Janet Creighton Grauel was my grandma. She was named after her Grandmother, Janet Crighton, who came to the US from Scotland. She was one of eight children that was raised on a farm in rural Howard County. Her middle name is spelled different, since the family thought that's how it was spelled. Through my research I have found that the correct spelling for the family name is Crighton.
Having five brothers, Nettie and her sisters, Ruby and Virgie, were tight. They were always doing things together and if one sister needed a hand, the others would come to help.
Grandma and Grandpa had a small piece of acreage near Burtonsville and on that piece of land they had a huge strawberry patch, a grape arbor, several apple trees, a large garden and at one time, according to my father, they raised chickens, pigs and cows. It was enough to carry them through the depression, although my father never really liked chicken in his older years.
I used to visit my grandma almost everyday before I went to school. One day was washing, one was baking, one was cleaning and so on. She made her own bread, tended her garden, canned her vegetables, made strawberry and grape preserves (I'm a grape jelly snob because of this!) and she also taught me to sew on her treadle sewing machine.
She was an avid crocheter. I still have afghans that she made and my sons do as well. If you brought her a pattern and the yarn, she could make anything. Her house was full of crocheted doilies and runners.
She was a life long member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fulton, MD. Her family helped start the church and all of them are buried in the graveyard out back. I grew up in that church, sitting in the pew just in front of my grandma and grandpa. I knew all of her brothers and sisters, because almost all of them went to church there.
Even though she's been gone for many years now, I wish I had talked to her more, asked a few more questions, gotten a few more recipes. She holds a warm place in my heart.
badrenn
Having five brothers, Nettie and her sisters, Ruby and Virgie, were tight. They were always doing things together and if one sister needed a hand, the others would come to help.
Grandma and Grandpa had a small piece of acreage near Burtonsville and on that piece of land they had a huge strawberry patch, a grape arbor, several apple trees, a large garden and at one time, according to my father, they raised chickens, pigs and cows. It was enough to carry them through the depression, although my father never really liked chicken in his older years.
I used to visit my grandma almost everyday before I went to school. One day was washing, one was baking, one was cleaning and so on. She made her own bread, tended her garden, canned her vegetables, made strawberry and grape preserves (I'm a grape jelly snob because of this!) and she also taught me to sew on her treadle sewing machine.
She was an avid crocheter. I still have afghans that she made and my sons do as well. If you brought her a pattern and the yarn, she could make anything. Her house was full of crocheted doilies and runners.
She was a life long member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fulton, MD. Her family helped start the church and all of them are buried in the graveyard out back. I grew up in that church, sitting in the pew just in front of my grandma and grandpa. I knew all of her brothers and sisters, because almost all of them went to church there.
Even though she's been gone for many years now, I wish I had talked to her more, asked a few more questions, gotten a few more recipes. She holds a warm place in my heart.
badrenn
Janet Creighton Grauel was my grandma. She was named after her Grandmother, Janet Crighton, who came to the US from Scotland. She was one of eight children that was raised on a farm in rural Howard County. Her middle name is spelled different, since the family thought that's how it was spelled. Through my research I have found that the correct spelling for the family name is Crighton.
Having five brothers, Nettie and her sisters, Ruby and Virgie, were tight. They were always doing things together and if one sister needed a hand, the others would come to help.
Grandma and Grandpa had a small piece of acreage near Burtonsville and on that piece of land they had a huge strawberry patch, a grape arbor, several apple trees, a large garden and at one time, according to my father, they raised chickens, pigs and cows. It was enough to carry them through the depression, although my father never really liked chicken in his older years.
I used to visit my grandma almost everyday before I went to school. One day was washing, one was baking, one was cleaning and so on. She made her own bread, tended her garden, canned her vegetables, made strawberry and grape preserves (I'm a grape jelly snob because of this!) and she also taught me to sew on her treadle sewing machine.
She was an avid crocheter. I still have afghans that she made and my sons do as well. If you brought her a pattern and the yarn, she could make anything. Her house was full of crocheted doilies and runners.
She was a life long member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fulton, MD. Her family helped start the church and all of them are buried in the graveyard out back. I grew up in that church, sitting in the pew just in front of my grandma and grandpa. I knew all of her brothers and sisters, because almost all of them went to church there.
Even though she's been gone for many years now, I wish I had talked to her more, asked a few more questions, gotten a few more recipes. She holds a warm place in my heart.
badrenn
Having five brothers, Nettie and her sisters, Ruby and Virgie, were tight. They were always doing things together and if one sister needed a hand, the others would come to help.
Grandma and Grandpa had a small piece of acreage near Burtonsville and on that piece of land they had a huge strawberry patch, a grape arbor, several apple trees, a large garden and at one time, according to my father, they raised chickens, pigs and cows. It was enough to carry them through the depression, although my father never really liked chicken in his older years.
I used to visit my grandma almost everyday before I went to school. One day was washing, one was baking, one was cleaning and so on. She made her own bread, tended her garden, canned her vegetables, made strawberry and grape preserves (I'm a grape jelly snob because of this!) and she also taught me to sew on her treadle sewing machine.
She was an avid crocheter. I still have afghans that she made and my sons do as well. If you brought her a pattern and the yarn, she could make anything. Her house was full of crocheted doilies and runners.
She was a life long member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fulton, MD. Her family helped start the church and all of them are buried in the graveyard out back. I grew up in that church, sitting in the pew just in front of my grandma and grandpa. I knew all of her brothers and sisters, because almost all of them went to church there.
Even though she's been gone for many years now, I wish I had talked to her more, asked a few more questions, gotten a few more recipes. She holds a warm place in my heart.
badrenn
