For Grandma

I spent a lot of time with my Grandma Linnea (Christensen) Metzner when I was a kid. Mom was teaching so I stayed at Grandma's house during the week -- at least until it was time for me to head off to kindergarten.  But we'd still visit on weekends, sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee (I even got coffee -- it was mostly sugar water with cream -- but I loved it; I would dunk my toast in it, which I would never dream of doing today).

Paula's birthday, about 1955, with Grandma Linnea (center) and Aunt Anna Christensen Dunn

Grandma gave me odd tips like never use mascara because she knew someone who used it and her eye popped out.  Now I was probably only 3 or 4 when she told me that so I may have heard the story wrong (probably heard the story wrong).  And she told me stories about when it was time for the children to do dishes (Grandma was the youngest of 10), she would use the excuse to go to the bathroom then run out to the outhouse and stay there until she knew the dishes were done.

I also remember a sad story ... Grandma grew up in Cadillac, Michigan and in the winter they'd walk across Lake Cadillac to go to school (this would have been around 1910 or so). One day the school kids were on their way to school when a little girl fell through the ice. Grandma said she was right there when she fell in. I don't remember what Grandma said happened to the little girl but I could tell it made her very sad -- it was something she had never forgotten.

Speaking of going to school, in Grandma's primary school they spoke Swedish, even though the Christensens were Danish.  Grandma probably spoke Danish at home, but she and her youngest brothers and sisters also learned Swedish at school.  When I was little, I remember many times Grandma Linnea and Aunt Anna (Grandma's sister) would talk in Swedish when they didn't want anyone else to hear their conversation, and then they'd laugh and laugh. I'm not sure what was so funny but they were probably talking about something cute I had said or done...ha ha!

So, for all my wonderful memories of Grandma, I am creating this blog to share stories and discoveries about her family and her husband's family (that would be Grandpa Al Metzner).

Enjoy!