So I have been missing grandma and grandpa a lot lately. Maybe it's because now that I live in Utah they are not here or it could be because right after I had Grace my mom and I went and walked through their house and both burst into tears when we walked in the front door. (and just so you know the downstairs ceiling still exists--so if you put your initials there they are still there). Or it could be because I bought a skittles game for my parents to have and we have tournaments (Matt Moench, Crowder family and Eggertsen kids).
So the reason I am writing this post is because I was thinking it might be fun to have people comment on a few memories they have of both Grandma and Grandpa. A lot of time has passed and I'm forgetting a lot. It's also sad that I don't have a picture of them that I can post. All the ones I have are in California. I think Carolyn's comment also helped contribute to me missing grandma. I want to be put together like she always was.
I will post mine in a comment, but right now Grace is screaming so I don't have anymore time.
27 comments:
Grandpa: One of my favorite memories of grandma is when he sang..."oh you otta see me dance in my go to meetin' pants when I take my gal to the shin-dig, I shake a wicked heel when I play the chicken reel (that part could be wrong), but that's not all by cracky...I'M A HUMDINGER A HORSESHOE RINGER AND THAT'S NOT ALL I'M A CHOIR SINGERRRRR...I sing with a vim, but I don't sing a hymn when I go courtin' in the corn field." It seems like there was a verse about and I snap my finger...or something. I also loved the popping noise he did with his mouth and finger.
Grandma: One of my most favorite memories of grandma is when she came to our house for the last time. It was the night before her brain aneurysm and she wouldn't let me go to bed before I got all of my homework done (I think it may have even been a Saturday night, but she wouldn't let me go to bed without getting it done). She helped me read and understand 3-4 short essay/stories I had to read for english and then we went out to observe the moon for my science class. We stood out there for a while looking at the full blood red moon. She kept commenting about how beautiful the heavens were that night. That was the last conversation I had with her because she went into the hospital a few hours later.
What a great idea. Wow. Those are really amazing Katie! Some of my memories of Grandma and Grandpa: one of my earliest memories of running up the pathway and Alexis Hayes telling me to watch out for bees, and of course getting my first sting ... faint memories of calling Grandma HiDarling on the phone to hear her say "Hi Darling!" ... picking raspberries with grandma ... pulling and washing and eating a carrot with grandpa ... SKITTLES of course, endless games of Skittles, Shoot The Moon, and Labyrinth ... taking grandpa on 1 on 1 at MasterMind or Electronic Talking Battleship (I still have Grandpa's Copy of that game, it still works!) ... climbing in the tree in the front yard, was it a Weeping Willow? ... getting lost in the gully behind their house ... being completely fascinated and entertained by Grandpa's office downstairs (heavy duty magnets + metal filecabinet, old typewriter, pencils, pens, papers, so many little things to explore ... I love them and miss them!
If anyone is interested I have a cd 35 minutes long of grandma young reading me some stories. She sent them to me because she wanted to be able to read to me. Who knows maybe you will recognize some of the stories. I burned them onto a cd from the tape she recorded them on.
Katie, I was thinking about that tape just the other day. I would love a copy of it if you still have it. I am realizing too that my memories of Grandma and Grandpa are fading. I do remember Grandma's laugh, and I remember always eating crackers, cheese and apples. I also remember Grandma washing my hands for me in her bathroom sink. She would fill up the sink with warm water, dip my hands in them, and then soap them up for me. I also remember her using her little nail scrubber. Then she would wrap my hands in a warm towel. It always felt so good. A stark contrast from Grandpa's one finger back scratch covering an area of one square inch or so on my back. Brad gave me one of those the other night. It didn't feel so good.
I was just going to say I remember Grandpas amazing 1 square inch back scratch! Ha ha ha!!
I remember always having creamies on Sunday at their house, rolling down the hill in the front yard, the furry book grandpa would read. Oh, and I remember grandpa saying at grandma's funeral that I was her favorite grandchild, but I bet everyone else remembers grandpa saying that to them too. I think emily told me he told her that too. I loved playing with grandmas nail scrub brush. I remember the mosaic game, battleship, shoot the moon, that top spinning game, and a marble maze game. What about grandpas rootbeer with cereal? Crackers cheese and apples. Pomegranates remind me of grandma- I don't know why, but they do. Also, the Donna Lewis song "I love you always forever" came out around the time of her passing, so that reminds me of her.
I remember seeing grandpa right before he passed, my family was at the care facility he was at and me and one of my sisters walked in the room first and he had a big grin on his face and said, "look at these beautiful girls, I have grandchildren that look just like you!"
I loved having grandma and grandpa over for christmas eve dinner. I think I offended grandma at one of the dinners because I burped and laughed.
I wish I remembered more....
kate, you are so great! remember when grandpa called you that? but really, i think you're great.
i remember soon after grandma died i was in utah staying at rob and laura's. grandpa showed up and told me and sarah and some of the younger girls to come get in the car because we were going somewhere fun. he went tearing through the streets, as usual, speeding over ditches and bumps in the road. sarah figured out he was taking us to a mcdonald's with a play land and tried to direct him to a nearby one, but no, we were going to lehi. it was a terrifying drive, and miraculously we made it in one piece. when we got there, grandpa went in, said "i'll save a table while you guys get the food. i'll have chicken nuggets and a drink," and walked away. he didn't give us any money, and i didn't dare ask for any, so i just bought him what he wanted and we had a lovely lunch at mcdonald's. i remember being annoyed, but now thinking back realize he was probably really lonely and i should have been more understanding of that.
i remember grandma and grandpa coming for thanksgiving one year and how fun it was to get up early with grandma and help make the rolls. i think that also might be the year she taught me how to read. i remember the book was called "away we go to mexico" and she kept telling me what a great job i was doing. then there was the drive to somewhere, maybe idaho? where grandma kept giving us spelling words. we were done, but they just kept coming. weston finally hid the book at a gas station and no one dared to tell her where it was when she came looking for it.
and i also remember being so jealous of all the utah cousins going to grandma and grandpa's every sunday!!!
Wow! What great memories! What's great is my BYU roommate Diane told me what a cute entry Katie made on the Young blog that made her remember Sherm & Henrietta, too. (All my roommates know and love all of you grandkids. Scott Eggertsen was born on Di's birthday our first semester as freshmen at BYU.) She's a Dr. in San Diego and whenever she has a scatter brained moment she remembers the time Sherm called her scatter brained and said, "He had ME pegged!"
The other Humdinger verse is, "I pop m'gum" and then Sherm stuck his finger in his mouth for the "pop" sound, "and I snap m'fing-errrrrrr." (I volunteer to make that sound in my Deci-Belles choir whenever we sing "High Hopes" and the balloon pops.)
Liz, that Lehi story is HILARIOUS!!!!! I never knew it could take 45 minutes to get from Salt Lake to Bountiful either . . . but if you avoid all the major roads and by all means, the freeway, it actually does! Sherm loved a captive audience.
Tree out front is white birch. Hugh Yancey just gave me some Star of Bethlehem bulbs he got a start of from Dad's yard. Dad hand carried those home from Israel once and planted them in our yard to remind him of a place he loved.
I love my tape of Grandma's stories, Katie, but would love a CD. :) I remember at your house Katie, for your mom's birthday, when you played that for us. We didn't remember her voice sounding like that . . . until she cleared her throat. Both Martha & I yelled, "That IS her!" at the same time.
Yes, I remember all kinds of stuff from the dinner table, Abbie. Rice Krispies with grape juice, orange juice, . . . pretty much anything except milk. Spaghetti with salad on top . . . all mixed together. dad preferring a salad sized fork to eat with. i still do that. I tried to inform Vicki Hindley (my friend across the street) of the CORRECT way to eat an ice cream cone, pushing the ice cream all the way down the inside of the cone so there's always some left to eat with the cone at the bottom, but she was such a REBEL! She refused to eat an ear of corn in the rows God GREW it in, too. Drove me NUTS!
I remember mom washing my face in that sink to, Emily. Every night of my life as a child I went to bed with a clean face, in clean sheets and said my prayers. No one will EVER do as well as Grandma did with her daily tasks.
Rats . . . time to go to Katie's class now.
Fun memories. Thanks Katie and all the rest of you. I love you all very, very much.
And the rest of the verse, "Oh, I like m' JAZZZZZZ with a razza m'tazzzzzz, when I go courtin' in the corn field!"
What great memories! I laughed and cried all the way through them! Katie, I didn't know you could just go walk into their house. Is it unoccupied? I would love to go see it again.
I think I was around 11 or 12 when Grandma died, so although I have many, many memories, most of them have faded to feelings and associations. I remember watching Grandma work in the kitchen, which seems sunny and peaceful in my memory. She would work on that speckled counter top. I remember the way it would look and smell at Christmas. I remember the yellow carpet in the living room. I remember standing with my siblings and singing primary songs to the captive audience of Grandma and Grandpa. I remember Grandpa always greeting me at his house or on the phone with, "Angel!" I too remember the games, the creamies, the backyard gully, getting in trouble for popping those little bulb-shaped flowers in the backyard, climbing the poles from the lower balcony to the upper and vice-versa, climbing the tree in the front yard, rolling down the hill.... Let's see... the nail scrubber in the bathroom with the pink bathtub. How fresh and quiet Grandma and Grandpa's bedroom always was. The room downstairs with the 70's style colorful wallpaper. Grandpa's office. Grandma's cut up fruit. The wooden block set with grooves in it for marbles to roll along. Chutes and Ladders. Battleship.
I laughed while reading Emily and Abbie's memories of the one-fingered one-inch back scratch. And Liz's drive to McDonalds. I remember going on a drive with Grandpa in that white passport (which is even now sitting in my parents' driveway), and holding on for dear life. I'm pretty sure we ran over a median, and at one point drove toward oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road....
I remember them coming to my violin recitals, and baptism. I remember Grandma called the trash the "waste basket," which sounded so magical and refined (and was much more basket-like than ours at home). I remember holding onto those wooden rungs which lined the stairs and peeking through, sometimes to "spy" on older cousins downstairs. I can almost still feel those wooden rungs in my hands...
Also, unrelated to G&G, I have many, many memories of good times with cousins. Amy trying to convince Emily not to be homesick at a sleepover by telling her "listen, tomorrow you will wake up and say '*deep inhalation*, Ahhhhh. Smell the fresh air! It's good to be at the Stotts!" .... And many more.
I would also love to hear the stories on the CD.
Grandpa never told me I was his favorite but Grandma did. It went something like this, "You're my favorite granddaughter, Alisyn." Huh, I just said thank you. As all of you know my mother worked full time and raised four children and she would say to me, "Every time, it got to be too much I would remember walking into the kitchen at 2:00 am and seeing my mother waxing the floor. If she could do it all so could I." I think Henrietta was the first of a long line of very capable and hard working women.
Matt, the bee sting situation was something else. There was a hive by the drive way and the bees started stinging but they were literally attaching to our clothing. Jesse was maybe 2 or 3 at the time and was being stung multiple times. Grandpa ran to him picked him up and started pulling the bees off of him. Both of them were stung multiple times and we soon found out that Jesse was allergic to bees. It could have been very bad it Grandpa hadn't taken charge.
About a year before Grandpa died my mom had Zar and I go pick him up for the 4th of July party. We went to get him and the first thing he said to me was, "Do I look wet?" I replied, "Do you feel wet?" His response, "I didn't ask you if I feel wet, I asked you if I LOOK wet." My answer, "NO." He turned around to get his coat and his entire backside was wet. I glared at Zar to keep his mouth shut. When we got to the party I ran into the house and told everyone NOT to tell Grandpa that he looked wet. I figured he obviously didn't want to change as much as I didn't want to change him. He spent the entire party having a wonderful time and that was that.
You are all so dear! Every wonderful one of you! I can't read an entry without crying AND laughing!
How well I remember my mother teaching me to wash my face and hands in the bathroom on 1810 East when we had come home from Lagoon hot and tired. I wanted to go straight to bed and she wanted me to feel good before I went to bed. She had me fill the sink with warm water, wet the wash cloth, soap it and wash my face well with it, then she watched as I wrung it out and rinsed my face, then washed my hands well. I did feel so much better when I went to bed. That memory is almost 60 years old. I've long since given up on the washcloth and dirty sink water, but my face and hands are always washed well and prayers said before I can sleep(though the knee-bending part is not quite as easy).
I remember her listening to my prayers as I listed off the people to bless--Daddy, Mother, Carolyn, Sharon, David, Mimi, Kathryn, Martha, Robert and Susie (no Linda yet!)--and helping me along with other ideas when I needed them.
I also remember her peeling and cutting apples while we took turns reading stories, including "Egermeier's Bible Stories" way back when! I also remember her giving Kathryn and me ice chips on a long Fast Sunday between Sunday School and Fast Meeting when we were really trying to learn to fast. The ice chips helped a lot, and by the next month we did it without them!
My very favorite memories of Daddy are that I always knew I could go to him with a problem of any kind. Once I called from BYU to talk to Mother, who wasn't home. He could tell I needed to talk to someone, so patiently he began to ask questions: "How are your classes?" "Fine." "How are your roommates?" "Fine." "How are Sharon and Hugh?" "Fine."...which he kept up until he finally hit on the problem and I burst into tears. I could hardly talk, and I can't remember what he said to solve the problem, but just that he stayed with it until he found out what the problem was and then tried to comfort me.
Another Daddy memory is when I was working in his office the summer after high school and taking a class or two at the University of Utah. I went into his office one afternoon and cried that I thought maybe I should go to BYU. He called and found out that was the last day to register for fall term and drove me to Provo to do it. That's all there was to admission at that time--and my tuition was $104/quarter--later changed to semesters. Rent was $29/month.
Wonderful memories--and I've just scratched the surface. I wonder how many faces have been washed, hands have been cleaned, prayers have been taught (not to mention offered for all of us)and hearts have been helped by grandma and grandpa over all these years. The deaths of four wonderful people in our area and funerals all within a week ending this coming Saturday (all 90 years and older)have me feeling pretty tenderhearted and thankful for my parents and all of you. We are very blessed to be a part of the Young Family.
xoxo Mimi
P.S. I want to hear Pat Moench's stories of how "Grandma Hi Darling" got the name, and the time he told grandpa, "I wasn't born yesterday!" when he found himself on the floor after sleeping in grandpa's bed. Have I told too much?
Now I've been singing the Humdinger song all day. Just now, "DECK the halls with Boston Charlie" came belting right out of me. Now Katie's singing it, "Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la,la!"
Ang, I need to go find my picture of Ian peeking through those bars. Alisyn, I mean Alexis, that cracks me up! I still have a memory of you as a toddler standing up in the front passenger seat, with your arm stretched out across the back of the seat to hold onto as your mom turned the corner onto Commonwealth Avenue and parked in front of the house, tires turned into the curb, on the hill. I never saw Grandpa chase, open the driver's side door, jump in, and CATCH, Barry Judkin's car as it rolled down the steep hill, but I've heard the story a bunch of times.
I also remember Mom pushing the two white living room chairs together, (the ones with the broken back legs that we'd always forget to tell people about 'til they'd fall backwards, kick their feet out sky high, and catch solidly 4 inches later . . . mainly people's husbands or dates like Mike Hayes, Duane Hunsaker or Paul Christensen-who all three also attempted to repair the chairs) and making me a bed when we had guests and they slept in my room.
I also remember taking friends home from BYU and telling them, "it doesn't matter what time we get there, Mom will ask you if you're hungry. One time I got there at midnight with my friend Doug, from Omaha, whom I was taking to the airport in the morning. All the lights were off but the front porch. We sneaked in, trying to be so quiet, when Mom came down the hall in her nightgown and asked Doug if he was hungry. When he looked at me and laughed, Mom said, "I'll take that as a 'yes'" and Doug sat down for a nice plate of lasagne.
Which reminds me of Grandma's salads: lettuce, radishes, carrots, green onion, then she'd top it with avocado, grapefruit, bananas, and poppy seed dressing. That or Italian dressing mixed with fresh ranch. They liked to mix those together.
Now I am hungry!
Wow! Mimi and I must have been writing at the same time. Hers wasn't here a minute ago. I LOVE your memories, Mim. Thanks for sharing them. I can't wait to hear Pat's story either.
My friends at BYU called Dad Sherm and mom Mrs. Young. Dad was the wild card; Mom inspired their best manners.
Katie just asked me how many family members Grandma and Grandpa Young now have. I counted 131. Is that right? Wow.
Linda--Wasn't it "walla walla wash in Kalamazoo" instead of "fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la?"
A lot of fun reading! Almost like a family reunion. . .
Katie, I'd love a copy of the CD. I remember listening to it at your house one time. Who wouldn't love all these wonderful grandchildren?
I also remember watching in amazement time after time, seeing Grandma reach down, knees straight, and touch her fists to the floor. At age 70-ish. It just seemed unnatural.
Do you remember her touching her tongue to her nose?
Alexis, you have a delightful sense of humor! You should write a book!
Never heard the Walla walla verse, but it sure fits right in!
I can remember the wild rides I received at the hands of my big brother Sherman when he would drive us home by the way of back alleys and people's driveways from our Grandma Love's house to our house up at 216 Douglas Street, and that was probably more than 70 years ago.
I love finding all these family traits I didn't know from Grandma! Like my mother saying waste basket (and me telling her my kids don't know what that is). And maybe that's where Cash gets the ability to touch his tongue to his nose!
I remember being 16 and Grandma asking me, "So are the boys starting to walk you home from school yet?" I remember feeling mortally embarrassed that grandma was trying to bring up the subject of boys with me - and how "old fashioned" she was since no one even walked to school where I was from - let alone boys walking you home! Now I wish things were so old fashioned like that!
I even have a vague picture in my mind's eye of grandma at our house when she came to watch us when my parents were out of town. I try to remember that I must not totally be punishing my mom if she asked her parents to do the same once upon a time!
I love reading everyone's memories - and am impressed with what good memories some of you have! I always remember those tuna melt open-faced sandwiches on Sunday evenings. Anyone remember those or am I making that up? They must have had a great an magical yard for a bunch of grandkids since it's a favorite memory of all. I sure do miss those Sunday evenings there. I think I recently asked my mom when the Young family was going to have a fun family reunion again and I think her response was something like - not until we stop having weddings every year. Well, McCall was sure fun and no one needed a wedding to make that happen!
I love reading all of these. I have been checking every day after work since granite district blocks blogspot.com. I remembered a lot more while reading these too. I remember grandma having us put the roll dough on the dryer in martinez when her, grandpa and Linda came to visit us around valentine's day one year. I remember grandpa also driving me from bountiful to the youngs house one summer. It took over two hours off the freeway and we had a detour in someone's driveway as we sat there while he told me stories of when he lived there. Good stuff. Thanks everyone. Also I will have Marc help me figure out the best way to get grandma's stories out. Let's have a young reunion!
I remember Tuna Melts on Sunday nights, and Apricot Nectar mixed with Sprite.
Henrietta, there just wasn't anything not to like about her...such a gentle loving spirit...giving and nurturing...I don't think I ever heard her raise her voice or lose her patience... Favorite meal she prepared for us was her Quiche, I had never had Quiche before and it was something so unique to me. loved her Honey Wheat Berry Bread...I loved the way she french braided my long brown hair...Favorite memory with just her and I was one time we watched the Wizard of Oz together. She was a positive influence on my life and a GREAT mother, I think I was a little envious that I didn't have one of my own like her...easy to understand why God blessed her with so many beautiful children and grand children.
I love Mother's quiche recipe, Celia. Thanks for reminding me of it. It was so fun to see you in Arizona! I, too, don't think she ever raised her voice, and I seem to remember she always was dressed and had her face on when I woke up in the morning, and during my wedding preparations, when I was frantic with details, she would ask me often, "What should I be doing?" And later I appreciated the fact she could help any of my children with algebra or geometry.
She only came to my house to tend my children one time, however, as she was so busy with her own family, but the Sunday night visits were a respite for us all. I could finally talk to some adults while the children played.
xoxocyh
Good grief (a mother phrase and about as strong as it gets) where have I been? Great, great reading!
Mother used to call our house in San Diego and ask if she could talk to Patrick, who was 2 wks old when we arrived and 2 1/2 when we left. She always said, 'Hi Darling' to him when he talked to her. So eventually I asked him if he knew who he'd been talking to since he couldn't see her and he said, 'Yes, it was Grandma 'Hi-darling'. A name that stuck with our kids, and one that we all loved.
Pat's other famous story was when he went as a passenger with Dad, Mother and Linda to Stephen Yancey's farewell in Mission Viejo. They stopped in St. George at a motel overnight. Pat was historically a wild sleeper, and was assigned to sleep with Grandpa. In the morning he awoke to find himself on the floor. Evidently, soon after they were on the road again, Grandpa said, "Well Pat, how did you fall out of bed last night?" To which Pat responded, "I didn't fall out of bed Grandpa, you pushed me out! I wasn't born yesterday!" No one was laughing harder than Mother and Linda as reported to me, as they were unwitting participants in Grandpa's 'my way or the highway' road trips as well.
Speaking of road trips, I have great memories of road side fruit stands from California to Canada, discovering delicious food in season fresh off a farm. I also remember thinking that if I had to stop one more time at Cove Fort to look at nothing in my mind, I was going to lose it. So I remember smiling to myself when during Pres. Hinckley's tenure his brother Sherm Hinckley was called to preside over the restoration of Cove Fort and thinking what a lucky guy!
XOXO, Martha
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