Grandma Sue (Mom) helped us begin a new unit study today all about her growing up years on a
homestead in Wyoming. We are using Grandma Lottie’s Memories of Wyoming book as the text
and actually plan to add to that text with photos, maps and documents that Mom now has. Over
the next 2 weeks the boys will learn the stories of Grandma Sue’s childhood, match it up with
photographs and then we will put it together in a new updated book to present to each member of
the family. I am so excited about this project in so many ways - about the boys learning the
history of the Homesteading Act firsthand through Grandma Sue’s stories, about learning the
history of a rugged but beautiful area of our country and about putting together the updated
family book.
Next summer we hope to go out to Wyoming again and visit the places of Mom’s childhood. We had sort of hoped to go this summer, but we want to go as a whole family - and Mom and Dad will be unable to go this summer. So - 2009.
Today we talked a bit about the Homestead Act through which Grandpa Cecil acquired the land, studied a map of the area and discussed the geography, then Grandma Sue read aloud from Grandma Lottie’s book/memoirs - adding in her own comments and stories along with the reading. Here is an excerpt from Grandma Lottie’s Memories of Wyoming....
“When we learned that we were going to get our homestead permit, Cecil and a cousin, Little John, went out and built a house. It was 2 rooms, and totally unfinished on the inside. Each room had an outside door of boards like a barn door. Each had 2 half windows that slid to one side to open. It was covered outside with black tar paper. They built it in about 10 days....
...Sue’s earliest memory of the place was to wake up with snow on her face. It had worked in under the eaves where the side wall joined the roof. With no lining of any kind inside, it sifted over us and looked like frost on the bedding and the floor. When morning came, the first thing was a fire in the stove.”
For years I have wanted to write a book about my parents childhoods and their eventual meeting and life together. Maybe this project could be the beginning of that dream coming true....
Next summer we hope to go out to Wyoming again and visit the places of Mom’s childhood. We had sort of hoped to go this summer, but we want to go as a whole family - and Mom and Dad will be unable to go this summer. So - 2009.
Today we talked a bit about the Homestead Act through which Grandpa Cecil acquired the land, studied a map of the area and discussed the geography, then Grandma Sue read aloud from Grandma Lottie’s book/memoirs - adding in her own comments and stories along with the reading. Here is an excerpt from Grandma Lottie’s Memories of Wyoming....
“When we learned that we were going to get our homestead permit, Cecil and a cousin, Little John, went out and built a house. It was 2 rooms, and totally unfinished on the inside. Each room had an outside door of boards like a barn door. Each had 2 half windows that slid to one side to open. It was covered outside with black tar paper. They built it in about 10 days....
...Sue’s earliest memory of the place was to wake up with snow on her face. It had worked in under the eaves where the side wall joined the roof. With no lining of any kind inside, it sifted over us and looked like frost on the bedding and the floor. When morning came, the first thing was a fire in the stove.”
For years I have wanted to write a book about my parents childhoods and their eventual meeting and life together. Maybe this project could be the beginning of that dream coming true....
2 Comments
Lisa Myers
This looks awesome. You got the genealogy bug going in me with this project. My mother passed away 11 years ago but I have many of her drawings, pictures and things she wrote about her childhood growing up on her grandparent's farm. This would be such a great way to bring a love of family history to my children as well. This is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing
Monday, February 25, 2008 - 05:27 PM
Laura
Thanks Lisa -
Yes, we are really making a concerted effort to make additions to the family history that we already have recorded.... to work with Mom and Dad (and any of their siblings) to update it with personal stories and memories. We have a lot of resources available to us, but we are focusing this year on putting it all together. I am really excited!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 04:47 PM
Lisa Myers
This looks awesome. You got the genealogy bug going in me with this project. My mother passed away 11 years ago but I have many of her drawings, pictures and things she wrote about her childhood growing up on her grandparent's farm. This would be such a great way to bring a love of family history to my children as well. This is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing
Monday, February 25, 2008 - 05:27 PM
Laura
Thanks Lisa -
Yes, we are really making a concerted effort to make additions to the family history that we already have recorded.... to work with Mom and Dad (and any of their siblings) to update it with personal stories and memories. We have a lot of resources available to us, but we are focusing this year on putting it all together. I am really excited!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 04:47 PM
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