Tucker McBride

Return to a time when a boy could be a boy; when life was more clear from the top branch of a tree; when a kid could trade anger and disappointment for action and adventure; when the whole neighborhood was his playground; and the sloppy kiss from a dog could make everything right.


Sunday, July 18, 2021

What Did Grandpa and Grandma Do?

Tucker’s grandfather was the foreman of a bridge crew on the New York Central railroad back at the turn of the century. Works would have hammered these to railroad nails into place in 1923 and 1925. See the dates on the ends? Tucker’s other grandfather owned a dredger. He dug out lake areas, rivers, and waterways that require more depth for safe navigation. Both grandmothers were homemakers, a usual occupation for women in the years before World War III. I purchased the nails for Tucker to remind him of his grandparents.

Tucker was fortunate to have lived with his grandparents to get the stories of family members who had gone before them. He can name his great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents. He knows what kind of work they did and where they lived.

Sit down with your grandparents and talk about their work, talents, and joys. They can tell you about their parents and grandparents. You may find interesting people in your historic family. Perhaps a grandMOTHER was a doctor, lawyer, inventor, business owner – someone who was courageous enough to work far beyond what society expected.

Find a place to put it and always put it back there. I talked to my Aunt Ollie about the early family in America, then we moved, and then we moved again. I lost information about my family tree. Luckily, the Fort Wayne, Indiana Public Library has a respected genealogy section.

What kinds of things could you collect that would remind you of your ancestors? Have fun by making a display of your railroad nails or other keepsakes. You could also make a shadow box for the pieces. In a few weeks, I’ll be able to post a cluster of items to represent my newest book – Tucker’s Perfect Day. What kinds of things could you collect that would remind you of your ancestors? Have fun by making a display of them, or a shadow box. In a few weeks, I’ll be able to post a cluster of items to represent my newest book – Tucker’s Perfect Day. Watch for the book in early September. 

Doris

Copyright 2021 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.

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