Uphill Both Ways

I Want to Go "Home"

Last week, my friend Tipper at Blind Pig and the Acorn wrote a post called "The Daffodil." She says, "Each spring, I ponder the Daffodil blooms I see in fields or in wooded areas - in other words blooming in the middle of no where - yet sending out a strong and mighty signal that someone once lived there."

She can tell where her grandparents, great-grandparents, and other ancestors lived by watching for the blooming daffodils.

I have thought so much about her story this week. Tipper lives in the place where her family has lived for generations. Her past is such a big part of her present.That's something I've always longed for. I've always wished I lived in a home my ancestors built. I want an attic full of old things that I can search through. I want to feel the past.  I want to know where I came from. 

Most of my ancestors came West with the Mormon Pioneers between 1850 and 1885. They left behind their homes, their farms, and even their families. They settled in these valleys of Utah and Idaho in sod huts and log cabins that are long gone.

We frequently make pilgrimages to these places - we visit cemeteries and feel the land under our feet. We tell their stories, and we remember.

But I want more. I want to know about my distant past. Where did those pioneer ancestors come from?

Today I found out.

As I was thinking about Tipper's daffodils, I pulled out this picture from one of my mom's scrapbooks, and got to thinking....

(Photo courtesy of Dawn G. Perkins)

What is Ceres, Virginia like now? Are there any daffodils growing where my ancestors used to live?

My ancestors left Ceres, Virginia in 1881. I know that my great-grandfather, Henry Clay Heninger, came to Utah. And I know his parents - my great-great-grandparents - James Preston Heninger and Louisa Catherine Groseclose Heninger came too.

Who did they leave behind? What was their life like in Virginia?

I started doing a little online searching....and this is what I found.

I have an ancestral Home!

At Dean's Corner, Dean (my distant relative), tells all about my Groseclose ancestors - things I've never known before! I knew some names and a few dates, but very little about them - especially that their HOME IS STILL STANDING and being lived in.

It even has an attic filled with treasures!

The house was built by Peter Groseclose, Sr. (my 5th great-grandfather) in 1793, who built it for his son, Henry Groseclose (my 4th great-grandfather). It sits on land that was part of a land grant to Peter Groseclose signed in 1785 by the Governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry.

I have an ancestral home!  I can feel my roots pulling me back - back to a home I don't even know.

And it all started with a little daffodil.

The Groseclose clan is having a family reunion this summer. Should we go?!

Photos of Groseclose Home courtesy of Dean's Corner - www.deanscorner.net

The Pig Killers

Child Discipline. How many times have you heard someone say, "What are you supposed to do? Children don't come with a manual!" Nowadays, they don't have to. It seems like there's a parenting expert on every corner.

• There are all sorts of parenting styles -  like "helicopter" and "drill sergeant" parenting. (The only ones I can think of are the ones you're not supposed to do...)
• There are different classes and methods you can follow - "Parenting with Love and Logic," "Teaching Children Joy," and "The Total Transformation." (Yup, I've tried them all...)
• And there are always new parenting techniques - spanking is out, time-out is in.

A century ago, none of these experts were available - but even then, people still came up with parenting ideas. (Remember "children should be seen and not heard"?)

I suppose child discipline has been discussed in every play group, at every quilting bee, and around every cook pot since time began.

But it all boils down to this - what works well for one child, doesn't work for the next - and we all have to figure it out for ourselves.

Henry and Naomi Heninger faced parenting challenges just like we all do...here's what they did.

Henry and Naomi raised their family of ten children in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Shortly after their 6th child was born in 1897, Henry was called to serve an LDS mission, leaving Naomi to take care of the farm and family.

Their oldest son, Lorin, was only nine years old - but still expected to do his share around the farm. Naomi's younger brothers lived nearby, and they would also come to help.

One day the "helpers" were doing their farm chores, and got to playing. They started chasing the pig - and chased it until it fell down dead.

What was Naomi to do? How do you discipline (punish) children for killing a pig?

She did the only thing she could do. She cut out large letters spelling "Pig Killers" and pasted them on the their foreheads.

Why have I never thought of that?

After Henry came home from his mission, he stepped in to help with parenting.

Henry was well-known for his lengthy prayers. One night during the family prayer, some of the boys started getting bored and unruly, giggling and poking each other.  Henry stopped praying and walked over to the kindling pile. He came back, swatted each boy's behind with a piece of kindling - then knelt down and continued his prayer right where he left off. 

_______________________________________

One traditional parenting method was to sit the child in the corner in the pouting chair. This is Miles pouting in my pouting chair.

My Pouting Chair

My Mommy's kind-of short you see,

She bought this chair for her, not me.

It helps her reach the things up high,

Without it she wouldn't even try.

It looks like a chair as you can see,

Now she uses it for me.

When I'm bad she makes me sit,

In the corner, facing it.

I usually cry when I'm there,

That's why it's called my pouting chair.

-Anonymous-

Here's a list of some other parenting techniques I've heard of (or tried...or had tried on me!):

• Go to bed without supper.
• Stay at the table until you finish your supper.
• Sit in the corner.
• Time out.
• Grounding.
• Wash your mouth out with soap.
• Extra chores.
• Bribery.

What did your ancestors do to discipline their children? How about you? I hope you'll leave me a comment and help me add to my list! Just click on comments below, and follow the instructions!

More pouters....

 

 

 

Hats . . . Beautiful Hats!

Why in the world did we ever stop wearing hats? Aren't they beautiful? Plus, think of all the stress you'd save on a bad hair day...just put on a cute hat!

Hats must have been all the rage in the early 20th century in Logan, Utah, and the surrounding communities. From the looks of things, every girl had more than one hat. I think they might have been the most important fashion accessory.

Alice James, Lila James Heninger, Ethel Heninger
Naomi and Henry Heninger

Hazel and Josh Gunnell

Naomi Heninger

Hazel Heninger

Naomi Heninger holding Maxine Gunnell, her granddaughter

My great-grandmother, Sarah Ann Brown Gunnell was a milliner or hat maker. She wrote a short life story - this little excerpt tells how she got her start making hats:

Sarah Ann Gunnell

"At the age 16, I was sent to learn the millenary and dress making art to Sister Ellen Whiton. Thereafter I followed that line in a limited way sewing and making straw hats. My sister braiding the straw and various patterns. I had become quite adept at making the trimming for the hats out of the natural and died straw thus we manufactured all the family hats and sold many."

These are her three oldest children - Rosella, Veda, and Charles - I'm sure she's the one that made their cute little hats!

What about you - do you wish we still wore hats like they used to wear? What kind of hat would you choose? Do you have old family photos of women wearing hats?

I hope you'll leave me a comment and let me know - just click on "comments" below this post and follow the instructions!

This story is my contribution to the 10th edition of the Blog Carnival "Smile for the Camera."

Comments Imported from Blogger:

3 comments:

Jenny said...

I love the hats. I like to wear baseball caps but how awesome would it be if we wore hats like those. They would be like shoes for me...get one you love and then you have to buy clothes to match it. My favorite is the one Hazel has on in the portrait. She sure was pretty! ~Jenny

JoLyn said...

I'm with you - a hat for every outfit...or an outfit for every hat!

tipper said...

Love all the hat photos. My Mom makes hats-crocheted-for my girls they wear them a lot-but aren't allowed to wear them to school which is a bummer.