2. Share what you know about responsibilities for any household chores? What were they? Which did they enjoy the most? The least? (If you know of childhood responses share those as well please)
3. What do they think about movies? What is their favorite movie, and why?
4. Which animal best describes them and why? Do you know of an animal they would use to describe themselves?
5. What are their favorite colors, flowers, food, activities, and hobbies?
"1. Another thing I know they liked is canned meat such as "Spam" and "Vienna Sausages". It used to make me sick when I was younger but now I am older I don't mind it nearly as much. Possibly because it reminds me of them.
2. I know it was the standard Grandma did the inside chores and Grandpa the outside chores. It was probably different when they had kids living at home. I recall Grandma did not like to dust because I got to help her with it often. I know my dislike of dusting came from her. Grandpa's favorite chore would have been flooding the yard when the grandkids were around.
3. They didn't watch a ton of movies. They had one of those big old VCR's like we did with the large colorful buttons on the front. I know Grandma loved taping Conference and had shows like "The Apple Dumpling Gang". Grandma told me once she thought Don Knotts was funny and entertaining to watch but I'm not sure he was her favorite actor.
4. Grandma would either be a Koala Bear or Owl. She loved both. I think the Koala Bear fits well because she was protective, reserved, warm, and a spit fire when needed. Grandpa to me would have been more of an "ant" but since you want an animal I'll go with a horse. He was always working for the benefit of his family and others. It was a rarity when I ever saw him sit still. He also could carry and do more than you would ever think possible.
5. Grandpa loved to "tinker" on anything mechanical. Grandma liked to knit and write. They both loved working in the temple and did it for years."
-Kori
"I remember a few times that we had dinner with them and it was just my family with Grandpa and Grandma. One of my memories is that when I was eating a salad and I think carrots too, Grandpa told me that I was eating rabbit food. I was certain that I wouldn't eat rabbit food! My parents confirmed that indeed it was rabbit food because rabbits eat it but that it was for people too. I'm pretty sure that someone informed me that Grandpa didn't like salad that's why he called it that. The other memory is that there was sliced Swiss cheese on the table and after I tried it I said I didn't like it. I remember Grandpa telling me that that was too bad because he really liked Swiss cheese. He then told me that his grandpa used to be a cheese maker. I'm pretty sure that there was a big long story that followed, but that is all I remember."
-Cheryl
"Dad liked meat and potatoes and bread (home made). Mother liked things with pasta. Dad didn't.Household chores were Mom's and the kid's responsibility. Dad's were work and the farm and farm animals. Which as we got older he say to it we shared in this also. After retirement I know that he would help with vacuuming. They didn't go to movies much. If they had a favorite I have no clue.Dad was a faithful work horse. He just kept on working. However he was clever and industrious like a beaver. Mother was more like a young horse. She could work but also like to frolick. As for favorite activities it would have to be church and church callings and family get togethers."
-Ken
"Dad (Ivan) was a pretty basic person in the food area. Meat and potatoes type meals. He did like liver and onions and oyster soup. Bread was also a staple at every meal for him as I recall. He wasn't much of a sweets lover. I can't recall any that he liked let alone loved.
Mom (Wilma) ate a lot of popcorn, one could say it was a favorite. I loved my mom, but she was a pretty basic cook. Nothing fancy. She did love making cake out of old fruit. She must have liked it to keep making it, or wasn't going to waste any of that fruit she bottled.
I don't recall dad's chores as a child. He didn't talk to me much about that. Mom on the other hand did talk about having to do dishes and Vera wouldn't help because she'd take off to the outhouse (out doors toilet). Normal sibling dispute. She also had to help with the wash and ironing. The iron was a big heavy metal iron you heated on a wood stove. It was hard work. As well as the washing of clothes. She was greatful to have her automatic washer and dryer (we take them for granted).
I don't know that dad really enjoyed movies, I don't recall going to many as a family with him. I think it is because he couldn't hear what was going on and so he couldn't keep up with the plot. Mother loved John Wayne movies, I think because he reminded her of an old boyfriend from Canada. Just now I can't recall the old boyfriends name Mickey or Mike I think. She also like the Thin Man movies and Fred Astaire because of his dancing I'm sure. As for her favorite, I couldn't tell you.
Mom liked bright colors like orange, yellow or vivid blue. Don't you remember the kitchen or the front bedroom? Food of course was mentioned above. Other than talking on the phone, mother loved to read. The telephone and reading were her activities and hobbies.
Dad I don't think he ever thought about a favorite color. His motto was if you put it together it goes together, that goes for color or pattern. Dad always worked ever since he was a very young boy. I don't think he ever learned how to play or have any interests of his own. As for a hobby it is the same as activities. He was a creative person in the fact that he like to build or make something out of what ever he had available. He made tables out of old wooden wire spools. He made the ladder for the attic out of the centers of some of those spools (they were the rungs). He saved everything because he grew up in a time when people couldn't just run to the store for their needs. They made due with what they had. He made things work, he made a home and family with what he had. I like to think that we were his hobby.
I don't know what my siblings remember. Everyone remembers things differently. This is how I remember my parents in answer to your questions."
-Carla
"I can pretty much ditto Carla. I would only add work was his life as well as his hobby. Aunt Thekla complained to someone that dad was never around. Grandma told mother that grandpa kept him hired out to the neighbors to help provide for the family. Dad gave all his earnings to grandpa and grandma up until the month before he and mom got married. He bought a car and let the family use it while he rode a bicycle. Eddie wanted to know why Ivan took the family car when he and Wilma got married. Grandma told him because it is Ivan's car.
I don't know that they would discribe themselves as an animal.
But I would say a mule for both of them.
Mom because she was so stubborn.
Dad because it is smarter than a horse and will outwork one."
-Marvin
"Wow, I can't believe the memories these little excerpts have evoked. I remember the cinnamon rolls without the icing. You could really taste thecinnamon and I have been hooked on it ever since. I also never realized how much I had in common with Grandma (Wilma). I love bright colors like yellow & orange and remember the bright wallpaper in the kitchen and the orange upholstery in the livingroom. I love to read too, but not talk on the phone so much. I'd rather write. Thank goodness for email and texting. I hate to do dishes too and I have a dishwasher, but the dishes will still pile up from time to time as I'd rather go run 10 miles in the pouring rain than do dishes.
As a teenager my memories of Grandma were her sitting in that orange chairwith her feet up on a little stool. Sometimes she would be reading a book, but most of the time she was on the phone. I don't remember what food they liked, but Grandma was always making a cup Pero. I didn't even like the smell of it. Grandpa was always working on something in the garage or outside. He loved to tinker and would make some of the most amazing things. At least I thought they were amazing. He had a shelving system in the garage that was like a million little cubbies that had all sorts of parts and things in them. I loved to look in them to see what I would find.Grandpa liked bread. He always had to have a piece of bread with dinner. I think that the bread would fill him up if he didn't like what was being served for dinner. Then he could just have a few bites and not be hungry.
As far as an animal that they reminded me of, Grandma would be an Owl, not just because she had them all over the house, but she would sit in that chair in the livingroom and every time someone walked by her head would turn and she would sometimes ask "Who was that?" She just reminded me of her owls. Grandpa would be a cougar or jaguar because he was always up prowling around looking for something to do. He would rarely sit around idle and he had a very quick and cunning mind. Though he was a man of little words, he would figure things out quickly."
-Sandra
"The perfect picture of what Sandra described this morning. What are the chances I would have that exact picture hanging on my wall. Right. Enjoy"
-Barbara
"As for food I would like to add that mom loved Chinese food. Dad didn’t especially…ok he hated it, but mom loved it. Her favorite place to go out to eat was the South Seas that was on State in Midvale. Whenever we would go out to eat she would always want us to go there because if we suggested it dad would go along with going there and not complain.
I also remember a period when the boys were teenagers and mom had gotten the bread maker. Unlike the ones today this was a big bucket that you would manually turn the handle on to knead the bread. I believe some of the boys got elected to the turning of the handle for her but then she would make the most wonderful cinnamon rolls for us. So many that part were put in the freezer for later enjoyment. That was the way I enjoyed cinnamon rolls. She didn’t put icing on them like they do in places now and they were so much nicer because they weren’t as sickeningly sweet.
I also remember that dad loved sauerkraut. So when mom fixed it she would always cook do hot dogs to go along with the sauerkraut. The problem being that she would put the hot dogs in the pan to heat with the sauerkraut. I hate sauerkraut and I especially hated sauerkraut flavored hot dogs. Yuck!!!
I don’t recall dad doing much as far as household chores growing up. He worked on the farm and seemed to always be fixing peoples cars, so he also wasn’t in the house until probably bed time. Probably mom’s least favorite household task would have been doing dishes. I remember sometimes stacks of dishes sitting around needing to be done. I hated dirty dishes all over and remember many a time when I was older and working coming home and hurrying to get them washed. I’m sure though when I was younger I could have helped with the task more. When I left for college was when they got their first dishwasher and I remember complaining too them, “Fine thing, now you get a dish washer.” To which dad replied with a chuckle, “We had to ours moved away.”
Mom’s favorite things to do were talking on the phone and reading. Both of which she could do by the hour. Dad’s hobby and past time were work and inventing things to make it easier. I remember he loved to invent things and it was amazing the gadgets he could come up with. The holes for out fence were dug with an old disk from the disker (not sure what it’s called) that he had fashioned to fit on his big drill and it would cut down through the dirt. The biggest problem was it made a lot bigger hole than usually and it took a lot of cement to get the posts cemented in.
Dad didn’t do movies, but I think mom would have liked to have gone to the movies more. I would have to agree with Marv on the animal thing. But then as too the stubbornness, of the mule, I believe we all got a pretty good helping of that from both of them."
-Eileen
"Thank you for the picture. I wonder if I can take it with me when I meet up with her? Plus your memories. I’m sure she will have a lot to get after me for and I need something to retaliate with.
I just want you to know the last time I got the ‘if looks could kill look’, from my mom was when dad was needing a recliner and Brent and I went shopping and got one for him so he could recline and help the water leave his body when his heart was starting to fail and he was retaining water in his legs.
While we were looking I told my mom we found the perfect recliner for her. You lifted up the right cushion and voila there was the phone jack, so you could put you phone right there next to you and you wouldn’t even have to get up. Plus the cord could have been moved out of the way instead of tripping over it as you came through the front door. This was the point I got the look and I had just stated the truth. I guess the truth does hurt.
I guess we all should get one of these going for us, so we can hear what our kids think of us. I have at least heard about spreading the word to each other as they walked in the door to lay low because I was on a rampage, so I’m sure memories of me are just as hurtful now. But it’s me."
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