sunny morning in Kentucky. Family memories of those long past are sometimes so buried that it takes a jackhammer to pry them open -- but the pursuit is worthwhile. -- barbara

Laura said...

thinking of you this evening and sending love.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

FolksNotebook and Laura, thank you for commenting on this older entry.
Laura, thinking of you....

Sally said...

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this post! Isn't it wonderful to have such great memories of days long gone. I was especially close to my maternal grandmother, and from what you've written, they were much alike. I never knew a grandfather as they passed either before I was born, or shortly thereafter. It was interesting to read that your (I guess he'd have been your step grandfather) was John Crowe. I married a Crowe. :)

I hope you don't mind as I would like to come back and visit. :)

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Sally, that is something about a Crowe. It would be something if you were related :)
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