Author: Ann Marie Bryant
As of late, I am a fifty-something grandmother who loves to write. Since I come from a long line of storytellers, I believe it's time to share those stories and preserve our family history. My hope is that my family will treasure these memories as much as I do!
Paper Dolls
Recently, my favorite aunt, who lives in California, sent a box of treasures. She and her husband plan on moving, so they started the task of sorting their belongings. Since I began working on the family tree and preserving our family stories. Aunt Jan sent me a huge box of pictures and papers that belonged to my grandmother. This box contained a wonderful collection of trinkets that I will treasure, including some items that once belonged to my mother, her infamous paper dolls. Continue reading “Paper Dolls”
Grandma’s Life Story: Finding the Missing Pieces
Lately, I have become obsessed with the “missing years” of my grandmother’s childhood. After her mother died in 1913, I have tried to find keys to her past, especially the years 1913–1928. With this in mind, I have decided to create a timeline of her childhood to help me keep track of my favorite grandmother.
- As I continue to find information, I will update this blog.
Continue reading “Grandma’s Life Story: Finding the Missing Pieces”
No Place Like Home
One ancestor that had a homestead was my grandmother, Elva Bryant. For years after her mother died, my grandmother lived with family and friends and never really had a home of her own. When she finally had her land and her cabin, I often wondered how she felt when she stepped through the door of her new home and knew it was really her very own place. Continue reading “No Place Like Home”
The Elf on the Shelf
Sitting on this shelf, this pretty little elf.
With her inquisitive stare, bright eyes, and pouty smile, this sweet little elf, dressed all in red, has always been one of my favorite heirlooms. This elf on the shelf beauty was a doll my mama received one year for Christmas when she was five years old. Continue reading “The Elf on the Shelf”
Wedding Bells
One, two, three…um four times married?! One grandmother, that I recently discovered, married several times. Although some information suggested that she might have been married five times, I discovered three actual husbands that came with marriage licenses. What do ya say? Go Granny! In an age nearing Victorian prudence, I am not to sure how my 3x grandmother would have fit into the social climate of her day, but it seems she kept trying until she found the right fit! Continue reading “Wedding Bells”
New Beginnings: Hamtramck, Michigan
My 3x great grandfather August Frederick Strassburg was born in Prussia on October 15, 1822 to Johann George Wilhelm Strasburg and Juliana Sabina Bauer. Although I could not locate records of his baptism, his younger sister and brother were baptized at Rettgenstaedt in Hannover, present day Germany. This was the same parish where August married his wife, Maria Eva Mudth, in 1852. Continue reading “New Beginnings: Hamtramck, Michigan”
