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**MaryJanesFarm Products & Merchandise:  Do you have a Grandmother that was a farmgirl?  |
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Lynner
True Blue Farmgirl
225 Posts
Sheri
Missouri
USA
225 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 08:55:55 AM
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I did not realize until I joined the farmgirl connection, that my Grandmother was a Farmgirl too. She lived in Arkansas with her 9 children, after being widowed. She grew what she could, but they were very poor. All they had to eat was what she had in her garden or what was given to her. Still she managed to can some fruit, and make sauerkraut. She remarried briefly, long enough to be moved from Arkansas to California. After which, her husband disappeared. My grandmother after being a wash lady for a guest ranch, was able to acquire a small two bedroom home. All around her was desert. She had her now grown sons build her a chicken coop, and she started a garden in that sandy soil. One of the most productive gardens you can imagine. Again, she canned food, dried fruit, and made jams and jellies. She made Grandma soup, and added to her freezer full of other goodies, like banana breads.
My grandmother always had a wringer washer, and that was where I learned how to use one and how to hang clothes on the clothes line.
The thing I remember about my Grandmother the most, was her apron. Every morning, after putting on her dress, same style as the day before, she tied on an apron. There too was where I learned to put an apron on, every morning. My grandmother passed away about 25 years ago at the age of 97. She was a strong woman who enjoyed family, church, and cooking. She was the absolute best.
Now, I am making memories with my grandchildren. Hopefully one day, they will remember the positive things I shared with them throughout my life, and what is most important.
My Grandma was a true Farmgirl, she paved the way for me.
Sheri
Many Hands Make Light Work!
...God made the seed to grow...1 Cor 3:6 |
Edited by - Lynner on Jul 16 2009 12:46:59 PM |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 09:08:32 AM
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Both my grandmothers were preacher's wives and farmers. My dad's mother raised 5 kids and milked cows, had goats and chickens. Big gardens. I didn't know this til later, but when I started getting farm animals I named them starting with A and going through to Z. My grandma Schwab did the same thing!
My mom's parents had a huge farm and grew cotton and soy beans down in S. Ga. She had her garden and put up all kinds of things. My favorite thing was to help her do the corn. She had a really sharp knife and sliced that corn off the cob and scraped out the juice and we always got splattered all over. It was such fun. She also had the biggest tallest bunch of canna lillies I have ever seen. As tall as the house. And a big ole barn that we had so much fun in. They had pigs, too, in the pig lot down below the barn. My sister was still drinking from a bottle when she was a few years old. My dad got her to finally throw it in the pig pen. The barn is gone and so are my grandparents. I miss them all.
I have lots of newspaper articles that my grandfather Schwab wrote back in the '20-30's about their life as a missionary in Japan and their life here. I read it alot. It's fun to have that to make them more real and close.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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ruralfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
4309 Posts
Rene'
Prosser
WA
USA
4309 Posts |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 10:05:07 AM
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No sorry, but MY Grandma was the best!! I'm kidding of course, but she was a fabulous woman and when other family members tell me I'm like her (I wish!), I take it as a huge compliment. I so loved and admired her and miss her terribly.
Like most of your Gramma's, she raised several children in a one room little farmhouse on the Canadian prairies and made her money with a market garden that she had to carry water to from the creek. I could write a book about her and all the things she did. She made the most beautifully detailed, tiered wedding cakes and she could sew like nobody's business. I remember having several winter coats made by her (of course I hated them when I was young and hated the fittings even more!). And she never used a pattern, she just cut from brown paper bags and things always fit perfectly. And the quilts she made...wow.
I remember her one time giving my dad a heart attack, when at the age of 75, he found her climbed half way up a big apple tree to get the ones she couldn't reach from the ground! And another time when Dad rented a rototiller that didn't work. In a fit of temper he threw it in the back of the truck to take it back. Gramma quietly went outside, got that thing out of the back of the truck, fixed it and proceeded to till.
Great memories!
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 10:22:52 AM
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My Grandma was for sure the ultimate farmgirl. I miss her so much.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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dutchy
True Blue Farmgirl
4427 Posts
4427 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 10:32:53 AM
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my grandmom was not a "real" farmgirl in the sense that she didn't live on a farm. BUT she canned her veggies, did laundry by hand (no machines etc), raised a family during WWII, worked as a cleaning lady to help earn some money. It was in the depression so hardly any jobs. But they both did all they could to support their family of 5. She cooked on a petroleum cooker (do you know what petroleum cookers are??
I have one myself too, for show. NOT my grammy's unfortunately.
I miss my grandmom too, SO much :( I have SO many wonderful memories of them both. my mom and brothers also told me I look a lot like her, lookwise and with manners etc. I am SO proud of that YAY!!
Hugs from Marian/Dutchy, a farmgirl from the Netherlands :)
My personal blog:
http://just-me-a-dutch-girl.blogspot.com/
Almost daily updates on me and mine :)
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Edited by - dutchy on Jul 16 2009 10:36:14 AM |
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chaddsgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
843 Posts
Sarah
Farmgirl Sisterhood #639
MO
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 10:44:07 AM
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My Grandma was a farm girl too. She could sew ANYTHING! She used to draw sketches of the clothes in shop windows to sew for me and my sister. She only had two children, but they lived on a farm with no running water and no electricity for several years. She milked cows, had a huge garden, and canned all summer with my mother. She was creative and patient and she played and made up all kinds of games for my sister and I. Grandma made the most beautiful cards from construction paper for birthdays. I still remember how impressed I was by those cards, much better than anything from the store. She taught me how to sew and let me make messes "cooking" in her kitchen. I swear, the woman had the patience of Job.One of my most treasured possessions is a Teddy Bear she made for me when I was about 6 or 7. He has had most of the fur loved off of him over the years, but it was the most special toy I had because she made him for me. When our family lived in Mexico, she wrote letters and sent packages to us and even made clothes and special dresses fro my sister and I based off the measurements she got over the phone from my mother. I don't know how she did it, but they always fit perfectly!!
I am fortunate enough that my Grandma is still with us. I love her so much and have learned so much from her over the years. She is the most wonderful Grandma in the world.
Farmgirl # 639 |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 11:17:30 AM
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Grandmothers sure are special people. I remember being able to make cooking messes in her kitchen too Sarah and she had the same infinite patience. I usually "cooked" around jelly bags draining the juice for her chokecherry jelly.
Do any of you have any kind of food that reminds you of something your Grandma's made? To this day Hermit cookies will remind me of her, also the smell of mincemeat at Christmas.
Di on VI
Farmgirl Sister #73 |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 12:32:10 PM
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My grandma always made hoe cakes. I thought they were pancakes when I was little. But they are just a thin cornmeal batter fried on a hot griddle with lots of oil til they are so crispy and so good. I loved the edges. I still make them but they are never like hers.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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dutchy
True Blue Farmgirl
4427 Posts
4427 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 2:05:18 PM
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We could ALWAYS play with water at my grandparents place. Grandmamma then "bought" water she needed for cooking from us, lol.Nothing was too much for them., They absolutely adored us grandkiddies. And we adored them too. Boy do I miss them all :(
Hugs from Marian/Dutchy, a farmgirl from the Netherlands :)
My personal blog:
http://just-me-a-dutch-girl.blogspot.com/
Almost daily updates on me and mine :)
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Claude09647
True Blue Farmgirl
761 Posts
Claudia
Our Dairy Farm
Pennsylvania
USA
761 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 6:33:48 PM
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My grammy was a farmgirl too, she's the one that taught me almost everything i know about anything really. I was 10 and could make an apple from scratch with no recipe. I practically grew up at her house because i loved to go out back and mess with the garden or plant flowers, take a walk in the woods, go to the flea market to buy and sell antiques ( I blame her for my love of antiques!) and at the end of the day after we were doing knitting or crocheting we would make a pot of tea. I'm now 21 and starting life on my own, and those little things i learned a long time ago... i though would never use are some of the greatest memories that i have!
"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2009 : 08:47:35 AM
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Both of my grandmothers were farmgirls. It was more common than being a "town girl" as they called them, in that time in the midwest. My father's mother was Norwegian and they farmed in northern Iowa. My mother's mother was Scotch Irish, and they farmed near Pawnee Illinois. Their house had once been a schoolhouse, and I have a very old photo of them moving the schoolhouse, on a big horse drawn bed, onto their farm. I still remember the sink in my grandma's home - it had a pump! And she had a root cellar and quilted, and never took off her apron, except for church, where she played piano evey Sunday.
My father's mother had a huge kitchen garden, and kept chickens to sell the eggs for town bought grocery items. They had a dairy farm, primarily, and pigs and 160 acres of field. She could make Lefse, a Norwegian postry, like no one else. She was little and tiny and would sit on my grandfather's lap when they talked on the phone to family.
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2009 : 11:10:51 AM
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Both of my grandmother's were farmgirls as well. My mother's mom raised chickens, had a garden, canned, sewed and made the best pies. She was a true lover of nature and taught me all about the birds and plants in her yard. She lived in a tiny yellow house in Northboro, MA., but that did not take the farmgirl out of her! She raised five daughters in that house and fed them on the food my grandfather hunted for, as well as what they grew.
My dad's mother was blessed with true farmgirl ingenuity. She was an amazing seamstress. In fact, she started her own dress design business- Rita's in Haverhill, Ma. When her three boys came along, she returned to the farm life and raised chickens, two horses and a cow right along with them. Always looking for ways to keep busy, she started Rita's Luncheonette in her home. My grandfather, my dad and his brothers built the restaurant between the house and the barn and there she served hamburgers, clam rolls, lobster rolls, grilled chees sandwiches and French fries on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. When we were little the restaurant was on of our favorite places to play. She could fix anything and frequently did so, much to my granfather's chagrin. ;)
I'm glad that I was able to learn from both of them.
Karin
Farmgirl Sister
# 18 :)
www.perfectlittlemiracle.blogspot.com
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Huckelberrywine
True Blue Farmgirl
1607 Posts
Michelle
Rosalia
1607 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2009 : 5:42:18 PM
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Thank heaven for grandmothers, mothers, us, and our daughters! I too, could fill a book with wonderful stories. I sure have enjoyed reading the memories you all share. Makes me think of so many great times with my female relatives. I was lucky enough to learn a lot of farmgirlin' from my great-granny too. She had scarlet fever as a child and lost the ability to taste/smell, but could cook so well. Isn't that something? Both she and my grandmother were hard working women, tending to their families, livestock, gardens, and creating a life-time of wonderful stories to share.
They both lived in the panhandle of Idaho, way up by Canada. Beautiful mountains, harsh winters, great wildflowers in the summer. Once after a long drive to Grandma's house, I was so excited to finally get there, I flew out of the car, ran toward the house, calling for her and finally caught her coming from the horse barn just in the shade of the apple tree with a hug and a final ecstatic "Grandma!". She was all hugs and giggles. She loved to tell that story. It was always a treat to go to her house, from being a small girl, to driving there on my own during summer break. She's been gone 15 years now, and it still brings me to tears how much she enriched my life and I miss her. I'm so glad my daughter lives a few blocks from her grandmother! What fun memories they are making.
What a great topic! Thanks for bringing it up. :)
We make a difference. |
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Cindy Lee
True Blue Farmgirl
510 Posts
Cindy
Sparks
Nevada
USA
510 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2009 : 6:46:47 PM
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Sherri, I SOOO enjoyed this thread. I think your grandma and mine were cut from the same mold.
We were luck weren't we? What I remember most from grandmas garden.....creamed peas and new potatoes!!!
If life gives you scraps, make quilts! |
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Jennifer Mulkey
True Blue Farmgirl
59 Posts
Jennifer
Arkansas City
KS
USA
59 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 4:46:48 PM
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My Grandma was definitely a farmgirl. She was married to a ranch hand, and she cooked for the ranch. Pa roped for the 101 ranch in Ponca City Olkahoma as a young man, and they worked at different ranches in southeast and southcentral Kansas. She rose at 4:00 am most mornings, started the wood stove (she finally got a gas stove in the 70's, after she and Pa moved to town from the farm), started bread, then cooked a ranch hands breakfast, which usually consisted of eggs, bacon, biscuits, pancakes, grits, ham, bread, coffee and tea, milk. Then after breakfast, she cleaned up, and got out to milk the cow. After milking, she gathered eggs, then worked the rest of the morning in the garden. Then she went back into the house, stoked the stove again and started lunch. After lunch, she cleaned up, then back outside to finish what work needed to be done in the garden, then if she was lucky a little time for the housecleaning, or laundry. If it was possible, she got a little 30 minute nap around 4:00 pm. Then she started supper, which always had meat, potatoes a whole garden full of different veggies, fresh bread, and always pie or cake, coffee and tea, cheese. After supper she cleaned up, then had time to clean house, or sew when she was done with everything else. She usually got to bed around 11 and then up again at 4:00 the next morning to start all over again. I never remember her having a heater, she and pa had a wood stove to heat the house. Us kids slept in the north room when we stayed, and it was cold in the winter. There wasn't any insulation in those old farm houses. We'd jump out of bed and run to the wood stove in the living room, or into the kitchen where she already had the stove roaring. What's suprising, is that she used that wood stove, even in the heat of summer. She used it to can on at the end of summer. She wore a dress daily, never owned a pair of pants, it was always a dress, hose, slip, bra of course, and ALWAYS that apron. That apron did everything from clean up in the kitchen to wiping hands in the garden. I dont' remember a single day with grandma that she didnt' have an apron on.
Pa was a country boy too, he shaved outside, with a piece of old mirror that was tacked to a tree, and under the mirror was a shelf also tacked to the tree, with a bowl he got cold spring water into and shaved every morning with that water...even in cold and freezing weather.
I loved staying with grandma and Pa and she's part of the reason I'm a farmgirl to this day.
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marcy jo
True Blue Farmgirl
453 Posts
Marcy
Wawaka
Indiana
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2009 : 2:38:16 PM
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My one Grama was a farmgirl through and through and my other is a city girl..oh she likes a homegrown mater and loves her flowers but having chickens and then putting them on the table is not her "cup of tea"! Grama Ruby on the other hand could filet a fresh fish, can maters and make currant jelly. She taught me a lot but unfortunately I didnt realize what she was teaching me until just a year or so ago. Now she is gone but in all that I do I think of her.
Marcy #257
http://marcysmarket.blogspot.com |
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**MaryJanesFarm Products & Merchandise: Do you have a Grandmother that was a farmgirl? |
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Do you have a Grandmother that was a farmgirl?
