My Historical Meal

The twelve people I would invite to a meal. That is a very difficult question. First and foremost would be Jesus. I can not even imagine what it would be like to meet our savior. Second I would invite I think Albert Einstein would be very interesting to meet. I would love to meet both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington for their thoughts. Leonardo DiVinci would be a very interesting person to meet. I would also like to me Buddha.

My last six people I would like to invite are my genealogy idols. I would love to have these people one at a time, but you didn't give me that option! I would like to invite Dear Myrtle https://plus.google.com/communities/104382659430904043232/stream/7f2c63f9-e926-45eb-a408-4b44d15cfe65?partnerid=gplp0.  I would love to have Lisa Louise Cooke at my dinner http://lisalouisecooke.com/. I would love to meet Elizabeth Shown Mills https://www.evidenceexplained.com/. Can I count the Genealogy Guys as one person? :) I would love to meet George and Drew of the Genealogy Guys. http://www.genealogyguys.com/. I would also like to meet Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers. http://geneabloggers.com/ . I would also like to meet Thomas W. Jones   http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/mastering_genealogical_proof.  I have learned so much from you all and I know I could learn so much more. You are my rock stars!

I don't actually like to cook. I think inviting everyone to the Midwest we would have to have some really good steaks, baked potatoes, fresh bread, corn on the cob, and maybe a good cheesecake - that somebody else cooked.

1957 was a wonderful year!

This post is suppose to be about the year we were born. I know my parents lived in Oklahoma the year I was born. I can not imagine what my grandmother went through sending her 20 year old daughter back to Oklahoma from Iowa with her newborn baby, let alone how my mother felt so very alone. I know we lived in a small trailer in a trailer park in Altus, Oklahoma. I remember “American Bandstand” from later years and my dad’s favorite movie was “Bridge over River Kwai” So I remember that, otherwise I don’t remember any of it obviously. Thank heavens for the internet and Google!

How Much things cost in 1957

 Yearly Inflation Rate USA 3.34%  Yearly Inflation Rate UK  3.3%  Average Cost of new house $12,220.00  Average Monthly Rent $90.00  Average Yearly Wages $4.550.00  Cost of a gallon of Gas 24 cents Bacon per pound 60 cents  Eggs per dozen28 cents  HI FI Portable Record Player $79.95  Children's Shoes $5.95

What Events Happened in 1957

U.S.  •Toyota starts selling cars in the US, the first is the Toyopet Crown

Egypt --- Suez Canal Crisis 1956 - 1957

•Egypt re-opens the Suez Canal

Malaya  • Malaya Gains Independence From Britain

World --- Asian Flu Pandemic

• Asian Flu pandemic claims over 150,000 lives world wide

UK  •Windscale nuclear power plant accident on 10th October  in UK

Russia --- First artificial satellite Sputnik 1 Launched Successfully

•USSR launches Sputnik 1 on October 4th  inaugurating the Space Age and the Space Race 

U.S.  • Portable Radar Devices Used To Enforce Speed Limits

Vietnam --- Viet Cong Guerrillas attack South Vietnam

•South Vietnam attacked by Viet Cong Guerrillas

Italy  •Treaty of Rome ( The EEC European Economic Community is formed )

World --- Baby Boomers

•1957 was the peak of the Baby Boomer years

U.S.  •Martin Luther King Jr heads nationwide resistance to racial segregation and discrimination in the US

U.S.  •Federal Troops sent to Arkansas to enforce anti segregation laws               

Singapore  • Singapore gains Self Rule

U.S.  •Tidal Wave follows Hurricane Audrey into coasts of Texas and Louisiana

U.S.  •The National Guard on the order of Governor Orval Faubus is used to prevent nine African American students from entering Central High School in Little Rock on September 4th and shortly after Federal troops charge defiant protesters with fixed bayonets to ensure nine African American Students can attend Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas

U.S.  • The Mackinac suspension bridge opens connecting the Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan.

UK  • Foot and Mouth in England Reaches epidemic proportions with 30,000 animals slaughtered

U.S.  • The House for Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) convicts a number of writers and playwright's for Un-American Activities / Communist party membership

Haiti  •Physician Francois Duvalier PAPA DOC becomes president of Haiti

Ghana  •Ghana Gains Independence From Great Britain

Popular Culture

•Elvis Presley purchases a mansion in Memphis, Tennessee and calls it Graceland

•The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool ( Where the Beetle's started )

•The Film Jailhouse Rock premiers with Elvis Presley

• "American Bandstand" the teenagers chart music show makes its network debut on ABC

Popular Films

•The Ten Commandments

•Around the World in Eighty Days

•12 Angry men

•Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley

•The Bridge on the River Kwai

•The Three Faces of Eve

 

Popular Books

•The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss

•From Russia with Love - Ian Fleming

•The Guns of Navarone - Alistair MacLean

My Time Capsule

Somehow I missed this prompt so it is out of order. I would of course create the time capsule for my descendants. I would like to put in little pieces of me I think to remember what my life was like. I would put in my wedding ring I think. I would include some sort of a computer because they have been a huge part of my life as well as an explanation of how they worked and what I did with them. I would put in my softball and softball glove because I love my sports. I am the furthest from athletic as you can get, however, I love watching and participating by helping children with their sports. I have already told my children who get what of my jewelry to carry forward. My oldest daughter gets my wedding ring. My next child, a daughter, gets the ring I got for my thirtieth anniversary. My son got his dad's "engagement" ring and my dad's wedding ring.

I have many family heirlooms I have explained to my children that carry on the stories of my ancestors. I have furniture, silver pieces, dishes, china, quilts, clothing, and may other pieces that my children have been told the story of to carry on the memories.

 This picture of our family room shows several heirlooms I hope to pass down. The carousel horse on the wall came from Arnold's Park in Iowa through my husband's family. The trunk my husband made as a wedding present for me. The end table is an antique that Brian's parents had. The rocking chair is also an antique from the family. The old bottle on the mantle was from a great aunt. The braided rug came from Brian's mom.

The tractor in this picture belonged to Brian's dad. His dad actually purchased the tractor the year my husband was born. These items mean much more than the monetary value. The tell the story of our families.

Those who served for us.

This is my dad, Theodor Jefferson White, Jr, or as most people knew him Ted. Dad was in the Air Force for eight years. He served in the Military Police for part of that time and below is his German Shepard, Sam.  Sam would do absolutely anything Dad told him to. Dad was a sharp shooter in the military. Of course, his military service is not something Dad talked about much.

We traveled around the country some as military brats. We lived in Altus, Oklahoma, Dover, Delaware, and Dad lived in Canada.

 

My Grandpa Albert Grashoff's brother, John Henry Grashoff  served in World War I and died on July 29, 1918, Chauteau Thierry, France. Above are the reports from the local paper.

 

Unexplained Memories.

Prompt 10  Unexplained Memories

The one unexplained memory that sticks out in my mind is a memory of being in my Grandma Grashoff's basement (my grandparents basically lived in the completely finished basement) with a bunch of relatives. My youngest uncle, Rusty, came to the top of the steps with an announcement, I believe, that he had been drafted. To the best of my recollection, that is what happened. He never did go to the service which I believe had something to do with possibly a heart murmur but I don't really know and no one else seems to remember this with the intensity that I remember.

This picture is of my aunt Reeny and my Uncle Rusty in my grandparents basement in rural Iowa. Rusty was born in 1944 so this would have been during the Vietnam War.

Halloween!

Prompt:
Have you ever participated in a Halloween event?
When was it?
Where was it?...
What did you dress as?
Trick or treat?


I have many fond memories of trick or treating as a child growing up in Aurelia, Iowa. I have no pictures that I am aware of from our costumes. I know they were homemade. I remember dressing as ghosts, witches, the usual.  We took large bags around town and got them full of full-sized candy bars! It was great. Then came the scare of people putting things in the candy, i.e. razor blades, drugs, needles, so on. Yuck.

I have pictures of my children dressing up -- theirs were mainly homemade also -- by me! I made the Raggedy Ann and the little Tiger costumes in this picture.
  I also made the "princess" costume and the little clown costume. As you can see another version of a tiger costume I made.

For many years my aunt had a Halloween party for all of us who lived in the country. These were always fun family events!  

I was an office in our local PTA for about a decade. We put on a haunted house for the area students and parents for years. It was really a pretty elaborate even and lots of fun. These were our costumes one year.

 

My parents that were Grand!

PROMPT:
What were their names?
Where were they from?
Were they related? – Cousins perhaps...
Where were they born, another Country or state/area
Photos
What did they do?
Did you know them?
What was your relationship with them?
If you didn't know them have you researched about them?

These are my grandparents at my wedding. Brian and I were married in 1978. My maternal grandparents are on the far outside. My Paternal grandparents are in the middle.

My mother's parents were Albert Phillip Edward Grashoff and Alma Ida Minnie Matzdorff. Grandpa Grashoff, or as he was known "Abby" was born in  Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois. When he was fairly young his family moved to Aurelia, Iowa, where he lived the rest of his life. Grandpa was a farmer, but also had many other jobs in his lifetime. He was also a carpenter and construction foreman. Grandpa worked for the ASCS for a while which had something to do with an agricultural service. Grandpa was a stanch family man and really wasn't interested in other people.
Grandma Grashoff was born in this area, Buena Vista County, Iowa, not far from the farm that she lived in her entire life. Grandpa was a farm wife and the mother of seven. She also had a huge garden and canned a lot of the food they lived on throughout the year. She had a root cellar where she kept the "fresh" produce. Grandma was an excellent cook and baker. Grandma also did a lot of work on the farm.

My father's parents were Theodor Jefferson White and Joyce Maxine Fogleman. Grandpa, Ted, was born in Cherokee County and lived there his entire life. Grandpa also held many jobs. He was a farmer for the first part of his life and then after he had to sell the farm when his dad died, he held other jobs including furniture delivery person. Grandma also helped on the farm and was the mother of four. She also had other jobs in the later years after they moved off of the farm.

We also spent holidays of course with the grandparents. We lived very close to my Grandpa and Grandma Grashoff and frequently went out there to play cards and have "coffee" after school. Also, most Sundays were spent at their house for Sunday Dinner (noon). We lived closer to the Grashoff Grandparents and spent more time there, however, I had a close relationship with all of my grandparents and even remember my great grandma and grandpa White.

 

 

Week 6

Do you keep a journal or diary?
How far back do they go? What do you record?
Where do you keep them?...

Do you always buy the same one or vary them?
Have you inherited any?
Do you intend to pass along your journals or destroy them?
Pictures
Do you have a favourite?
What do you use to write with – biro, pencil, ink or fountain pen?
I have intermittently keep a journal. I kept a few back as a youngster, I have no idea where they are now. I keep a very complete journal when I was pregnant with my first child. At this point, I really have no idea where that is either. They only form of journal I have is my research blog. "Teri's Queries" http://whiteandchaffinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/   I will probably give my journal to my daughter she it is about her pregnancy.  This is short and sweet because I don't really do a journal or diary. I have had several family members who kept a journal of sorts by writing things on a calendar. I have not received any of these.

My Homes.

Prompt 5: Your Childhood Home

Your Childhood Home
When did you leave home?
Where was it?
Where did you move to?
Was it rented or owned? – with parents/Grandparents
Was it inherited
What was it like – describe it – each room.
Were there a favourite room?
Is there anything you particularly remember from the house?
Pictures
The road & area

My dad was in the military, the Air Force to be exact, so we moved around.

We lived in Altus, Oklahoma when I was born in a trailer house. When dad was transferred to Canada, we returned with our trailer house which we parked on my Grandma and Grandpa Grashoff's farm. Later we move to Dover, Delaware and still lived in a trailer house.

 

 

After Dad got out of the Air Force, we lived in rural Washta, near where my Dad was born and raised.

This is a current picture of the home, so it didn't look exactly like this, but still the same house. We moved around frequently and my brothers dubbed this "the dirty house", as they decided when a house got dirty we moved.

After this home, we moved to a rental home in rural Aurelia, I don't think that I have any pictures of this house. Then, we BOUGHT a home in Aurelia. My grandpa had actually built the home for my mom's brother. So It did mean something that way too. So, I have discovered, I really don't have pictures of the Aurelia house. This is a photo of my kids and nephews at Halloween in front of the fireplace my mom built, yes my mom built. We lived in this house when I graduated. This house had hardwood floors. We had bedrooms upstairs and down. It was a small home for six people. but we made it work. This home was in town about a block away from the school. It is a very small rural Iowa community.

After graduation, I moved to Spencer, Iowa, and lived in a dorm. Following graduation from business school, I lived in Spencer in an apartment for a while, but that didn't work out very well and I moved back home. I lived there until I got married. Since then we have lived in a farm house by Milford that belonged to my in-laws that we remodeled. Then we built a home in rural Cherokee County, Iowa. By built, I mean with our own little hands!

A change of seasons.

Prompt 4 - Favourite Season

Do you have one?
Why?
A Happy Memory or association

Close your eyes and imagine your favourite season – write down what you see, feel, hear.

This one is actually kind of difficult for me. I could more easily come up with a favorite holiday - hands down Christmas!!!

However, I favorite season is another story.  My least favorite season is winter. Once again easy!

 

I love the other three seasons. Spring is wonderful because it is the whole rebirth thing and warming up! Just love the whole spring thing!

 

then comes summer. I love the heat and baseball and softball. So I do really like summer too.

One of my favorite parts of summer is driving my Sebring Convertible around with the top down of course!!!

And fall .... I love the feeling of being basically warm with cool overtones. However, I do dread the onset of winter. Fall weather is the best with warmth and a little cool, bugs are declining, and there is football of course.

 

So, I guess I don't really have a favorite season. There is something I like about all of them. If I had to pick one out of all of them, it would be summer I guess.

my outside shell

Describe my physical self. that is an amazingly tricky question. I have been an evolving person over the years.

Baby Teri -- blond haired little girl with my Dad.

As a bride at 21 years of age.

 

as a new mother at age 26.

Not quite at my highest weight.

Not quite at my lowest weight.

 In a hospital bed after one of my "big surgeries" I have had approximately 12 feet of incisions in my life.

This summer with my three children and husband.

This summer - our entire family!

And as a grandmother.
As you can see, I have gone through many incarnations. I am now in between my lightest and heaviest. I have short dirty brown hair. Greenish-blue eyes. big "German" hands. Average height, 5'7.75" Average looking person, with absolutely beautiful children and grandchildren!

My Birth

I can't actually remember my birth. My parents lived in Oklahoma at the time as my dad was stationed at the Altas Air Force base. Mom came back to Iowa for my birth. I was born in Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital. My grandmother always said that she came down stairs and found mom lying on the floor because she was in so much pain and "didn't know what to do with herself."

Mom was in labor for a very long time because I was breech. Then according to family stories when they called the doctor, who was a new doctor, Dr. Richard Berg, his wife stated he would be over after breakfast. Apparently I did not wish to wait until after breakfast and my grandmother, Alma Matzdorff Grashoff, "grabbed" a doctor in the stairway, Dr. Lawler, and he delivered me. I was an average size baby, seven pounds. As you can see from this picture when I was two months old, I don't seem to have a lot of hair! I know I was breast fed for about six weeks.

I am following the blog prompts for a "Book about me, written by me." This will obviously evolve over time.

Ask yourself 20 times “Who are you?”

A mother of three.
A grandmother of three.
A wife of one.
A mother-in-law to one.
A daughter to one.
A sister to three.
A sister-in-law to six.
A genealogist / family historian.
An HIT professional.
An animal lover.
A crafter.
A helper.
A tech geek.
A knitter.
A crocheter.
a scrap booker.
A Friend.
A housekeeper.
NOT a cook!
A photographer.