What would you ask?

[Spikedriver]

That's alright, sometimes, even at my age, my wife thinks I have no clue, leaves me to wonder how I built our home, plumbed and wired it and dug nearly 500 feet of earth to bury the water line to the spring site, ah to be a younger man now than I am, at least I try to think young and do things I can physically do, even going under the counter to add water to the solar batteries reminds me of the effort a week afterward with sore reared muscles. As to talking to my grandparents, I do wish I'd have asked my grandmother how it was to have come from Norway, probably in the 19 teens and likely went through Ellis Island.

I have two sets of great great grandparents that came from Norway too. They came in the 1870s and 80s. Of course they were all gone before my time and I never got to hear their stories. I know that the Sampson side would board Norwegian families overnight as they traveled southwest from the nearest train station about 20 miles northeast to the Norwegian settlements 20 miles southwest of their home. Many of those immigrants came from the same area that my GGs were from.

Their traditions still live on though. We still eat kringla and kumla and lefse and haaring kake. But none of us are pure Norse any more so we won't eat that damn lutefisk!

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Lefse yum, I make it every Christmas. You can't damn lutefisk enough. I would rather be downwind from a skunk and the texture is nasty.

 

[Magus]

I won't eat mountain oysters myself.
fish made like hominy sounds nasty.

 

[lilmissy]

Hubbys grandma lived until she was 104, came from a family of 8 siblings. Always in her right mind, she fell at age 95 and moved in with her daughter, it was hard to get around. My daughter and I would stay to help with her and just give the aunt a break. we would sit at night and ask a question or she would just tell stories from old. As she would talk, my daughter would type her words. One Christmas we took her words and made a small booklet for everyone in the family. It is so nice to look at it now and remember her.

 

[Heartbroken]

Lots of good thoughts here. Brings back memories of talking with my grandpa; he remembered getting milk delivered by a horse drawn cart each morning, yet saw man land on the moon. The amount of change just during his lifetime is mind-boggling, and he had some good stories to go with it. He worked for Chrysler and was in the office of a tank plant during WWII. He once went home at lunch, which surprised my grandma very much, to warn her that he might not be able to come home again, and tell her what she should do to take care of the children. He was scared because men from the army came in and questioned one of the other men in the office, then took him away and he was never seen again. Grandpa wasn't doing anything wrong, but his father had Amercanized their last name before the war, but hadn't done it "officially". Just told the family, from now on our name is L___________. Grandpa was afraid that the Army would do a background check on him, and arrest him when they found he was using a different name than that on the birth certificate. But thankfully that never happened.
I love reading all these tidbits from the old folks, keep 'em coming!

 

[Weedygarden]

My grandmother told of canning large quantities of beef before electricity. The first couple years she an grandpa were married they had no electricity but they had a battery powered freezer with a small wind generator on the roof. So they did have some freezer capability. I think they also ate a fair amount of home raised chicken and eggs for their protein. Grandma said butchering chickens was her least favorite job on the farm, especially as she was raised in town and had no experience before marriage. I do know that my grandpa was not a hunter. Game meat didn't figure into their diet and there was no place nearby to catch sufficient fish other than carp and suckers for pickling.

I would ask an old timer, How did you make the things you needed? They had to make so many things that we just run to Walmart for...

And they did without or made do. A pair of pants that got holes in were patched and patched many times over.

In 1931, my grandparents bought the homestead that my grandmother's sister proved up on. She had leased the land and her father had purchased some surrounding land. Grandparents got electricity around 1940. They never had running water nor a telephone. Grandfather had a heart attack around 1963 and they moved to town, leasing the ranch out until it was sold around 1990. There was never running water nor telephone service out there.

Lefse yum, I make it every Christmas. You can't damn lutefisk enough. I would rather be downwind from a skunk and the texture is nasty.

I was a meat wrapper for a brief period of time in a grocery store, and we would get shipments of lutefisk in 50 pound boxes that I ended up wrapping. It never lasted long. Local churches would have dinners around Christmas and you could choose between lutefisk or Swedish meatballs. Father in law would not allow it to be cooked in their home. He forbid it. He was 100% Norwegian.

 

[Spikedriver]

And they did without or made do. A pair of pants that got holes in were patched and patched many times over.

In 1931, my grandparents bought the homestead that my grandmother's sister proved up on. She had leased the land and her father had purchased some surrounding land. Grandparents got electricity around 1940. They never had running water nor a telephone. Grandfather had a heart attack around 1963 and they moved to town, leasing the ranch out until it was sold around 1990. There was never running water nor telephone service out there.
I was a meat wrapper for a brief period of time in a grocery store, and we would get shipments of lutefisk in 50 pound boxes that I ended up wrapping. It never lasted long. Local churches would have dinners around Christmas and you could choose between lutefisk or Swedish meatballs. Father in law would not allow it to be cooked in their home. He forbid it. He was 100% Norwegian.

There was a joke in the town I grew up in:

Gunter the German got a skunk under his porch. He tried everything but the skunk wouldn't go. Finally he went to the market and got some lutefisk to put under there, thinking the smell would drive the skunk away. The next week at the market the shopkeeper asked, did you get your skunk problem solved? Gunter said yah, but I can't get the damn Norwegians out from under there now!

 

[LadyLocust]

I also asked if there were any events they looked forward to etc. Their entertainment, etc.
She said there wasn't really anything she looked forward to. As far as entertainment, they would get together with friends about once a week and play cards.
I should also say, in this family, the boys were a little wild (3 bros.) and the gals (2 + mom) were the servants.
I asked what she missed most and least. She said she misses family but doesn't miss the snakes out there. She has one great niece. None of her brothers had children, she never married but her sister did & that is where the great niece comes from.

 

[kenv1950]

I remember meeting my Great Grandfather (Hoffman) my mothers side , must have been about 1956 . He walked in the house with a three piece suit on , gold watch chain hooked to his vest and bare foot , he hated shoes

 

[Patchouli]

Passed on to me were pretty post cards from early 1900s, before the 30s. My great aunts wrote to one another, some lived in the small city in Virginia, others lived out in the county. Some of it was quite funny, though brief. I’ll see if I can find the post cards later on. I met all of those great aunts but never knew my great grandparents. Have photos of them.
Sorry, I guess that’s off topic. I would ask them what their favorite things to do were when visiting with one another. I’d ask them about sewing because they did a lot of that and their father had a general store out in the countryside away from the city.

 

[LadyLocust]

Passed on to me were pretty post cards from early 1900s, before the 30s. My great aunts wrote to one another, some lived in the small city in Virginia, others lived out in the county. Some of it was quite funny, though brief. I’ll see if I can find the post cards later on. I met all of those great aunts but never knew my great grandparents. Have photos of them.
Sorry, I guess that’s off topic. I would ask them what their favorite things to do were when visiting with one another. I’d ask them about sewing because they did a lot of that and their father had a general store out in the countryside away from the city.

Oh yes, please share. I love this kind of info. & stories. I think they are so rich~

 

[kenv1950]

My Dad about 1930 and my Great Grandmothers wedding ring . I should have put these on the picture thread . To late now

 

[Amish Heart]

Your dad was fancy!

 

[kenv1950]

Your dad was fancy!

Catholic.... That was his alter boy outfit

 

[viking]

Lefse yum, I make it every Christmas. You can't damn lutefisk enough. I would rather be downwind from a skunk and the texture is nasty.

Making good lutefisk is not an easy process, one time when I was young, my dad tried to make it, but all it ended up being is liquid fish. It's made by using lye water and I don't think my dad knew what he was doing, on the other hand, I've had lutefisk that tasted pretty good, it's just something I would not want on a daily basis. Actually what was worse to me was time my dad bought salted black cod, he rinsed the cod in water, many times and it still turned out saltier than licking salt out of a spoon. My grandmother made all kinds of Norwegian foods that were tasty and I remember she would get a 5 gallon wooden keg of pickled herring. There was a Norwegian butcher shop in Poulsbo, Washington, not all that far south of my grandparents place that had smoked mutton that they would cut in thin strips, it was called rollipulsa (spelling?), anyway it made good sandwiches or eaten just as it was, that was always a treat and around Christmas time my grandmother would always make all kinds of Norwegian cookies along with Lefse, buttered and sprinkled with sugar and Cinnamon, I always looked forward to that, yum is right. Fish cakes and clam cakes, that's where things got a bit strange for me.

 

[LadyLocust]

My Dad about 1930 and my Great Grandmothers wedding ring . I should have put these on the picture thread . To late now

Handsome fella!

 

[Weedygarden]

Making good lutefisk is not an easy process, one time when I was young, my dad tried to make it, but all it ended up being is liquid fish. It's made by using lye water and I don't think my dad knew what he was doing, on the other hand, I've had lutefisk that tasted pretty good, it's just something I would not want on a daily basis. Actually what was worse to me was time my dad bought salted black cod, he rinsed the cod in water, many times and it still turned out saltier than licking salt out of a spoon. My grandmother made all kinds of Norwegian foods that were tasty and I remember she would get a 5 gallon wooden keg of pickled herring. There was a Norwegian butcher shop in Poulsbo, Washington, not all that far south of my grandparents place that had smoked mutton that they would cut in thin strips, it was called rollipulsa (spelling?), anyway it made good sandwiches or eaten just as it was, that was always a treat and around Christmas time my grandmother would always make all kinds of Norwegian cookies along with Lefse, buttered and sprinkled with sugar and Cinnamon, I always looked forward to that, yum is right. Fish cakes and clam cakes, that's where things got a bit strange for me.

Daughter used to spend Christmas holiday in North Dakota with her dad's parents. They were 100% Norwegian. She learned to make krumkake and lefse from her grandmother. I have purchased a new lefse iron for her along with the cloths, etc. I have found two krumkake irons, one at a thrift store in Tucson and another at a church sale. She makes gluten free versions.

There was a good sized Scandinavian community in my home county. Some of my friends growing up were Norwegian and Swedish. They used to have a variety of cookies and sweets especially around Christmas time.

One thing that her grandfather made was Potato Klubb (Norwegian Potato Dumplings. Potato Klubb (Norwegian Potato Dumplings)

 

[LadyLocust]

Daughter used to spend Christmas holiday in North Dakota with her dad's parents. They were 100% Norwegian. She learned to make krumkake and lefse from her grandmother. I have purchased a new lefse iron for her along with the cloths, etc. I have found two krumkake irons, one at a thrift store in Tucson and another at a church sale. She makes gluten free versions.

There was a good sized Scandinavian community in my home county. Some of my friends growing up were Norwegian and Swedish. They used to have a variety of cookies and sweets especially around Christmas time.

One thing that her grandfather made was Potato Klubb (Norwegian Potato Dumplings. Potato Klubb (Norwegian Potato Dumplings)

I have a krumkake iron also in Italian "pizzelle". I don't have a lefse press nor have I ever had them, but do have a tortilla press which would probably work (are they the same difference sorta thing but with spuds?)

 

[Weedygarden]

I have a krumkake iron also in Italian "pizzelle". I don't have a lefse press nor have I ever had them, but do have a tortilla press which would probably work (are they the same difference sorta thing but with spuds?)

Yes, lefse is made with potatoes.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18082/norwegian-lefse/
I wish I had a pizzelle iron. It would be good to make them gluten free.

 

[LadyLocust]

Yes, lefse is made with potatoes.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18082/norwegian-lefse/
I wish I had a pizzelle iron. It would be good to make them gluten free.

Did you give your daughter both? I had an electric one at one time, but downsized and it didn't make the cut. I did keep the old fashioned flat iron style one but haven't used it in ages. Think I gave 50 c. or some such thing at a sale.

 

[Weedygarden]

Did you give your daughter both? I had an electric one at one time, but downsized and it didn't make the cut. I did keep the old fashioned flat iron style one but haven't used it in ages. Think I gave 50 c. or some such thing at a sale.

I gave her one, and then a couple years later gave her the other. The krumkake irons go onto a burner. I think the lefse iron is electric, but it been a while, so I don't remember now.

 

[Frodo]

Set up a camera on a tripod, have an extra battery with you. sit and just talk. about her child hood and here memories

 

[Weedygarden]

One of the things that I saw early on when I started doing genealogy was a long list of questions to ask. That is a little different than what you are doing. I just did a search, and there are lists of questions that have been developed already.

https://www.joincake.com/blog/questions-to-ask-old-people/

 

[Frodo]

This topic has brought up a concern I have. WeedyGarden. please forgive me from going kinda off topic
PLEASE PLEASE People, Write on the back of your pictures who is in the picture
I have a 30 gallon tote FULL of my grandmas pictures and my mothers pictures that i have no idea who those people are in that picture. I do not want to **** can the tote but ??????????? PLEASE write on the back!!!!!

 

[Amish Heart]

I'm finding that I'm overjoyed when seeing the names on the back of old photos....I found bins and bins of photos while moving mom this weekend, most photos are from the 1930 to 1950's, and I couldn't possibly guess who these people are. Even my own mom as a teen.

 

[Weedygarden]

This topic has brought up a concern I have. WeedyGarden. please forgive me from going kinda off topic
PLEASE PLEASE People, Write on the back of your pictures who is in the picture
I have a 30 gallon tote FULL of my grandmas pictures and my mothers pictures that i have no idea who those people are in that picture. I do not want to **** can the tote but ??????????? PLEASE write on the back!!!!!

I totally agree. Too often there is nothing on them and no one knows who they are. I did this with my favorite Grandma. One summer I spent my Saturdays with her. She had boxes of photos that she wanted sorted and organized. One photo at a time, "Who is this?" and I wrote on the back with a fine pointed Sharpie. I've since read that a pencil is the recommended writing tool. I didn't press hard, so no indentation in the front. Photos were sorted into piles, one for each of her children, and the rest into one pile. Her children's photos were then put into those photo albums which are now not recommended because they are not acid free. After her funeral, each of her children had an album that they took, and one cousin took all the other historical photos and is always too busy to be bothered with sharing the images.

 

[Weedygarden]

I totally agree. This is something that any of us could do with our elderly family.
Too often there is nothing on them and no one knows who they are. I did this with my favorite Grandma. One summer I spent my Saturdays with her. She had boxes of photos that she wanted sorted and organized. One photo at a time, "Who is this?" and I wrote on the back with a fine pointed Sharpie. I've since read that a pencil is the recommended writing tool. I didn't press hard, so no indentation in the front. Photos were sorted into piles, one for each of her children, and the rest into one pile. Her children's photos were then put into those photo albums which are now not recommended because they are not acid free. After her funeral, each of her children had an album that they took, and one cousin took all the other historical photos and is always too busy to be bothered with sharing the images.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I'd want to ask "where'd you hide the gold?"

 

[Weedygarden]

I have a krumkake iron also in Italian "pizzelle". I don't have a lefse press nor have I ever had them, but do have a tortilla press which would probably work (are they the same difference sorta thing but with spuds?)

This what her/our krumkake irons look like. Krumkake: How to Make Norway's Version of the Ice Cream Cone

 

[Frodo]

I'd want to ask "where'd you hide the gold?"

bottom of the well , crawl down that rope and take a look