I have interviewed many interesting people in my life, and by using this tool of communication, I've found that some of the most ordinary people live the most extraordinary lives.
The last couple of years, I've been "interviewing" my grandparents. Unfortunately the conversations are usually so impromptu that I don't have a tape recorder set up, but I've been able to absorb some wonderful historic information. This weekend, my grandmother visited for my son's dedication at church. We sat and talked for hours; she told me stories about herself and others, filling in many gaps about relatives I thought I'd known. And while it was fun to learn about my relatives, I couldn't stop thinking plotlines and characters. I know they'll show up in my writing.
My grandmother was born in the Old Mines area of Missouri, just north of Potosi. The area was mined first for lead; and when that ran out, they began digging for tiff. There's an amazing French culture that is literally dying out.
For those who are writing any health-related, suspense or (dare I say -- horror) fiction, my grandma told me the story of her grandmother's funeral. This would have been in the early 1930s. Apparently, my great-great grandmother died of dropsy -- we know it as edema -- when your organs swell with fluid. Before she died, she told her husband to wait three days until she was buried. He abided by her wishes, but those three days proved to be a bad idea. You see, my grandmother's body continued to swell with fluid. During the funeral procession, the casket was put in the back of a horse-drawn wagon. Much to everyone's dismay, the body was so bloated that it DRIPPED fluid from the house to the graveyard. Yuck.
Anyway, here's the reason my great great grandmother wanted to wait three days to be buried. Back then, when people fell into a coma, people thought they were dead because the diagnoses were so innacurate. So....the rumors were that many people were buried alive.
There were other stories, but that's the one that was most vivid. My grandmother is a great storyteller -- and I'm thankful that she's taking the time to tell me and she's also writing these things down for me.
Feel free to share your personal interview stories.
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3 comments:
I've always enjoyed the time I spent with my grandparents and older adults, telling me HOW things used to be when they were growing up. I've taped some conversations over our later visits, but I know there's so much more I could have learned, if only there had been more time (and less miles between us).
My maternal grandmother was the baby of 12 children, my paternal grandmother was the baby of 16. Each one had so many stories to tell along the way. I remember hearing my maternal grandmother talk about the black plague that hit back around 1915-1916.
Grandma was born in 1921, so she was told by her mother (my great-grandmother) about how bad things were. How they weren't allowed outside, and how she had to hand her dead children through the window, so they could be burned to prevent the spread. One had only been 2, another was barely 4. Another was 7, but she had two more children over the next couple of years.
I can only imagine how hard it must have been to carry on for the other 9 children, and grieve the loss of the 3 that didn't make it. My Mom has always said that was her favorite grandmother, and she was a strong woman to the end. They lost her when my Mom was 9, but she still carries her in her heart today.
Thank you for your comment, hostbyk.
That is quite a story. Heartwrenching. Thank you for sharing.
Grandparents are amazing, aren't they? I am very lucky to still have all but one of my grandparents, and I have been able to collect a lot of information the past few years. All were raised during the Depression; some had it better than others. The grandmother I referenced in my original posting grew up very poor -- log cabin, outhouse, the whole bit. As a result, her stories are very rich. In fact, I gave her a book (a diary of sorts) to chronicle her life. Each day has a prompt question like: "What was the view from your bedroom window?" or "What were your greatest fears as a child?" I have a similar book for fathers that I plan to fill out and leave for my sons. Hopefully they'll have some interest!
Thanks Eric,
You can call me Kim. I felt really fortunate that all 4 of my grandparent's were still around when I married my 2nd husband. I had turned 40 the month before, while my husband was 28 at the time. Yet he was down to only 1 grandparent surviving and she passed on a couple years later.
Mine started leaving shortly after, with my paternal grandmother two months later, and my paternal grandfather about 5 months later. The last one left about 3 years ago now.
My Dad retired from the Navy, so during my childhood (and my sisters), we always lived in other areas. It's made it harder trying to gather details, when we've lived so far apart.
I think that's part of the reason it's been so important for me to trace my family tree back as far as I can over the years. It's been easier on my paternal side with both Dad's parents being traced back to the 1500's. Mom's side has been much harder, but I'm still trying.
It's a good idea to gather the details by asking the right questions. I had a hard time understanding how different the cost of items were over the years, until I started seeing the same thing with my own eyes and bank account. *YIKES*
Best Regards,
Kim
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