Hannah
Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007I wish I could have known Hannah. She was my Mother’s Mother. She died very shortly after I was born. I believe her given name was Johanna. But I think she was known as, just, Hannah.
My Grandmother was 3 yrs old when she sailed across the Atlantic from Germany in 1890. She was with her parents (my Great Grandparents), Chris and Lena, and her older brother Moxie, also known as Max. Hannah’s Mother told her a story of how a great storm almost rolled the ship over on its side! At least, her Mother was quite sure at the time, that they would not make it to America!
Gramma didn’t remember her voyage. So she had no adventure filled stories to pass down. And so far as I know, how they came to settle on the upper great plains is a mystery. They had given their destination as PA. I wonder why they continued on, westward.
Seven more children were born to Chris and Lena. We have an old photo of the entire family, when Gramma was probably a teenager. She didn’t look very happy. As she told my Mother, she had a good childhood. Her Father was a tailor. We have a picture of him in his shop. He was older by then. Tall, thin, mustache, stern looking. Gramma apparently didn’t talk much of her parents, or her life back then.
She was 17 going on 18, when she married Ole in 1904. He was 13 years older than her. He came from Sweden.
Its strange how our parents can influence their children just by telling them the stories of their lives. Ole was a very good man and provider……when he was sober. Gramma’s sister would tell folks that she couldn’t understand why she married Ole. She was so young, and attractive. She could have had any man she wanted. But she married that no good worthless Ole!!
Hannah and Ole had 11 children. My Mother was the 9th. As my Mom told it, Ole was a jack of all trades. But mostly, she remembers he repaired and rebuilt shoes when she was a child. However, at one time, early on, Ole had a resturant, in a basement. Gramma told the story of how she came down the steps and asked Ole for some money to buy groceries. Ole had been drinking and apparently wanted to show off in front of the customers. He had a pistol, which he pointed to the ceiling and fired afew times. Gramma ran back upstairs while Ole and his friends had a good laugh. While Ole insisted he shot to the ceiling, Gramma told my Mom, that there were bullet holes in the wall where she had been standing. I think I would have went up those stairs, out the door, down the road, and never looked back! Or perhaps I would have found a baseball bat and returned to the basement resturant!
Mom recalled how, in those days, they had the old wood burning stove for cooking. And the washboard, kerosene lamps, outside privy………thats just the way it was back then. They didn’t know they had it tough. It bothered Mom that they didn’t have a permanent home. They always rented. And when Ole drank away the rent money, they would have to move to another place. Mom always said they must have lived in most of the houses in that little town, at least it seemed that way.
Mom had one good dress, and one good dolly. She never had a pair of new shoes. She always wore the shoes that Ole’s customers never picked up. Most were not very comfortable. Mom loved her Mother very much. It was said she was Hannah’s favorite. Mothers aren’t supposed to have favorites, but I think they do. Gramma would tell Mom stories and comb her long wavy dark hair. It seems that Hannah was a gentle woman. I never heard any negative stories about her.
Sometimes, Ole would “tease” Gramma. He would make it alittle joke for the children. Then Gramma would pretend to tell him to straighten up and leave her alone! I don’t think Ole was the villian he was made out to be. He had several years of sobriety, at a time. One of my aunts remembered him in his rocking chair, reading the paper. And she would climb onto the chair, in the back, with her feet on the runners, and rock back and forth with him. He never said a word, they just rocked and he read. My aunt was smiling the whole time she told that little story. It was a special memory for her.
At a young age, Hannah lost her teeth. I suppose that was not uncommon in those days. So Mom didn’t seem to have a memory of her Mother, with teeth! But she did remember how hard Gramma worked to maintain the house and cook the meals. She was no slouch! And Gramma loved pets! She had a bald headed canary! It just didn’t have any feathers on its head! She had a gold fish, a dog, and a cat! As a matter of fact. Gramma had several gold fish! They just kept disappearing from the bowl! Her son-in-law tried to tell her it was the cat! But she wouldn’t believe him! Finally, on the right day, at the right moment, the son-in-law saw the cat in action, and ran to get Gramma! Why, she was just shocked to think her cat was feasting on her gold fish! My Mom said that cat was a ”watchdog”. Whenever a stray dog would come into the yard, the cat would head for the roof of the house. And then, when the dog passed near it, the cat would jump onto the dogs back! They had many a good laugh watching the frightened dogs exiting the yard!
Hannah was in her 60’s when she passed away. Old, back then, relatively young now. She had sugar diabetes. She wouldn’t go to the doctor. So over time, it got worse and worse until it finally killed her. Ole lived to be 97.
Mom didn’t go her Mothers funeral. She had just given birth to me a week before, and the doctor forbid her to travel.
I often wonder what Hannah was really like. She must have been a wonderful Gramma, because she took in three of her own grandchildren, to raise, when her son got divorced. Times were hard, but she kept those children and raised them to be wonderful human beings just as her own children turned out to be.
Can I love a woman I’ve never met? If she was my Gramma, I think I can, and do. I have two aunts left now, two out of 11 children, still living. I have a need to talk to them, and listen to their memories of their Mother, Hannah. Beautiful Hannah.