Bridging Three Centuries

Second Post of the Day

Yesterday I posted this question that had come across my social media feed:

My Grandma Honeywell came to mind immediately.

My Honeywell grandparents lived in West Lafayette, having come here from Kansas so that my grandfather could take a position at Purdue as a professor in the Horticulture Department. 

I saw a lot of them throughout my childhood and was very close to them.

She never wore anything but dresses - we never saw her in pants. Not once. Why? No idea.

                  

Thanksgiving 1971, me on Amy, our dog Chuck, and Grandma and Grandpa Honeywell.

Our daughter Sarah was just a toddler when Grandma Honeywell died, but she, too, knew her Great Grandma who was born in the 19th century.

My Grandpa Martin was born in 1892.

Last year I gave a huge tub of family photos to Sarah who is digitalizing them all for us, so I only have one or two of him to share at the moment. He passed away when I was 7, but he lived in Indiana and so I was able to make memories with him, too. 

A railroad conductor, I have two of his lanterns on display in my dining room. He is the reason that I love trains so much!

He is also responsible for my love of circus ponies and horses. He surprised my dad by buying him a circus pony straight from the circus! When my father saw his new pony, he cried, "Oh, boy!" hence the name.

The third person from the 1800s that I have spoken with was Craig's grandfather, Cormilles.

Cormilles in 1920. 

He lived in West Lafayette almost all of his life and I first met him when Craig and I began dating. Craig was living in an apartment over his grandfather's garage.

Craig with his grandparents in 1960.

He passed away doing an act of service for a mother and her baby who were walking in downtown Lafayette. The baby carriage had broken down, and he stopped his car to help them by fixing it. (He was very handy with tools.) As he was working, he had a heart attack and passed.

There is one more person born in the 1800s that I have met and spoken to, but the memory is very dim.

My great grandmother, Josephine Schenk, the mother of my Grandma Martin. I was three when she died, and I had met her and visited her in her home prior to her passing. 

Her home in St. Louis was hit by a tornado when my father was a child. He was upstairs in one of those bedrooms trying to shut the windows when they blew in on him. Luckily, he was okay.

So, four people from the 19th century whom I have talked with. Bridging three centuries! More than I had realized and in my opinion, pretty neat especially when you consider my own love of history. (Even though my focus is the century prior to their birth century!)

           

Have you had a similar opportunity? I know reader timaru star ii has from her comment on the previous post. I would love to hear if you have and any quick memories you might have.

Stay 'tooned!