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This is my great-grandmother, Pearl Halterman. She raised 11 children (including my Grandma Barb) in a tiny farm-house and fed them all using the wood burning stove you see in the back of the picture. Can you even imagine what that might have been like! She baked 12 loaves of bread every other day in that sucker. No Bosch Mixer, just the strength of her own two hands. That’s incredible to me.
I have a lot of gratitude for her. For many, many reasons but most of all…
… for raising this fabulous lady, my Grandma Barb. For teaching her the art of homemaking and exemplifying beautiful motherly love. She must have been a fabulous teacher, because my Grandma Barb had homemaking skills that could rock Martha Stewart right off her pedestal and she loved her children and grandchildren with a fierce passion. The old girl could make a vacuum sing like you wouldn’t believe, her floors (and her entire house for that matter!) were immaculate at all times. She cooked Thanksgiving dinner for a mass of 40+ the year before she passed away at age 83. She loved taking care of us. We were her pride and joy.
I miss her like crazy and find myself wishing we could sit and have a great visit together. That’s what I loved the most about her. She had mastered the art of a “good visit”. When I was a girl she let me sleep right next to her, in her bed and man did we ever have some great discussions. We were “solving the worlds problems” as she used to call it. When we grew too sleepy to visit anymore she would say “Well, Jaim it’s a shame the rest of the world isn’t as smart as we are. The world would be a lot better place, wouldn’t it!” and then we would each roll over to our respective corners and I would fall asleep with love wrapped around me, warm and secure.
I will forever be grateful to her for loving me so well and for all the amazing things she taught me. But most of all…
I am grateful to her for raising my own Mom. She’s the pretty lady in the middle with the dark hair and long set of pearls. My sisters Alli and Jen are on the left and yours truly is on the right.
This Mom of mine is really something. Not only did she pick up fabulous homemaking skills and learn the art of motherly love from her mother and grandmother…but she has kindness pouring out of her every action. She is sincerely gracious, thoughtful and good to absolutely every person she meets. And that is no joke. If you happen to know her, you are nodding your head right his very minute in approval. 🙂 She is an amazing woman.
This Memorial Day weekend, I am overflowing with gratitude for these ladies. Their legacy of hard work, love and goodness is a great treasure to me.
How did I get lucky enough to be born into this line of fabulous women?
I’m sure I don’t know.
I can only thank my lucky stars that I was.
Love this story of praise! You are very lucky to be able to say all those things about the 3 women. And I love the picture of Pearl. She truly exemplifies the women of her day and time.
That’s the peferct insight in a thread like this.
What a beautiful tribute. Let’s hope that we all can live up to someone having such wonderful memories of the way we spent our time and talents.
Your great-grand mother reminds me of my Aunt Bertha. I did not have someone to teach me womanly things, but I watched her well and now bless my family and friends. I know you are aware of your “blessings”. I am so proud of you and your family.
Your great-grandmother reminds me of my own grandma. She didn’t have as many children, but she never complained about having to do so much work. The family was very poor. In fact,my mother had to quit high school so she could contribute to the family’s finances. Grandma cooked by feel. I don’t have any recipes from her, because she didn’t use any. You are very blessed to have had that wonderful childhood. I love the picture of your great-grandmother.
Jamie, thank you so much for sharing these great stories of these great women. They are an inspiration to me! I strive to be a loving kind and generous person. I hope I can leave a legacy like them!!
Beautiful ladies all. Thanks for sharing. Your great grandmother looks just like my great grandmother. It always amazes me how hard these women worked and probably never complained.
Just love family history, best reading material other than the holy word. continue to enjoy your family tree,God bless you and yours
Thank you for sharing this. I grew up on a farm and learn how to do all things. I have in fact taught all my children how to do all these things also. And better yet when we moved to Montana, I taught how to do this out in the wilderness.
And this is for John. We are women who learn how to do things from bottom up. Has nothing to do with being Mormon. This is what my mother taught me, If you have no polite thing to say, why did you speak?
Lovely. Too bad the world isn’t as smart as you and your grandma. 🙂 What a sweet lady she must have been.
What an absolutely wonderful touching story. I also cried too. And you have such a beautiful family, inside & out!! I just wish that I had a grandma or great-grandma to learn from, but they both passed before I was born. But I am very thankful that I had a special Mom that taught me & all of my children all that she knew about life. Thank you for your wonderful site & sharing with us.