This is my tenth A to Z Challenge. My first was in 2013, but I missed 2021. This April I am going through the alphabet using snippets about my family through the generations.
Fannie Mae Turner Graham was my maternal grandmother. She kept a journal and a scrap book for many years. The recipe for the birthday cake she mentions and always made for our birthdays when we grandchildren came along will appear in “N”.
Feb. 5, 1940
Dear God and Little Book: the mail has just brought us the long looked for letter from Wayne University and the Board of Education that Doris has received the yearly scholarship to Wayne… I shed tears of joy… for more reasons than one or even two and the main reason is she deserves it for being such a sweet little “trick”…even if we do say so ourselves.
February 12 – Doris’s birthday – 17 today. We had a nice dinner, cake, ice cream and gifts for her from all.
March 12, my birthday, among all a purchase certificate from JL Hudson’s from our daughters and dad
April 3 – Mary Virginia is 20 today. We had nice dinner cake and ice cream and gifts from us all – also Aunt Daisy never forgets with money.
Dad celebrates Christmas day.
Other entries from Fannie’s journal posted in 2010.
I’m so glad I’m starting my reading day with this joyous post. It’s so celebratory. And the note you grandmother wrote on Feb 5th, 1940 beams with pride and love.
I’m glad it was a cheery one today! Yes she was proud. My mother was the first one to go to college in our branch of the family.
I’m reading and may not comment the next few days. But I enjoy all these posts so much!
I understand. Sometimes I read and don’t comment too. Especially if I’m reading on my phone. Glad you are enjoying the posts.
So joyful! – brightened up my day. I love reading old journal entries – feel like a direct hotline to the voices from the past. You’re so blessed to have have this very personal, handwritten record from a foremother.
Yes I am and so do I. I’m glad they brightened your day.
I love that your maternal grandmother kept a journal. My paternal grandmother did as well. These are such personal connections to an ancestor. And how fantastic that you have photos to accompany the text!
Yes. Letters and journals and photos are great additions to the family story.
Okay, this is so cute!
????
I keep a journal too and can only hope one day much later in the future, someone will enjoy reading through it!
Stopping by from A-Z,
Dream
I hope so too.
Wonderful to see your grandmother’s pride. Of course, in my own journal there are the moments of pride and joy – but also the moments of anger, frustration, discouragement, etc. So I don’t think I would want my children to read it, but perhaps it will be okay for grandchildren.
Alphabet of Alphabets: Jung Juvenile
I seem to have journaled during some pretty depressing points. I sometimes think I should just burn those.
Look forward to reading about the cake.
I like that she refers to Doris as “she deserves it for being such a sweet little “trick”…”
That must have been a saying of the day, I guess. I wish I could start today with a piece of her cake.
I am sure every family historian would love to find a journal, in the handwriting of an ancestor. Your grandmother’s journal conveys so much of her personality. I keep a journal , but written on my computer which cannot have the same appeal as an old fashioned handwritten one. .
I have started so many journals but never kept any up. I agree about not being the same printed out.
Such a sweet way of writing to God and Little Book about her precious family. Her love shines through. I’ve tried journals but never really commit to keeping them up.
I’m the same. I started one this year and only got about 4 days in before I stopped.
Such treasures you have! I’m looking forward to the cake recipe!
I hope it lives up to expectations.