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"Great Grandmother" Unit study


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My grandmother was born in 1903 to a poor farming family in North Dakota. At 13 she was taken out of the school to begin work. She worked as a domestic in other people's homes, taking care of children and cooking. She was also in charge of all the baking at home. Her older sister cooked the family meals. I certainly don't want my daughter to have the hard life my grandmother did, but it is amazing to reflect on how far my family has come in just 3 generations and hope my daughter can have a glimpse into the "old ways" in our family history.

 

We're thinking of doing a "Great Grandma" unit, where we will study where her great grandmothers were raised, do the work that they did, bake, clean, and maybe make some money.

 

Anyone else do something like this?

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I think that is a sweet idea.

 

My great grandma’s father died in a car accident when she was 14. I don’t remember the details, but her mom wasn’t able to take care of the family. My great grandma quit school and started completely supporting herself and her younger sister, at 14! She went on to become a very successful assistant to the president of an oil company. Learned to invest in stocks, and was good at it. She had a second home and helped put her grandkids through college. After retirement she traveled the US and world. She was an amazing woman. She died at age 95, the day before my daughter was born.

 

When my great grandfather was a boy his family was broke, broke. They decided to move to Arkansas to eke our a living but things were just as bad there. We have some old letters between his mom and one of her sisters. The mule died in one, she was so sad! Also, they were so poor they were using the same paper to mail back and forth, writing in the margins and between the lines. I’ve been out of money, but never so broke I had to reuse paper.

 

Things certainly have changed a lot 4 generations!

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When my great grandfather was a boy his family was broke, broke. They decided to move to Arkansas to eke our a living but things were just as bad there. We have some old letters between his mom and one of her sisters. The mule died in one, she was so sad! Also, they were so poor they were using the same paper to mail back and forth, writing in the margins and between the lines. I’ve been out of money, but never so broke I had to reuse paper.

 

Things certainly have changed a lot 4 generations!

 

This sounds like my dad's growing up years. They, too, moved (Not sure if it was to Arkansas or away from to one of those other states -- Alabama or something). When his dad looked for work, he dropped his mom, his sister and him at the park. They stayed there all day, running around, etc. Eating sandwiches his mom had and drinking water from a water fountain. His dad picked them up at the end of the day and they went back to where they were camping. Only after his dad found a job did they find a home -- where my dad slept on the couch. I guess his older brother was out of the house by then because he doesn't figure in these stories at all.

Edited by vonfirmath
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That sounds like an interesting idea. My kids have all their great Grandmas still living except one who died last year. Maybe great great Grandmas would be more interesting for them. That and one of my Grandmas was very racist and had black servants who took care of her growing up. I don't know how good that would be to recreate. But it might be good learning opportunity and discussion.

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