For the past few years on Memorial Day, we have taken the kids to the SLC cemetary to visit Grandpa and Grandma Lindsey's grave. We usually buy a pot of mums at the Smith's on 6th and E and then do a drive by on G&G's old house on 9th Avenue. A couple of times we have knocked on the door to see if the people who now own it would let us in to see it again. Nobody has ever answered our knock. When we get to the grave site on the corner of Cypress and Cedar, we put the flowers on the grave and look around for other people we are related to. The kids also like to go see the military graves just to the south of G & G's grave site. After visiting the cemetary, we go to Lindsey gardens and have a picnic. We went ice blocking once. Lauren was a natural at it. She must take after her Great Grandpa Lindsey. The hills at the park are in kind of rough shape. They are getting better after some neglect, but are still pretty rough for ice blocking. This year after eating lunch, Mark and I played frisbie and the little boys played on the playground equipment. Lauren had filled up close to 70 water balloons. We hauled them to the top of the hill (by the uppermost baseball diamond) and threw them down the hill. It is amazing how fast you can burn through 70 water balloons. It was really fun. That may become a new tradition for us.
Here are some pictures of our trip this year.
G & G's house on 9th Avenue. Front yard is different, but still looks the same.
G & G's gravesite. Someone else had been there before us and left the red flowers. Steve and Donna said they had been, so maybe it was them.
Great Grandpa and Grandma Lindsey's gravesite
Lindsey Garden sign
Our picnic just off the playground and above the lower baseball diamond.
Looking toward the upper baseball diamond from the playground (another Joseph Lindsey is in the picture)
While we were on the way up, Marsha asked what some of my memories of Grandpa and Grandma were. Here are a few I came up with (it's hard to stop once you get started.)
- I remember grandpa explaining in great detail how he made the dining room chairs in his woodshop class in high school.
- I remember sleeping on the sun porch and looking out over the city at night.
- I remember grandpa pointing out that you can see Mt. Nebo from their house if the air is clear.
- I remember grandma filling in pauses in the conversation with a strategically timed "well well" or "mmm hmm"
- I remember grandpa visiting us in SJ and looking in a yogurt cup that I had just finished and telling me that there were at least two spoonfuls of yogurt left. He then proceeded to scrape two spoonfuls of wax off the container and feed them to me.
- I remember playing hide and seek in the basement.
- I remember trying to break in to grandpa and grandma's house when we got back and the adults were gone and the door was locked. Grandpa found every place we had tried to get in and made comments about it. We never fessed up to it being us, but I'm sure he knew.
- I remember Stef asking grandma if she had a little plastic thing that holds bread bags closed not expecting her to have one, but she produced about 500 of them that she had been saving "just in case."
- I remember the old powder blue Ford that seemed to run forever.
- I remember G&G bringing me a box of Hostess cupcakes that they had kept in the trunk of the above mentioned Ford and they smelled and tasted of gasoline (Camille may remember that as well.)
- I remember the crocheted duck that pooped jelly beans. (Does anybody know what happened to that?)
- I remember the ancient bottle of mayonaise that was in G&G's fridge.
- I remember being right next to grandpa and having to yell to get him to hear me, but grandma could be in the kitchen and speak in conversational tones and grandpa could hear every word.
- I remember G&G telling us stories about Grandpa Schoenfeld with a hand on the door know on each side of the door and saying, "This guy in here won't let me out."
- I remember grandpa forgetting my name (not sure he ever knew it) but always knowing who Marsha was.
- I remember G&G taking me to the MTC when I left on my mission and how nice it was to have them there.
- I remember grandpa's huge collection of stereo-scope pictures.
- I remember grandpa missing grandma terribly after she died.
- I remember grandpa loving to show us his power tools and trains in the basement when we would visit.
- Most of all I remember what wonderful people they were.
Like I said, once you get started, it is hard to stop. I would be interested in hearing some of your favorite memories of G&G as well.
13 comments:
I remember Grandma always making cupcakes with us and the little metallic silver balls we sprinkled on top (and the stale red hots)
I remember one time showing up to visit Grandpa (I stayed there while I was going to my mission reunion) He was very confused because I happened to show up exactly the same time as Mindi Jarvinen (his care giver) I think he knew who I was, but couldn't figure out how I knew his "helper" and why I was there alone. About a half hour after I got there he finally asked, "Do you know my son Joe?" I think he was relieved when I told him he was my dad.
I remember all those other things (except 1) you wrote as well. They are definitely great people! Thanks for sharing your pictures. I wish we were closer to do something like that.
what a fun post! i would love to drive passed their house again and see lindsey gardens. maybe one day i'll make it there. I remember the "toys" we'd play with when we'd go there. there was a wagon with blocks and a squeeky cupie doll... and now i can't remember what else. i remember their stairs and grabbing on to the landing above when you are almost at the bottom and swinging down. i remember their "grandchildren" wall at the bottom of the stairs. i remember their cool bird mobile thing above the piano. i remember their old fashioned fans. i remember grandma feeding us all the time and always wondering if anyone was hungry. i remember they kept their cereal in the garage. i remember their little glass cups that used to be cheese cups?? i remember grandma sleeping on the couch, moving her arm as she slept. i remember g & g not wanting the kids (as in derek and stef and kris) to go to crossroads mall because of the kind of people that hung out there. i remember setting up the old train set on the table and playing with it. i remember interviewing grandpa about all the stuff in their house. i remember grandma trying to get ice out of the icecube tray and saying, "alright ice, do your stuff." i thought that was sooo funny! i remember i was scared to shower in the bathroom down in the basement. i, too, remember what great people they were! won't it be fun when we get to see them again... especially after reading all their letters. I can't wait to ask them what happened during that month the grandpa came home! (oh and how can i forget all our visits to chuck-a-rama!) :)
I remember all that stuff, actually I forgot about the cupcakes but its all coming back. I don't know what happened to pooper duck but I have the little pinball game we used to play. I remember just snooping though all the closets, bedrooms and basement (we called it exploring) just to see what we could find. The closets smelling like mothballs. Going iceblocking with Grandpa and Grandma staying home to watch soaps on TV. Model trains and tools. Helping grandma with the dishes. Eating cracklin oat bran for breakfast. (it still reminds me of them) Grandma working on crocheting and knitting projects. She taught me to knit once. Grandma ALWAYS wore a dress. I think I saw her in pants once, it was kind of shocking.
And like all of you, I remember nice people who always went to church and were ALWAYS helping others. Like Grandpa at 97 shovling snow from his neighbors sidewalk.
I remember sleeping on the sun porch and grandma always had the beds made with plastic under the sheets (in case someone wet the bed, I guess). Grandma used to read me stories out on the front porch...my favorite was some Raggedy Ann story that she had. I remember that they never wanted us to go outside without shoes so we wouldn't step on glass. I think Grandpa wore his shoes with his pajamas! I remember the big geneology chart starting with Adam that Grandpa had in the South (?) bedroom. I loved how they referred to their bedrooms! What fun, funny and great people. Just think of how much history they lived through!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post! What a trip down memory lane!
I remember ALWAYS talking baths in their claw tub (I really want one of those some day), hot nights sleeping on the sun porch with all the crickets chirping, doing dishes with grandpa and him getting mad that I put a grain of cereal down the drain (all food was supposed to go in to the "can"), I remember the old fashion toys Janet mentioned, swinging at the bottom of the stairs, the OLD fridge with the tiny little freezer in it, being scared to go in the basement, grandpa getting mad at me for not wearing shoes in the front yard, trips to the U.
One time I went grocery shopping with grandma to Smiths and she bought me gum with the liquid stuff in the middle. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I LOVED it. I offered her some gum and she took her teeth out and said I can't chew gum! I remember being a little scared, but then I laughed. Chuck-a-Rama, Grandmas cooking (one time we walked in and it smelled like throw up cooking, it ended up being a roast in the oven, it smelled real bad but it tasted pretty good!) man, the list goes on! One of my all time favs: Looking out any of the windows at night over the lighted city!!! LOVE IT! What great memories we all have to chose from! G & G Lindsey, you are missed!!!!!! What cool, eclectic, generous, people they were!
I can smell their house just reading about all your memories. They really made me smile. Thanks for the fun posts!
-Marsha
Wow, I think my memories most coincide with Janet's but some others I still remember are the sand paper couches, grandpa's ear piece that attached to the TV, sitting out front on the blue vinyl couch, the up stairs south bedroom with geneology charts and tons of old black and white pictures of ancestors that looked so funny to me, all the shoes in that same closet with wooden shoe forms (It took me many visits to figure out what those were), of course sleeping on the sun porch. The sheets would spark as you'd move. I can't forget the view from there at night and the constant chorus of crickets and frogs. taking turns doing dishes in the sink. the claw foot bath was one of my favorites. I remember mom telling me that the brush in the tub had one side for mohawks. the smell of dove soap. The high toilet paper holder. The old toys and games. mealtimes at their big table. grandma's talking to inanimate objects. Her polyester dresses and knee highs. How cute and kind she was. Grandpa's memories of long ago, his quiet stubornness and lack of hearing.
I remember the last time I saw grandma before she died. I was on my way home from Ricks for a holiday and stayed the night with them. It was strange to be there alone. Aunt Cathy was there and took me to the airport the next day. Grandma had fallen and hit her head some time before that and just layed on the couch murmuring things mostly about her past. Aunt Cathy told me that Grandma was confused and not remembering these past events correctly. I'm not sure how much longer she lasted after that but I was grateful to see her one last time.
Flowers weren't from us ... we were there AFTER you. We then went geocaching for a bit and then spent time at the park at the end - probably just missed you at both the cemetary and the park. We also drive by their old house everytime we go up and where their old church used to be. One of these years we should plan a reunion for Memorial Day (or another day that works better for some of you out of town that want to come) and have a family gathering at Lindsey Gardens.
I love hearing all your memories of your grandparents. I want to share these with my kids as they grow up.
I don't know where THEIR pooping duck disappeared to, but my mom makes them if you want one! :) I have 3 or 4 floating around my house at Easter.
Derek - will you email me the pictures of the house, the graves and Lindsey Gardens? I'd love to have copies. I didn't think to take any when we were there ... duh!
I love all your comments. A good way to preserve the heritage. I passed on this link to Cathy's and Richard's families for their input as well.
I just checked the box to receive follow up comments
Most of my memories are of Janet's as well. One I always loved was how happy we all were when we were together. I miss those family reunions at chuck a rama (and the last time we went and brought G-ma's picture with us).
I remember how G & G would stand at the end of the sidewalk and wave as we drove off. They would stay there until we were out of sight.
I remember going to Crossroads mall and getting a happy meal at McDonalds. I got a beach ball as a toy and G-pa was trying to blow it up for me and for some reason I was telling him he was doing it wrong and it really hurt his feelings and he wouldn't talk to me for the longest time. I don't know how we started on speaking terms again.
I remember G-ma's birthday cards.
I remember writing letters to G & G and how G-ma would correct my spelling in her return letters.
I remember how I would be scared to go to the bathroom because there was a picture of that woman (I think it was Grandma Schoenfeld???) on the dresser in the hall.
I remember the pink pillows, the chiming clock, teardrop chandeliers, feeding the neighborhood dog leftover turkey bones (isn't that bad for dogs?), the colorful and edible Easter egg centerpiece, etc, etc, etc....
Great post, thanks for the trip to memory lane!
Karen G
Oops - meant to add her other note to the top of the previous comment. That came from Karen G. I just posted it for her because she doesn't have a google account.
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