I'm certain all sides of the family likely dressed their many children in their Sunday clothes (the ones with the fewest holes or less mended) and marched them off for Sunday service. But what did they do when they came home?
Candy was probably a luxury they couldn't afford. With chicken coops on the farms, and eggs being a needed commodity, did they hide eggs for the children? There was likely no extra money to hide coins or other treasures. Meals were hard enough to come by, and I know some of my ancestors ate rabbit regularly (the Easter Bunny surely wouldn't have stepped foot on the farms!)
So what did they do? Was it just business as usual taking care of the many tasks associated with having big families? Were there any traditions they followed? Did they maybe visit a grandparent for a big meal? I don't have the chance to ask these questions now. If you're fortunate enough to still have family living, make a call or stop by and ask while you can. Take notes, and write the stories down, so they won't be lost on future generations.
Image by Janet Meyer from Pixabay
I think we all have felt the same way. I can't count the number of times I've asked myself why I didn't ask questions when I had the opportunity. I think the person I miss the most is my great grand aunt Pearl who was the daughter of my 2X grandparents who was interested in the family history. She could probably tell me a lot about her grandparents - children of Loyalists and Patriots of the Revolutionary War.
ReplyDeleteYes, I regret not asking questions of those who are now gone. I am now the "older generation." I doubly kick myself because when I was a kid, my mom gave me a little tape recorder. Did I think to use it to record my grandma's stories? Nope. But my grandson loves family stories, so I should use my little pocket voice recorder to record some of these stories for him.
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