Grandparents Day Remembrances
September 9, 2007
When I was a little girl about 5 or 6 years old, when it would first snow, my grandfather would go outside and get a cup full of new clean snow, bring it in the house and put sugar on it and give it to me. (The first snow cone). That was a real treat for me.
My grandfather would take peach pits and plum pits and scrub them clean. He would carve them into little baskets and give them to me. I would use my mother's nail polish to paint them, and then string them to make bracelets and necklaces for myself and my girlfriends when we played dress-up. We were about 7 years old.
My grandmother loved us so much. She always remarked about how nice we looked - even though we wore “hand me downs.” She didn't know the difference, but she surely “lifted us up” when we felt down as we were not very rich - but happy because of her love for us. She was a good Christian.
My grandmother taught me many stories in the Bible. It was my first knowledge about Jesus and how we could attain heaven because of His death on the cross - if we knew we were sinners and confessed our sins and would follow Him. It took me many years to understand this - as I was a young child at the time and I loved her because of that and how she loved all of us (I came from a large family.) My grandmother was my mother's mother. My mom was an only child.
My grandmother is my inspiration to be a gardener. She would get into her gardening clothes complete with brimmed hat and thick gloves and gather yard-long beans and bok choy, and later turn them into fantastic Chinese dishes.
The memories I have of my maternal grandmother, Estella, known as Mammy George, is of her being a devoted wife and helper of my grandfather, a chicken farmer. I particularly remember watching her clean and sort the newly gathered eggs, whistling while she did this monotonous job in a small, cold room in the middle of the family barn.
I never knew my father`s father, but was told he was a mechanical genius. He would sit in his chair while his sons bent over an automobile engine and he would teach them how to take it apart and fix it.
My Dad`s dear mother raised 5 boys, finding her strength from her Lord and Savior. The Bible she left behind when she died, showed great wear from her continual study of it. Her faith in the Lord as her Savior was an active one, evidenced by her family. She left behind a legacy of three pastoral and four missionary families. She died suddenly of a heart attack in church singing one of her favorite hymns, “My Faith Looks Up to Thee.” Though only 68 when she died, she had celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary only 18 days before.
What I liked best about my grandparent: My grandpa named "Pa" making his "Pa's Bread" which we had every Sunday. It was full of cranberries, raisins and chocolate chips.
By the time I was born, only one of my grandparents was living. My grandmother lived with us when I was growing up. My best, and earliest, memory of “Nana” was that she would invite me to her bedroom in the evening and teach me Bible verses like the Beatitudes and the Lord`s prayer. It was very special to go to her room since I wasn`t usually allowed to go there.
I like it that my grandmother is very health conscious and that she would teach me about taking a vitamin every day and to do stretch exercises.
I knew two of my grandparents, my moms mother and my dads father. Gran used to have such patience with me playing store. I used the cash box that she had used in her gift shop at one time. She would come back time after time and shop from me, it was such fun. And it seemed like grandpop knew everyone on the Atlantic City boardwalk. It was fun to go with him and meet the store owners. You see, he walked 10 miles a day on the boardwalk and did errands for some of the owners. He also taught me how to bowl and was in Ripleys Believe it or Not for bowling.
Grandpa was foreman at the power plant on the river. He had the first bathtub and hot water heater in town. He used to tell me stories about WW I and how he got started chewing tobacco to keep his mind off the fighting.
My grandpa Jake got me hooked on peanut butter and jelly. He had me a sandwich waiting after school every day. We moved north when I was in third grade. My grandmother died before I was born.
I love my grandma … she gives me really good hugs. She plays with me a lot. I love when she baby-sits me and my sister. She always draws with me, makes crafts, and helps me do stuff when I need help. Grandma helps me when I get hurt. My grandma always feeds me and the rest of our hungry family. There is always someone stopping in at grandma's to eat. She makes some yummy stuff and always has ice cream at her house! I get to play with my cousins there too! I love you very much grandma! (Age 5)
I really miss my great grandma. She passed away a few months ago. I loved when great grandma would play with me and chase me and my little sister around the kitchen. That was fun! She always hugged everyone really, really hard, and told us all the time how much she loved us. She was so sweet and special. And she was the best Yatzee player in the whole world! I will miss her so much. But someday I will see her again in heaven. (Age 5)

Fair Lawn Bible Church
11th St. and Hopper Ave., Fair Lawn NJ 07410
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