Forties File Friday - Isabel Chapman Stonehouse

Remembering Grandma, Jan. 4th, 1907 -- Jan. 25th, 1988

~It's been 21 years since the death of Isabel Chapman Stonehouse, please share your memories of time with Grandma... be they on Lulie or Hampshire, be they at lunch or Christmas, be it when you were young or old, what stands out as your favourite or best memory of Grandma?

Oddly enough remembering Grandma does make me think of lunch day at Grandma's and the traditional soldiers cut out of our bread and butter with beans, cottage cheese with pineapple chunks in it and real milk from a bag... sometimes even a Peak Frean.

Or Christmas Eve at Grandma's with the sandwiches with the crusts cut off on white bread, the licorice all sorts, the chocolate turtles, after eights, the chips and dip... Even as I sit her typing I'm eating mincemeat tarts and reminiscing of Grandma's house....

And yet it wasn't as though we only knew Grandma as a food lady! We had Grandma's beach... aptly named due to the proximity to her house. Trick or treating by Grandma's house on our way to the bonfire at the fire hall. But Grandma was a Grandma of traditions and that made for some wonderful memories.

But not every visit to Grandma's house was an everyone affair. I can remember romping around in the basement... and daring siblings to jump from the back porch to the grass, chasing a cat.... Grandma was older.. I better be careful.... (she was my mother's current age), when I was growing up... But she was an elegant lady, and she did things properly. And expected us to do so also! I don't think we disappointed her much... although one day, I do recall us being chastised as we were leaving lunch day.... we were all at the door kissing her on the cheek as we did when we left and she called us to task on our forgetting our thank-you's! We didn't forget again!

I had some chances for some one on one time when she was sick. It must have been summer time. I would have been 13 or 14. I spent the nights at her house. I would do a normal day at home I guess and ride my bike over in the early evening and have dinner with Grandma. We'd watch 'The Love Boat' and 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Family Feud'... and then we'd wash up for bed and I slept in the guest room. In the morning we'd have our breakfast... always juice in the little juice glasses! and then I'd be off again if she didn't have something she needed fetched or taken care of... I ran little errands up to her corner store or swept up.

She wasn't too sure about this younger generation of grandchildren but she was willing to try anything. She was determined to do something nice for us and took us to the theater to see a movie. ET... I'm still not sure if Sparky enjoyed it but I know that it wasn't my cup of tea. It was a scary, odd film with an ugly creature... but you always remember to thank Grandma and tell her what a lovely time you had.... which ended up getting you... a plush ET doll for Christmas! It really was the thought that counted!

Grandma was a proper and elegant lady until she died. After she moved to the care home I continued the evening visits. After school I'd ride over and take her down to the dining hall and then go up to do my homework. After 40 minutes... never longer... she was a punctual diner! it would be time to retrieve her back to her room. I typically had homework that I would work on while she relaxed and visit a bit. She asked about my day, and about how everyone was doing... even though we'd been through the update only the night before. We'd visit until Auntie Adele or Mum came to help her for the night. Except one night... it was a little late and no one had come yet. She was obviously antsy. She didn't want to impose or ask me to do something... I had to fairly insist that I was there to help and could handle it.... she kept insisting that Joyce or Adele will be here soon... I must have been reassuring that when you have to go you have to go and that I could indeed help! It didn't make me dream of becoming a elderly care worker but I'll never forget helping her to the bathroom and helping her prepare for bed that night. It was only 6 weeks before she died.

I'd never heard her speak ill of anyone or raise her voice in a cross tone. She was dignified and elegant her entire life and will always be remember that way.

More memories of Grandma... click here!




Now her youngest daughter..... hmmm... we shall see how she gets remembered!