My Moms

A dear friend did a post today recognizing the strong women in her family. She is one for whom I have great respect. She had some great stories and it is evident in these stories, why she is such a wonderful person. I, too, have been blessed by some great women in my life. I thought I'd just mention my grandmothers and mothers.

My grandmother, Ruth Presler Talberg was a formidable woman who could wield a fly-swatter with accuracy and agility. She moved around a little bit in her youth, but then her father moved the family to central Minnesota. Her mother had left the family and her father raised the three children on his own. I didn't learn that she spoke German until she went to school until her funeral. My mom said that Grandma and Aunt Minnie would speak in German when they didn't want the kids to know what they were talking about. Grandma had 7 children and 40-something grand-children. My memories are of food, lots of food, from the garden that Grandma & Grandpa tended. Grandma was always canning and freezing. When we went to visit, we would shell peas, scrub cucumbers, shuck corn, etc. She would give us a dime to go to the Foley pool and then come and wave at us through the fence. She had a lot of friends - people dropped in at the house all the time. Grandma always had food to share with anyone that dropped by. She taught piano lessons and played the organ at church.

My grandmother, Isabelle Ritchie Hawley, was born in Scotland, and her family emigrated to California when she was three. She had 5 children and 24 grandchildren. We would go out to visit Grandma and Grandpa every summer and would stay for near a month. She would get us McDonalds and gum. She would take us to movies. She was always so kind and loving to us. We loved our summers in California. I have fond memories of the smell of the dishwasher in their house in Simi Valley. She kept all her daughters' dance costumes for us to use as dress-ups. Later on, she lived in Northern California on a 10-acre walnut orchard. We found it so exciting. She has always had such a strong testimony of the Gospel. Just last weekend, my grandparents celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. My mother-in-law, Barbara Graham Smith, is a woman of faith. She has always understood the Minnesotan in me. She has 6 children and 25 grand-children. She is a hard worker and is never afraid of doing the hard things. I have seen so many friends struggle with their mother-in-laws, but I have been so fortunate to always have a great relationship with Barbara. I know she counts me as one of her children. On of my fondest memories is of a time when Mom and Dad were on their way to Madeline Island and they stopped at our house. It was suggested that I pack up Morgie and Rozzie and go along for a week's vacation. I packed up and the next morning we rolled out. I had a most wonderful time with my in-laws. I am forever grateful for that level of comfortability with them. My own mom is Katherine Talberg Olsen. She was raised in Foley, Minnesota. She joined the church when she was a college student at Macalester College in St. Paul. I have always been impressed that she accepted the Gospel as a college student. She has remained active to this date. She raised 5 children on her own. She was a substitute teacher, a piano teacher, and an envelope addresser. She worked round the clock, and I don't believe we were the most grateful of children. Don't worry, we have already apologized. She has a bunch of grand-children; some of them by blood and many by marriage. They call her Grandma, too. She has played the organ at church for many years, (just like her mother) and has passed that gene on to my sister, Sara. She works at the temple. She belongs to multiple book groups. I love her very much for all she has done for me and for being a great example. On time when I was the smartest teenager ever, I told her that I was going to raise my kids the "right" way. Well, I ended up following her example and have done it the "right" way!!