April 26, 1983. Far Guy left every morning about 6:30 for work. Shortly before he left the phone rang. He answered..oh no. His Grandmother had died.
Tracie was 87 years old, she had been diagnosed with Liver Cancer and had died in the hospital. It was a good thing. She did not want to go to the Nursing Home, that was one of her greatest fears. I was happy for her..happy she escaped “the home” ..but sad..because we would miss her.
Both of Far Guys paternal grandparents died in the same hospital, on the same floor, fifteen years apart. They had been married for 54 years..just six weeks shy of 55 years when Grandpa died in 1968.
The past two winters I have transcribed Tracie’s diaries from 1911, 1912 and 1913. I have poured over family history, scanned photos and all the things she kept and treasured for years and years.
She had quite a sense of humor. This was one of the newspaper clippings she kept.
Just a few nights ago, I finished entering the last family obituary..it seems I am a collector of “things” too. Obituaries are wonderful sources of family information.
I am left with 13 years of farm journals from 1916 to 1929, written by Far Guy’s Grandpa and some entries are by his Grandmother too. They are in a manila envelope in my desk drawer. They are written in pencil, it will take some time to transcribe them. I have not decided if I will scan them or transcribe them..or both. They belong to cousin Bonnie, if she allows me to keep the farm diaries for yet another year perhaps I can wrap up this project.
So that all family members could follow this project I started a private family blog. So it is online, safe and sound and someday when I am finished with it, it will be a book.
Grandma wrote on the back of this photo “Our youngest kid.” This pump stood right outside the front step and the porch on the west side of the house that was covered in vines.
She had one of those old photo booth photos taken sometime in the late 1940’s when ladies still wore hats. I imagine she sent some of those photos that come in that long strip to her sisters.
Are you wondering about the party yet? Grandma always told me “When you get to heaven, there is one big party and I am looking forward to it.” She always loved a party:)
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