Sunday, November 29, 2009

Caroline Ellen Sonday and Joseph Samuel Sonday

My great grandmother was Caroline Sonday. Grandpa Sonday died long before I was born. I want to record the things I know about them while I remember and can ask mom about the accuracy.
Joseph Samuel Sonday and Caroline Sonday came from Missouri in a covered wagon. Somewhere along the way the wagon train had to stop and they set up tents. My aunt Dot was born in a tent along the way west. When they setteled I think it was in the Brewster Kansas area.

The next two births were boys. Ralph and Roy. Roy was my grandpa.
Joseph worked in an ice house for many years. He died because he accidently opened the wrong valve in the ice house. One was for water and other one was for ammonia. For some reason he opened the wrong valve one day and of course the ammonia caused him to suck in his breath. He died three days later after much pain.

My great grandma was a tiny little woman. I towered over her even though I am a girl. She had grit thats for sure.
She came west in a covered wagon and lived to watch man walk on the moon. I spent a lot of time with great grandma. She facinated me. She always came up with things for me to do. I bet I tried her patience.

She taught me how to sew on her treadle machine. I wish I had that machine. The first thing I learned to sew was strips so she could crochet them into rugs. You had to sew them a certain way so that they could be crochet without bumps and lumps.

One time she gave Roberta and I old glass jars and some clay. She told us to cover the bottle with the clay. When that was done she spray painted the clay gold. We then went through her button box and picked out buttons to push into the clay. I think we fought about who got what buttons. I still have my jar. I wonder if Roberta does.

I remember one time grandma wanted to do a crewel stitchery thing of the tree of life. I helped her draw the pattern on the back blank part of an old calendar. She then stitched the picture on a piece of gunny sack. It was a big picture, I think I still have that around too.

Everything grandma did was wonderful. I wanted to be a part of everything she did.

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