- Thread starter heronblue7
- Start date
Was talking to mine earlier. Both grew up pretty damn poor during the 40s.
Dad got his first job at 13 making .13/hour. Later joined the army.
Neither mom or dad had running water growing up. Was all well and outhouse. Everyone they knew had gardens and canning was to live not to prep.
Mom had 4 sisters, they all shared one room. When they were young, my grandma made all their clothes by hand. Mom said they didnt have fancy shit but "by god they were always clean".
Some tough ass people and many of us have lost touch with just how strong willed they are.
Credit them for working hard, coming from nothing to give me and my siblings a "better" life.
I am blessed.
Dad got his first job at 13 making .13/hour. Later joined the army.
Neither mom or dad had running water growing up. Was all well and outhouse. Everyone they knew had gardens and canning was to live not to prep.
Mom had 4 sisters, they all shared one room. When they were young, my grandma made all their clothes by hand. Mom said they didnt have fancy shit but "by god they were always clean".
Some tough ass people and many of us have lost touch with just how strong willed they are.
Credit them for working hard, coming from nothing to give me and my siblings a "better" life.
I am blessed.
Sounds like the things my mom told me about growing up a poor share cropper's daughter.
3 sisters, two brothers and none of them were allowed to go to school beyond the 8th grade.
They worked.
They made it through tough times and came out clean on the other side.
I remember cleaning G Ma's house out and the empty sugar bags neatly folded and stored on the attic stairs, the gold coins hidden in handkerchief in a coat pocket. Ration books from WW2. My FIL tells stories of waiting 4 years for bicycle tires, so he rode a horse instead. Hard times have been forgotten.
My mother was born in 1944, so I guess she technically went through WWII? Dad in '42, so ditto for him? All my grandfolks are dead, though, and I never asked either about the war. Or the first one, for that matter. Only story I know was that my grandparents on my dad's side were at some party or other and there was a big explosion out in the ocean where a U-boat torpedoed a couple of US merchant ships.
I remember hearing many of the same stories from my grandparents who grew up in the depression. One one side, both grandparents grew up the children of farmers & life was rough. I remember stories of smearing lard on bread just to give it taste.
My other grandmother rarely spoke of the Great Depression. I remember her saying that she grew up very privileged as the child of a wealthy factory owner who lost everything. That must’ve been a rough adjustment as he died shortly thereafter.
My other grandmother rarely spoke of the Great Depression. I remember her saying that she grew up very privileged as the child of a wealthy factory owner who lost everything. That must’ve been a rough adjustment as he died shortly thereafter.
I’ve got one left and try to talk to him as much as I can. He’s not in the best health, so I’m honestly worried about him. He’s from Italy, and we have a pile of family still there I’m hoping survives this crap as well.
I've been calling mine every 2nd day as have most other family members.
She is in her apartment and doesn't go out except once a week to get whatever she needs. Usually she's socializing with the rest of the people in her apartment 'community' but they've all basically not come down and haven't done any lunch/dinner or anything as a group and will continue not to for a while.
Basically calling her so she's not bored out of her mind.
She is in her apartment and doesn't go out except once a week to get whatever she needs. Usually she's socializing with the rest of the people in her apartment 'community' but they've all basically not come down and haven't done any lunch/dinner or anything as a group and will continue not to for a while.
Basically calling her so she's not bored out of her mind.
Local elder woman who was born in 1930's and has since passed...she said often that she never could understand why people crapped in the house and grilled food outside.
As soon as I moved away from my parents when I was 17, I never looked back and have had zero relationship with them. My Grandparents are just boomers and aren't really interesting. My last living Great-Grandparent is 91 years old and she's got the final stage of dementia and is living in an assisted care facility and thanks to the Wu Flu she is not allowed to see friends or family. Shame her mind is so gone because I bet she had great stories to tell.
Maw Maw turned 90 yesterday. This was her riding my zip line at family Christmas. She had to climb 3 flights of stairs to the top, over 30ft. It’s a 400+ft run. She loved it!
I’ve worked in nursing homes and home health for 10 years. I’d rather spend my days with older folks. They don’t complain like young people, and are generally grateful and pleasant, unlike most younger folks.
Grandparents are dead. They believed in the American dream coming here LEGALLY from mexico and worked the fields. Bartered for things they didn't have and made a sustainable life for themselves until the end. My mother I couldn't give two shits about and sadly she is still alive.
My dad had some stories like this. He was born in 1944 and grew up pretty much dirt poor in Los Angeles. His mom had survived TB she contracted as a Navy nurse during WWII and even though she survived she was in and out of the hospital for months at a time. During these periods he lived with a family friend in a log cabin on Bear Mountain. No running water or electricity. He talked about how once the snow hit the only way to get to their cabin was cross-country skis or snowshoes. People now are losing their minds over a self-imposed TP shortage...
Last edited:
Grew up rural Miss. Sears catalog served multiple purposes in the out house. Mom canned veggies made jelly and butter raised our own beef. We bartered with neighbors for what we didn't have. Mom's gone but my wife and I still live much the same way, not by necessity but by choice. This will pass hope those who lack experience will come away with some education ???? respect may be some leftover TP!!
I was just at the grocery store. It was mostly filled with WW2 and Vietnam aged Vets. My thoughts exactly.... they've been through real hell and are laughing at all this nonsense. ????
Yes, mom was also telling me about the multiple uses of the catalogs of the day. Including its use as TP. Why? Becase that is what they had. She found it crazy how people were freaking out over TP. I know that woman would find something to use...and not even think twice.
I actually was lucky enough to know at least some of my grandparents, great grandparents (and great aunts) on both sides of my family. Many of which made it to their mid to upper 90s. Some of their stories were even harsher, at least round these parts.
A few of them, along with a sibling are now resting peacefully in our national cemetary.
RIP.
