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Note: --Eda died March 28, 1988 at Regency Place, Granger, Indiana.
--Eda worked 20+ years at the Post Office, as a mail carrier.
--Source of information: Michael J. Godshalk (godshalk@@suntan.eng.usf.edu OR Alt E-Mail address godshalk@@juno.com);
These are some of the memories I have of my Gma Godshalk. Once again, there are many and I don't know of any that were bad. Gma was always nice and soft spoken to me.
I remember Gma always working in the kitchen, cleaning, or in the garden. She got up before me and usually stayed up after I went to bed. They had a 2 acre garden out behind the house. Gma and Gpa grew different kinds of vegetables in their garden; beans, corn, cucumbers, peppers, onions, tomatoes, strawberries, squash, okra, carrots, potatoes, and much much more!!! In the center of the garden I remember that Gma had 2-3 blueberry bushes. She'd set up several scare crows around the garden and many aluminum pie tins around the garden, hanging from the barbed wire that surrounded 3 sides of the garden, to scare the birds and other wild animals away. We used to go out and pick blueberries from the garden, blackberries from behind their old house (south of their newer house), red-berries from the edge of the forest, southeast of their house.
Gma's ice cold well water was the greatest drinking water ever. When they had their water softener installed, they left a tap on the corner of their sink, just so everyone could get a glass full of the cold well water.
Every morning Gma cooked up a pan full of Oat Meal and Wheat Tina (??). We'd add milk, sugar, and fruit into the hot cereal. Gma never had any pets that I ever remember, but she sure had the county's share of wild cats. After breakfast, we gather up all the leftover scraps and walk down into the basement (the basement was at ground level on the back side of the house) and out the back door. Gma would call out ... "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty" ... and they'd come a running!!!!!! There were very few cats that would allow you to touch them (at least me ... and very few allowed Gma or Gpa). When the Momma cats had kittens, they'd bring them along for any meal time. Many of the wild cats had their litters in the barn, near the house. Gpa had built several little cutouts for the cats to get in and out of the barn. The little kittens would come running when called. Gma scraped the cats food into an old iron skillet that didn't have a handle. There were usually at least 10 cats and many times more.
Gma used to treat me special ... okay, she spoiled me rotten!!!!! :-) Every time I'd come into the kitchen, I would smell some of the greatest smells. Pies, chocolates, fudge, cookies ... just to mention a few of the sweets that Gma loved to bake. I'd head over to the cookie jars, to hunt down a piece or two of fudge!!!! Even when my Mom or Dad said I wasn't allowed to have any sweets before dinner ... Gma would always get a few sweets and slip them to me.
I remember sitting behind the house with Gma and working with the supper's vegetables. We husked corn and snap the snap beans. When we had a big meal ... which seemed to be quite often ... I always remember that Gpa would get out an old wooden potato masher, set the huge pan on the floor, and make some "REAL" mashed potatoes. They were the greatest ... little chunks of potatoes with the mashed potatoes. Many of the vegetables that I don't really care for today ... I enjoyed them. It seemed like anything that came out of Gma's garden was delicious ... that is everything except white onions, squash, and okra!!!!!!!!!!! Gma was great ... but she wasn't a miracle worker!! :-)
The south end of the garden belonged to my Gpa ... or so it seemed. That's where he planted potatoes, watermelons, and cantaloupes.
The basement was always a great place to explore. Gma washed most of her clothes by hand (even though she owned a washer and dryer). There were shelves and shelves and shelves and shelves and shelves (I think you get the idea) or canned fruits and vegetables. Gma loved to can ... or lets say ... she canned for hours late at night. Even after Gma had her stroke and wasn't able to can anymore, they never ran out of canned goods ... for years!!! The best thing that I think Gma canned was, "STRAWBERRY JELLY". Gpa had built a shower area in front of the garage. On one end, there was a concrete walled in area that held the well pump and several shelves. Gpa kept stacks of potatoes on the shelves and bottles of wine that he had fermented himself.
There is more to tell ... but there is only so much time in a day (or a night!!!!!!).
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