a photo a day | 19

 

- 1950s -

a photo a day | 11

 

- 1955 -

akr inspired | 608

When I shared this favorite slide of Mom and Grampie, she wrote:
"I would often go to the barn and carry the milk.

I thought I was a help. I really wanted to spend time with him."

Textbook | Social Studies

akr inspired | 606

On Sunday, before the rest of the family arrived for dinner, I was playing music from Dad's old tapes. I have many saved now and I can play them easily from my phone.

A choir song came on where Dad had Grampie Trites sing the verse.

Dad's eyes filled up. 

He then said, 

   "He was a good singer."

   "He would be down in the barn singing and you'd hear him all over the farm."

Textbook | Music

akr inspired | 532

 

Our Grandparents' Farm

Taken by Dad

1950s

Textbook | Social Studies

a sentence a day | 28

If you ever wonder if you should take a picture, take it.

My parents saved a lot of memories by taking many pictures.

Sunday's Photograph | Family

Sunday's Photograph | Mom's Sisters

Aunt Carole and Aunt Gloria

Sunday's Photograph | Sisters

Aunt Carole and Mom

akr inspired | 235

mom grew up on a farm

her dad was a farmer

dad grew up by the ocean

his dad was a fisherman

Textbook | Social Studies

akr inspired | 224

Mom said, "I could be a mile away from the farm and

hear my dad singing. He always sang around the farm."

Textbook | Music

Slice of Life | Living Room

As I look at family sitting around Grampie and Grammie's living room, I have to laugh as I notice Aunt Carole's expression and the way she is holding the pillow. I am sure she is saying to someone, "Put that camera away!" Oh, how I would love to hear her voice again or walk into that room as a young girl and see Grampie and Grammie.

Slice of Life

Sunday's Photograph | Trites Sisters

akr inspired | 178 | Ee

eggs

I went to my grandparents' farm after school every day. I was a very fussy eater and my snack was always the same --- toasted homemade bread and chocolate milk. It was usually Grammie who made it for me, but if she was on the road, Grampie would be in from the barn to take care of me. One afternoon the milk tasted funny, and I asked if it had come "straight from the cows".  I don't remember Grampie saying anything.

When I was in college, I found out what really happened. Grampie and Grammie were concerned I wasn't getting enough nutrition so they would sneak an egg into my chocolate milk! Grampie had forgotten to mix in the Quik that day, and he was almost caught! I had no idea all those years.

Recently, I was looking through my albums and found this photo. It was taken years later by me, but it seems to capture the day he was almost caught!

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

Sunday's Photograph | Tractor

One of my favorite childhood memories

is riding with Grampie on the tractor.

There was a little tool box by his seat

and that was where I could squeeze in to sit beside him.

It was a safe and cozy place to be while riding across the fields.

akr inspired | 169 | Dd

dairy

McKays Dairy was located on Elmwood Drive in Moncton, and Grampie Trites sold his cream and milk to them. When Karrilee was a little girl, she would sometimes join him on the milk run. Grampie would give her money and she would go around to the front to buy ice cream at the dairy bar. (I also remember hearing that when Karrilee was in the truck with Grampie, he would drive through puddles for her.) 

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Day

Sunday's Photograph | Farm Sink

Uncle Harry. Troy and Kristi

Discovering this photo in their albums made me happy! Not only is it adorable of Troy and Kristi, but now I have a photo of that wonderful old sink in the kitchen.

I see Grampie standing there cleaning up after being in the barn.

I see the sink filled with snow as Grampie pours maple syrup on it to make candy.

I see Grammie standing beside me showing me how to wash my hands.

akr inspired | 123 | Gg

globe

There was a globe in Grammie's front room on the farm. I asked where she lived. She pointed to the spot. I asked her where we lived. She pointed to the same spot. I asked where someone else lived. She pointed to the spot again. I remember being confused, but I don't remember if I asked why she kept pointing to the same spot.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

Sunday's Photograph | Grampie & Me

I just found this photo in Dad's hunting and fishing scrapbook. 

I like seeing my hand on Grampie's hand.

Slice of Life | Two Sisters

After asking Mom about when I was born, we talked about Laureen and the stories I remember hearing over the years. Mom said I could share them here.

Laureen was born on June 7, 1965. She was beautiful. Mom noticed she had a hard time breast-feeding and her lips would turn color. They knew something wasn't right, but the doctor thought she was a mother worrying too much.

Mom and Dad lived in the little house that her grandfather built. When Dad was on the road as a song evangelist, Mom, Karrilee and Laureen would move to the farm to stay with her parents if they weren't travelling with him. They were there when Laureen had to be rushed to the hospital. Later Grampie Trites said he had a feeling Laureen wouldn't be coming home.

On August 24th, precious Laureen passed away. She was 3 months old and only weighed 11 pounds.

Mom said, "We will never forget that day. I remember being in the hospital room and looking out the window. I watched cars going by and thought, "How can the world keep moving? My baby is gone." I was thinking no one really cares, but Mom was outside in the hall crying. I wasn't thinking straight or I would have had her with me."

Dad was at Burt Camp in northern New York when he received the news. He drove all night to get home. Dad says he will always remember seeing Mom walk out to meet him in the driveway.

I have two sisters.

Laureen is in the arms of her heavenly Father.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My parents learned that Laureen had endocardial fibroelastosis. Over the years, Dad has saved stories of children that have survived with the advances in medicine.