What my grandmother told me about life in the 1940s.

[rue]

I can understand the hatred sheeplady. How awful.

 

[rue]

Everybody already asked anything I could think of, but I have a couple of stories about my great grandmother Annie Belle (my daughter's namesake) who was born in 1880. She died when I was around four years old (1974) and I never met her, but I was told she was quite angry when she was old. The only person she was nice to was my mom, because she was the only one that would give up her bed when she would come stay with them during the holidays.

Anyway, I was told she was an angry woman because her only daughter (my grandfather's older sister) died at the age of 2 or 3 from a horrible illness. The story goes that on her daughter's deathbed a Catholic priest asked the family to "pray her into Heaven". Annie Belle reacted by saying that "she's just a baby, what sins could she have possibly done?" Apparently she hadn't been christened yet and the Catholic Priest told my great grandparents that " she will not go to Heaven and could not be buried in the Catholic church graveyard". Annie left the Catholic Church after that and hated anything to do with the Catholic religion later in life becoming a Baptist. She kept Grace's baby shoes with her for the rest of her life and was never the same.

When her son (my grandfather) married his third wife that happened to be Catholic, Annie Belle used to drive the woman crazy calling her a 'candle burner'. The wife before that (my grandmother) wasn't Catholic, but my mom told me that one night she got into an argument with her about the drapes in their living room calling her a lier because she said the were silk. Well, Annie Belle decided to prove her wrong and tried to set the drapes on fire saying that if they were truly silk that they would burn. I guess she won the argument or so my mom said lol She also got really mad another time about my mom's Christmas present being a Ken doll because it had a "bulge" lol

She couldn't have been that bad though, because during the depression she went around to all her neighbors homes and bought up all their things to help them earn money. They had kept their money in a trunk (that I have now) instead of in a bank.

I named my daughter after her, because she was such a strong woman and also really beautiful when she was young. Even though I never met her I've always felt a strong connection to her. The weird thing is that I was going to name my daughter Grace only to change my mind, because I had a weird feeling about it. It wasn't until a few years later that I found out about the daughter that died named Grace.

Sorry for the book...

 

[sheeplady]

I can understand the hatred sheeplady. How awful.

I didn't know this story until after my grandmother passed away. Knowing this, however, explained so much of her and my grandfather's behavior (even if it does not excuse some of the things they did). She spent the vast majority of her life trying to hide her past, she was so afraid that people would find out how poor her family was or that she was sent away. Knowing about my grandparent's early lives taught me a lot about being generous and being thankful; and being too quick to judge people just on their behavior without knowing where they come from.

 

[ZombieGirl]

I didn't know this story until after my grandmother passed away. Knowing this, however, explained so much of her and my grandfather's behavior (even if it does not excuse some of the things they did). She spent the vast majority of her life trying to hide her past, she was so afraid that people would find out how poor her family was or that she was sent away. Knowing about my grandparent's early lives taught me a lot about being generous and being thankful; and being too quick to judge people just on their behavior without knowing where they come from.

I bet it also taught you to be proud of your background and not let past troubles leave you bitter.

 

[Foofoogal]

My parents were depression era parents and my grandparents got married in 1904 for reference. My grandparents, not great.
Many if not most families had children pass away. It was very common and it was also very common to not spoil children. To do this affection was with held. It was such a different world.
Many like my father thought you had to be out of the home by 18 and working.
I truly believe this hard life definitely made a belief in a higher power completely necessary as everyone knew their neighbor could not save them as they had the same problems.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Another good question that comes to mind would be -- what is your earliest memory? For someone who was, say, in their late 20s or early 30s during the WW2 era, their earliest memory might be something like the Armistice celebration in 1918 -- and it'd be fascinating to hear how a child would remember something like that.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I've since asked my grandmother more questions -- most of a "female" nature, hence why i wanted to keep this in the girls room

Paraphrased:

Me: So what happened when you first got your period?
GM: I was 12 and I had no idea what it was! My mother saw the blood in my panties and handed me a pad and a belt. It was then that she told me about periods.

Me: What about tampons?
GM: I never even heard of them until the 50s. They weren't really widely used until then.

Me: Were pads "hidden" behind the counter or were they out in the open like today?
GM: They were out on the shelves just like today, but I used to be so embarassed to buy them! I would get my mom to do it (she says while laughing!)

lol

I also asked her these questions:

Me: Did people cuss a lot in the 40s?
GM: No, not that much.

Me: Did people give the finger a lot when they were driving?
GM: <sternly> Noooooooo! I never saw that in the 40s!

I said I really wanted to know the answer to those last two questions not to be funny, but to get a feel for how society has taken a turn!!

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think the Rude and Idignant Gesture of Choice in the '40s was nose-thumbing -- thumb to end of nose, fingers extended, and wiggle the fingers to emphasize the point. It means about the same thing as the middle finger, but is somehow considered less explicit.

Probably the most common place to see it was on the radiator cap of a jalopy full of mouthy teenagers. Rotten kids!

 

[Puzzicato]

Thanks Amy Jeanne! I love your chats with your grandmother.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I think the Rude and Idignant Gesture of Choice in the '40s was nose-thumbing -- thumb to end of nose, fingers extended, and wiggle the fingers to emphasize the point. It means about the same thing as the middle finger, but is somehow considered less explicit.

lol
We have an old home movie of my Aunt doing that in the 1940s. lol

I think I might call my GM tonight and "interview" her with some of these questions, since I have the thread handy....

 

[rue]

I think they did the arm thing too, didn't they?

Oh and I know this is off topic, but do you ever see an old thread pulled up with a comment you made and cringe? That's just happened to me :eusa_doh:

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I just remembered this one:

Me: How were you affected by the Depression?
GM: I was lucky because I was sheltered from it. (She says this knowing that I know her father was the ONLY car salesman in the area!)

 

[Gracie Lee]

Amy Jeanne your comment reminded me that I asked my Pop-pop the same question years and years ago (he passed several years back). He said something very similar. It wasn't until after his passing that I was discussing his childhood with my Dad, and as it turns out, my great-grandfather was an exceptionally resourceful man, and took (and invented!) many odd jobs to keep the family secure. Their whole lives they were never wealthy, or even middle class, and they were lousy at managing money, but the kids were always fed and clothed and in school or else

ETA: Something else that made me laugh: I thought I was incredibly cool in middle school (ha! that was a long time ago!) when I painted my nails blue or green or some such. My Grammy just waved it off and said, oh, we had those colors when I was in high school, too.

 

[Tatum]

I wish I had thought to ask my grandmother about more years ago; my father's mother passed away when I was in high school, and my mom's mother doesn't remember much of anything (senility or Alzheimer's)... I am visiting mom, aunt and grandmother right now, and I am amazed that so far, she has known who I am every day. :/

 

[ThePowderKeg]

My grandmother was born in 1922, the youngest of 7 sisters. They had a brother, but he died when he was just a few months old and my grandmother's father died when she was 3, leaving Mim (my great-grandmother) with 7 daughters under the age of 12. The state wanted to put some of the girls in foster care, but Mim refused to give them up - she brought home piece work and all the girls pitched in and helped to make enough money so they could stay together as a family. I only have one great-aunt left, and I want to interview her and ask what it was like when they were growing up - both family-wise and societally.

I want to know what her first job was and when she learned to drive and when she got her first car.
This particular great aunt had breast cancer in the 1950s, and I'm interested in how people treated her/supported her in that--I'm wondering how perceptions of diseases have changed.
I want to know when she started wearing pants....
How they picked out their house....
I want to ask where they went on vacations and where they took their kids to play, and if any of the sisters were at the circus in Hartford on July 6, 1944. (They grew up in central Connecticut).
What were weddings like?
When did you meet your husband/boyfriend's parents and what was that like?

So many questions...

 

[Bluebird Marsha]

My grandmother was born in 1912, and died in 2004, so I was lucky to have plenty of time to talk with her. BTW, HER mother was born in 1881, and died when I was in high school- in 1981. While I didn't ask specific questions of them, I picked a lot up by osmosis. My great-grandmother told me how she spent WWII worried sick. Both her sons were in the service, so she didn't get much sleep. She told my how Uncle Billy came home when the war was over- he had what she called a "Fu Manchu mustache" , and looked like he was 50. But he was barely in his twenties. I once asked him about his time in Europe (he was in the infantry), and his eyes just went sort of sad. He said he talk about it, but only with a bottle handy, and after I got my commission. But he didn't live til then. My aunt told me he was at the Remagen bridge, and went into one of the smaller concentration camps. She said he couldn't talk about it.

Big Granny said she had a dream that Uncle Coleman was sitting in a tree with snow falling around him. Then she got a letter saying his plane had been shot down over Italy. Everyone was worried, but she knew he was okay. When he made it back to his base- with the help of a bunch of Italians, he wrote and told her that one night he hid in a tree with Germans looking for him. And he was cold from the snow.

And my dear granny? When I was in high school, I went to interview Governor Happy Chandler, and granddaddy yelled out to "ask him about the damn swimming pool!" Granny said "don't you dare." His wife had been her teacher, and I BETTER NOT EMBARRASS THEM! Apparently Happy had built a swimming pool. During the war. Granddad owned a lumber yard, and he would sit in his office, trying to figure out how to keep it open (he couldn't), and he would hear the "bang, bang, bang" of Happy's pool being framed out. After 35+ years he was still angry!

I didn't think about again until Christmas of 2000. I bought Granny an old Life magazine (because Claire Chennault was on the cover-he's a distant relative), and I didn't really look at it until she opened it. And right there, in the center fold was a picture of Kentucky Congressman Happy Chandler and friends- frolicking in his new pool! Apparently Granddaddy wasn't the only one outraged. She later told me that "The Pool" made the national newsreels. Happy was lucky his career even survived!

 

[ukali1066]

My Nana told me how during the war when stockings were scarce girls would darken their legs with gravy browning and draw a seam down the back of their legs with pens........ dogs used to follow them around

 

[W-D Forties]

My mum, who was a teenager in the 40's told me they used to style their victory rolls using either soap or sugar-water as a setting lotion. I had a large mohican in the 80's and I tried the sugar-water idea, jsut to see if it worked - it did, but blimey, what a faff! And I can imagine what would happen when it rained!!

Now, I think back and wonder, with rationing, how did they spare the sugar?

 

[Puzzicato]

Now, I think back and wonder, with rationing, how did they spare the sugar?

I've wondered that too!

 

[Veronica]

I love that thread !
My granny and great-aunt where respectively teenager and newly wed during WW2. They lived in a poor and rural family and worked in the city. My great aunt's husband was sent in Germany in 1939. They had to make the family live with their four hands.
They gave me few tips about their life then :
- Good shoes : One bicycle for two means a lot of walking. They used to walk at least 10 km/ a day to go to work. During WE, they woke up at 5 to visit their families who lived...25 km ago ( I was astouned when my granny said she used to make the Nantes-Clisson by foot every week-end ! No wonder she had great shape...). Good shoes are very important for running from the bombs too...
- Never throw away any piece of clothe, recycle it ! Dress > Skirt, Diaper > Apron, Socks > Mittens
- Sew secret pockets in your clothes to hide ID and money and food and...whatever you have to hide.
- Do what you have to do : My granny was a beautiful, tall, porcelaine skin, grey eyes, blond young lady. She used her beauty to feed her family and trick the Nazis. She attend their parties, smiled and danced with them. She also spied them and tuffed her hidden pockets with stolen food, messages for the "Resistance", letters for friends to friends (letters where open and read) and anything she could find useful ( buttons, threads).
- Keep your hair done and wear lipstick : Even if you are hungry, tired and wear worn-out clothes, beautiful hair and a bit of lipstick will keep your head high.
- Always have gloves and scarf in your purse : Gloves will hide your worker's hands and give you a "lady" touch. Scarf will protect your hairdo or hide your lack of thereof...
( Sorry for mistakes, my english is a bit rusty )