Were you fortunate enough to get to spend time with your grandparents or great-grandparents? You may not have spent much time with your grandparents because they lived a great distance from you. You may not have had much time with them because they passed away before you were very old. Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, so I never even met them. One of my grandmothers passed away when I was about six years old. I only have a few memories of her. My other grandmother lived to be in her nineties. I have many memories of her. I never knew my great-grandparents since they all died before I was born. Three of my children met their great-grandmother, but she was ill and they didn't get to spend much time with her. People are living longer now, so knowing grandparents and great-grandparents is more common now.
Writing some of your memories of your grandparents and great-grandparents if you knew them will preserve their legacy for your children. When you went to your grandparents' house did they give you any treats? My maternal grandmother had plum trees in her yard. She often made plum-filled cookies as a treat. One year my grandmother gave us corn that she had dried herself. It was a surprisingly sweet treat.
How often did you get to visit your grandparents? We usually saw my grandmother every week. We raised chickens and sold the eggs to many people in the city she lived in. We would take a dozen eggs to her each week, and we usually visited for a little while. One winter when our van we used to deliver the eggs with didn't have a working heater, we would plan to stop in at grandma's and warm up midway through our delivery route. Her coal-burning stove felt so warm. I remember warming up too fast and how painful that was.
Did your grandparents have any special talents? My grandmother sewed clothing, made quilts, and braided rugs. I remember one Christmas, my grandmother gave me a bib apron she had sewn. She made me a couple of pincushions which I still have. My mother started a quilt top before she died. My dad and stepmother asked my grandmother to finish the quilt top. Then my stepmother added batting and a backing and quilted the quilt for me. The quilt is so special to me since it was the work of three important women in my life.
Write down the memories of your grandparents and your great-grandparents if you were fortunate enough to know them. Take photos of anything they gave to you or that once belonged to them. Record your feelings about your grandparents. The members of your family who didn't get to know your grandparents will appreciate what you have recorded.
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