My grandma was born in 1894. She had a twin sister as seen in the picture above. She married my grandpa but wouldn’t consummate the marriage because she didn’t want to be left with a child as a widow. He went to fight in WW1 right after they married. He was on the USS San Diego when it was sunk off of the New York coast. The war ended shortly afterwards.

My grandma ended up having seven children. Her last one was when she was 47 years old! He is the one of the right. My mom is the third one from the right. She had all of her children in her home. Miss Lloyd was her midwife. She would stay a few weeks after the birth to care for the mother and child. She even delivered some of my aunts’ babies!

She didn’t believe in going to doctors. She refused vaccinations. “I’m not putting that poison in my babies’ bodies!” She grew a garden in the summertime. She lived through both world wars and the Great Depression. She was extremely frugal. She had to learn to live simply and contentedly. She couldn’t nurse one of her babies, so she bought a goat and fed the baby raw goat’s milk. My grandpa always worked hard to provide. He was a milkman for many years. He opened up a restaurant in June of 1945 after WW2 was over. I loved eating there with all of my cousins!

My grandpa bought a plot of land in 1957 in Door County, Wisconsin for $5,000 and built a cabin on it. There was a dock on Lake Michigan in front of the cabin that we spent many hours swimming in. My grandma told us that bikinis caused pregnancy, so we weren’t allowed to wear bikinis on the dock! The picture above is when we all gathered together to celebrate my grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary in the cabin. My family is the one on the right. I am the tallest since I am the oldest. The picture below is a recent picture of the cabin and dock. The ice and waves have caused the dock to crumble, but it is still used and enjoyed!

She always wore dresses, and even wore hats to church. That was common back then. She deeply loved my grandpa. They were married until my grandpa died of a heart attack. She was always home full time. She loved Scrabble and word puzzles. She never ate pork or drank alcohol except for the time when my uncles made brats simmered in beer then grilled. She loved them and exclaimed, “These are the best I’ve ever had in my life!” No one ever told her exactly what she was eating!

“She couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but that didn’t stop her from singing her heart out in the third row of church every Sunday. She had a home remedy for everything. I still use a hot salt bag when I have an earache,” shared one of my cousins. She gave her children warm lemon water with honey in it whenever they were sick. My mom gave us this, I gave it to my children and now, I give it to my grandchildren!

She lived well into her 90s. Living a traditional lifestyle was common back then. Going to church on Sundays was common too. Being married for life and having babies was too. I’m thankful we can still live a traditional life in our day-and-age by following God’s Word, and His commands to us!

I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
1 Timothy 5:14

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