Now we go to the maternal side of my family, the Grahams. My mother Doris Graham was born February 12, 1923, the third of the four children of Mershall and Fannie (Turner) Graham.
“3rd baby – Doris J. Graham born February 12th – 1923. 5:10 a.m.- on Monday at Woman’s Hospital Beaubien and For(est) – (Detro)it Mic(h)”
Some of my mother, Doris Graham’s, memories of her childhood
About four blocks around the corner and down the street from Theodore was a vacant lot where, for some years ,they had a small carnival every year. I don’t remember the carnival at all. I never liked rides anyway. Not even the merry-go-round. But I remember it being evening, dark outside and we were on the way home. I don’t remember who was there except Daddy and I. He was carrying me because I was sleepy so I must have been very small. I remember my head on his shoulder and how it felt. The best pillow in the world. I remember how high up from the sidewalk I seemed to be. I could hardly see the familiar cracks and printings even when the lights from passing cars lighted things, which was fairly often because we were on Warren Ave. I remember feeling that that’s the way things were supposed to be. I hadn’t a worry in the world. I was tired, so I was carried. I was sleepy, so I slept. I must have felt like that most of my childhood because it’s still a surprise to me that life is hard. Seems that should be a temporary condition.
Loved it. I love all those photos. I don’t have so many photos of my grandparents, which is sad, because I’m loving watching yours.
And the memory of Doris is so sweet.
I’m so happy my family got cameras and took lots and lots of pictures. Both sides.
Great and happy memories! Beautiful photos, lovely family.
D is for Denim
Yes. Although there were tragedies, overall happy memories.
What a wonderful memory of childhood. To feel that you are exactly where you are supposed to be and safe is a great luxury.
Tasha ?
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That is a lovely piece of memory. 🙂
it really is.
So many wonderful photos. I see you have your mother’s gift for storytelling…such a sweet story.
Yes, I wish she had lived longer and written much, much more. She tried her hand at fiction, but wasn’t so good at it. Her memories are the best!
How wonderful to have that bible record! I love this post — the photos and the memory. Now is a time when we would all like to feel safe, the way Doris did being carried by her dad. Thank you for an evocative moment of peace.
Yes, to be carried safely through this nightmare would be wonderful.
My maternal grandmother wrote about the births of all four of her children. And about the deaths of her two sons.
Precious photos and memories! So fortunate to have such a number of pictures from the 20s! Loved the note from your mother too – beyond beautiful. So profoundly true too – life shouldn’t feel so permanently full of hardships.
“ I must have felt like that most of my childhood because it’s still a surprise to me that life is hard. ”
I remember the first time I lived in Atlanta that is exactly the kind of surprise I felt…. thank you for a wonderful childhood.
Happy I could do it Jilo. I don’t remember ever feeling surprise at the hardness of adulthood. I wish both my mother and you could have been wrapped in that feeling of safety and security your whole lives.
Lovely to read one of your mother’s early memories, Kristin. She expresses beautifully that feeling of being held, completely safe, not a care in the world. Someone who has felt that safety is able to give it to others as well, as I’ve no doubt she did to you. (I’m fond of the name Doris, too!)
You must have a family member named Doris?
Loved the post Kristin: the photographs and your mother’s memory. Such a heart warming recollection.
The last sentence: “Seems that should be a temporary condition.” suggests that she must’ve been an eternal optimist as well as an eloquent writer.
She wasn’t an optimist for sure. I would say she was a realist, with tendencies toward the gloomy side.
Your mother wrote beautifully and it is very special to have her words as well as all the photos.
Haven’t visited the site for quite some time .Lovely pictures and beautiful story
You have great photos for documentation and they are labeled!
I am so lucky, especially on my mother’s side, my grandmother wrote on all the family photos. Unfortunately there are many photos of family friends that were not labeled. There may even be a few relatives in there I don’t know about because they aren’t labeled.
On my father’s side there are quite a few unlabeled photos. At one point, when he was about 12, my unlce Louis went through and labeled some of them with his own little quips.
You have a lovely blog. I do enjoy reading family histories. Your grandmother’s memory is so dear. I am visiting from A to Z.
Delightful photos and a wonderful memory piece! Very enjoyable.
Nice photos and a wonderful remembrance from a child who had a happy childhood.
Such a sweet memory, and lovely photos.
My husband’s side is terrible about labelling photos, and it’s such a shame. We were going to try to make my father-in-law sit down and go through them, but I think we already waited too long and missed our opportunity.
Love the photo of everyone sitting in the coaster wagon!
I love those wagon photos too!