My Grandma and I sharing a birthday cake 36 years ago.
My Grandma’s name was Reia Juanita Olmstead (nee Messenger). Her birthday was November 19th. Mine is November 20th. Growing up I always got to share a birthday cake with my Grandma. I thought this made me special. My Grandma died when I was a sophomore in high school. Even after all these years I still cry for my Grandma. I certainly think about her all the time – especially around our shared birthday. I loved her. I miss her. I wish she was here to see my children.
Below, fine some things I remember about my Grandma. Other Olmstead relatives, you can enter your own memories on the comment section – I’ll add your memories as well.
My grandma kept crackers in a skillet in the oven. I don’t know why, but probably because it kept them warm and really, really crisp. Sometimes in the evening both my Grandma and Grandpa would crumple up crackers and eat them in milk.
My Grandma could play the piano. She never had a lesson, but played by ear. The only thing she would play was hymns.
My Grandma always kept grape juice in the refrigerator. She always made it from the frozen concentrate. I don’t ever remember her having orange juice. Also, she would often used carnation powdered milk instead of fresh – she would mix it up and keep it in the refrigerator.
My Grandma often played church with us. We would take turn being the preacher and leading songs. We would play communion and use the crackers from the oven and the grape juice from the refrigerator.
My Grandma had an old fashioned curling iron. She had to explain that it couldn’t be plugged in. She told us you held it over a kerosene lamp to heat the tongs each time you curled a section of hair.
My Grandma told us that her hair was past her knees as a young girl. She said her mother would wrap it in rag and paper curlers at night. She said it was so long and heavy it gave her headaches. She cut it as soon as she was 16. Because of this she always liked it when her granddaughters had short hair.
My Grandma kept a jar of white and sometimes pink soft peppermints on top of her refrigerator. She also kept a small supply wrapped in tinfoil in her purse. When we were in church she would give me one.
My Grandma only wore makeup when she went in to town or to Church. Then she wore Oil of Olay lotion, face powder and lipstick.
My Grandma had a washing machine in the bathroom, but no dryer. She hung all her wash on the clothes line out back.
My Grandma made the best fried chicken. She said she used the recipe off the back of the Crisco can, but I have never been able to replicate it. She fried it in two old cast iron skillets. She would fry it on low for what seemed like hours.
When my Grandma made sandwiches she always buttered the bread.
My Grandma only drove the car a couple times a year when my Grandpa and Uncle moved cattle from one pasture to another.
Once my Grandma couldn’t get the gravy to thicken up and she threw it in the sink in frustration saying, “take that durn ya”. It is the closest to cursing I ever heard her come.
My Grandma kept a very neat house. The beds were made as soon as you got up. The dishes were done after every meal.
Grandma Olmstead and Baby Dana
For any family get together not held at her house, my Grandma would bring celery sticks filled cheese whiz (from the jar – not the can).
I only remember my Grandma making one kind of cookie – the chocolate no-bake cookies. I remember her baking bread and several kinds of pies.
I called my Grandma every day after school and told her about my day.
Once my Grandma killed a snake who was trying to get at a Mama rabbit protecting her babies.
There was a small creek near my Grandma’s house. She called it the “crik”.
My Grandma wore brown SAS shoes every day. I don’t ever remember seeing my Grandma’s bare feet.
I don’t remember my Grandma wearing any jewelry other than her wedding ring.
My Grandma’s favorite jello salad was made with strawberry jello, applesauce, red hots and cool whip.
My Grandma washed and set her hair with bristle rollers every Saturday. When I got older I would set it for her.
My Grandma wore polyester pants and a cotton blouse for every day. She wore a matching polyester suit (usually with slacks not a skirt) for church.
My Grandma would always tie a scarf over her hair when she went into town or to church on a windy day.
My Grandma must have had a hundred leftover butter dishes. When there were too many for to fit in her cabinet she would transfer them to the “wash house” out back. She also saved brown paper sacks and plastic bread wrappers.
When we pulled up in the driveway, the first thing we would see would be my Grandma’s face in the doorway.
My Grandma spent most of her life on their farm in Northwest Oklahoma – almost at the Kansas border.
My Grandma kept a big stack of Reader’s Digest magazines in the spare bedroom.
My Grandma loved to hear me sing. She would sit and rock in her rocking chair and have me sing hymns to her. Her favorite was, “I’ll Fly Away” and “I Come to the Garden Alone”.
My Grandma was born south of Ashland, Kansas where her parents ran the lift across the Cimarron river. The lift was a ferry of sorts. People would pay them a toll to get across the river.
I always felt that I was my Grandma’s favorite Grandchild. I imagine if you spoke to my other cousins they would tell you that they were the favorite – she made everybody feel special.
My Grandma and I at another shared birthday.
