maybe they rented out thier house and summer home for income while living in thier apartment? ---- Anne <smk312@comcast.net> wrote: > Kathy, > > Perhaps your relative took in washing & ironing as a means for cash (as my > dear, Grandmother Patterson did). > Just a thought; enjoyed this piece very much. Hope you find your answer. - > Anne > > -----Original Message----- > From: mamiddle-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:mamiddle-bounces@rootsweb.com] > On Behalf Of Kathy Montgomery > Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 12:56 PM > To: mamiddle@rootsweb.com > Subject: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > > Hi all - I have done a fair bit of genealogy, and learned interesting > stories and such about all sorts of ancestors and relatives. I have learned > tons about my mom's family, and much less about my dad's. (And wouldn't you > know it, my dad was curious about it all; my mom - "not so much.") > > However, my mom's sense of family mystery is less genealogy, and more > financial. She is 80, and the only question she ever asks me about family > history is in one area I see very little about. My mom's maternal > grandparents (my maternal great grandparents)appear to have modest income > partnered with very comfortable lifestyle. She has tried to think how they > did that. It is the only family history mystery that keeps her in the > conversation. > > Her grandparents lived in a rented Cambridge apartment, owned a house in > Billerica, and a summer cabin at Point Judith RI. They had nice clothes, > china, sterling cutlery, etc. They ate well during the depression. I found > a newspaper article that said she bought shore front land in Scituate. But > in contrast, he worked behing the meat counter in a small grocery shop; he > did not own it. She did not work. My mom's question - where'd the money > come from? Neither of them came from families where they would have > inherited much. > > Her grandmother did not want her mother to marry - ever. So she eloped to > NH at age 17. She would never accept money or anything of particular value > from her parents, even while trying to raise 6 kids through the depression. > Thus my mom sort of worries that maybe they did something bad; but there is > no known evidence of that. If anything, they were pretty strict from the > sound of it; much a part of the Victorian era. (As a 6 or 8 year old > budding family historian, I made the mistake of asking my grandmother how > old she was, and where she was born. trust me, I never did that again . . . > I digress) > > My mom is the oldest of her generation still living; there is no one else to > ask. > > so, my question - what clues are there to finances? Ideas I have had: > > 1) man from the above couple died in 1959 (before I was old enough to do > something so naughty as to ask how old he was!). But there doesn't seem to > have been a will; or not that my mom ever heard. > > 2) I don't have any experience in using land records. maybe that would help > - any suggestions on land ownership in Cambridge and Billerica say 1900 - > 1960 as a timeframe? > > any suggestions? > > oh, and I can't resist adding - I do remember this great grand dad; he is > among my earliest memories. I was quite young, maybe just 4. We were > visiting him at the Cambridge apartment. They had a huge dining room table > with one of those crocheted tablecloths. On it was a small bowl with the > most incredible looking apples I had ever seen; and I knew my apples let me > tell you; my favorites for sure. So I asked him if I could eat one. He > said no, they were wax. I said that was okay, I liked all kinds. He said > no, you can't eat it, it is wax. Well wax was fine with me if that was > apples . . . I couldn't understand, I had never met an adult that would not > let me eat an apple. We had to be rescued from the conversation by the > intervening generations! what a way to be remembered - all the things he > did in his life - and the only thing I remember about him is that he would > not let me have an apple! > > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject and > the body of the email with no additional text. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject and the body of the email with no additional text. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Or perhaps they lived in genteel poverty with the trappings of "wealth" from previous generations. Our ancestors, many times, were very frugal and careful of their possessions. They didn't live in the "toss away" life-style in which we do. Just a thought! Loved your story... Suzi Larson > Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 13:51:35 -0400 > From: maurs97a@roadrunner.com > To: mamiddle@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > > maybe they rented out thier house and summer home for income while living in thier apartment? > > > > > > ---- Anne <smk312@comcast.net> wrote: > > Kathy, > > > > Perhaps your relative took in washing & ironing as a means for cash (as my > > dear, Grandmother Patterson did). > > Just a thought; enjoyed this piece very much. Hope you find your answer. - > > Anne > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: mamiddle-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:mamiddle-bounces@rootsweb.com] > > On Behalf Of Kathy Montgomery > > Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 12:56 PM > > To: mamiddle@rootsweb.com > > Subject: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > > > > Hi all - I have done a fair bit of genealogy, and learned interesting > > stories and such about all sorts of ancestors and relatives. I have learned > > tons about my mom's family, and much less about my dad's. (And wouldn't you > > know it, my dad was curious about it all; my mom - "not so much.") > > > > However, my mom's sense of family mystery is less genealogy, and more > > financial. She is 80, and the only question she ever asks me about family > > history is in one area I see very little about. My mom's maternal > > grandparents (my maternal great grandparents)appear to have modest income > > partnered with very comfortable lifestyle. She has tried to think how they > > did that. It is the only family history mystery that keeps her in the > > conversation. > > > > Her grandparents lived in a rented Cambridge apartment, owned a house in > > Billerica, and a summer cabin at Point Judith RI. They had nice clothes, > > china, sterling cutlery, etc. They ate well during the depression. I found > > a newspaper article that said she bought shore front land in Scituate. But > > in contrast, he worked behing the meat counter in a small grocery shop; he > > did not own it. She did not work. My mom's question - where'd the money > > come from? Neither of them came from families where they would have > > inherited much. > > > > Her grandmother did not want her mother to marry - ever. So she eloped to > > NH at age 17. She would never accept money or anything of particular value > > from her parents, even while trying to raise 6 kids through the depression. > > Thus my mom sort of worries that maybe they did something bad; but there is > > no known evidence of that. If anything, they were pretty strict from the > > sound of it; much a part of the Victorian era. (As a 6 or 8 year old > > budding family historian, I made the mistake of asking my grandmother how > > old she was, and where she was born. trust me, I never did that again . . . > > I digress) > > > > My mom is the oldest of her generation still living; there is no one else to > > ask. > > > > so, my question - what clues are there to finances? Ideas I have had: > > > > 1) man from the above couple died in 1959 (before I was old enough to do > > something so naughty as to ask how old he was!). But there doesn't seem to > > have been a will; or not that my mom ever heard. > > > > 2) I don't have any experience in using land records. maybe that would help > > - any suggestions on land ownership in Cambridge and Billerica say 1900 - > > 1960 as a timeframe? > > > > any suggestions? > > > > oh, and I can't resist adding - I do remember this great grand dad; he is > > among my earliest memories. I was quite young, maybe just 4. We were > > visiting him at the Cambridge apartment. They had a huge dining room table > > with one of those crocheted tablecloths. On it was a small bowl with the > > most incredible looking apples I had ever seen; and I knew my apples let me > > tell you; my favorites for sure. So I asked him if I could eat one. He > > said no, they were wax. I said that was okay, I liked all kinds. He said > > no, you can't eat it, it is wax. Well wax was fine with me if that was > > apples . . . I couldn't understand, I had never met an adult that would not > > let me eat an apple. We had to be rescued from the conversation by the > > intervening generations! what a way to be remembered - all the things he > > did in his life - and the only thing I remember about him is that he would > > not let me have an apple! > > > > > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject and > > the body of the email with no additional text. > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > > in the subject and the body of the message > > > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject and the body of the email with no additional text. > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject and the body of the email with no additional text. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

----- Original Message ----- From: <maurs97a@roadrunner.com> To: <mamiddle@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 1:51 PM Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > maybe they rented out thier house and summer home for income while living > in thier apartment? I too enjoyed your story. Maybe they were just very frugal. Maybe they, like my grandmother canned veggies, etc to save. grew their own etc. Maybe she took in sewing on the side, without letting anyone know. Who knows, but it is curious, and I can see why you are interested in solving that mystery. > > > > > > ---- Anne <smk312@comcast.net> wrote: >> Kathy, >> >> Perhaps your relative took in washing & ironing as a means for cash (as >> my >> dear, Grandmother Patterson did). >> Just a thought; enjoyed this piece very much. Hope you find your >> answer. - >> Anne >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: mamiddle-bounces@rootsweb.com >> [mailto:mamiddle-bounces@rootsweb.com] >> On Behalf Of Kathy Montgomery >> Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 12:56 PM >> To: mamiddle@rootsweb.com >> Subject: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . >> >> Hi all - I have done a fair bit of genealogy, and learned interesting >> stories and such about all sorts of ancestors and relatives. I have >> learned >> tons about my mom's family, and much less about my dad's. (And wouldn't >> you >> know it, my dad was curious about it all; my mom - "not so much.") >> >> However, my mom's sense of family mystery is less genealogy, and more >> financial. She is 80, and the only question she ever asks me about >> family >> history is in one area I see very little about. My mom's maternal >> grandparents (my maternal great grandparents)appear to have modest income >> partnered with very comfortable lifestyle. She has tried to think how >> they >> did that. It is the only family history mystery that keeps her in the >> conversation. >> >> Her grandparents lived in a rented Cambridge apartment, owned a house in >> Billerica, and a summer cabin at Point Judith RI. They had nice clothes, >> china, sterling cutlery, etc. They ate well during the depression. I >> found >> a newspaper article that said she bought shore front land in Scituate. >> But >> in contrast, he worked behing the meat counter in a small grocery shop; >> he >> did not own it. She did not work. My mom's question - where'd the money >> come from? Neither of them came from families where they would have >> inherited much. >> >> Her grandmother did not want her mother to marry - ever. So she eloped >> to >> NH at age 17. She would never accept money or anything of particular >> value >> from her parents, even while trying to raise 6 kids through the >> depression. >> Thus my mom sort of worries that maybe they did something bad; but there >> is >> no known evidence of that. If anything, they were pretty strict from the >> sound of it; much a part of the Victorian era. (As a 6 or 8 year old >> budding family historian, I made the mistake of asking my grandmother how >> old she was, and where she was born. trust me, I never did that again . . >> . >> I digress) >> >> My mom is the oldest of her generation still living; there is no one else >> to >> ask. >> >> so, my question - what clues are there to finances? Ideas I have had: >> >> 1) man from the above couple died in 1959 (before I was old enough to do >> something so naughty as to ask how old he was!). But there doesn't seem >> to >> have been a will; or not that my mom ever heard. >> >> 2) I don't have any experience in using land records. maybe that would >> help >> - any suggestions on land ownership in Cambridge and Billerica say 1900 - >> 1960 as a timeframe? >> >> any suggestions? >> >> oh, and I can't resist adding - I do remember this great grand dad; he is >> among my earliest memories. I was quite young, maybe just 4. We were >> visiting him at the Cambridge apartment. They had a huge dining room >> table >> with one of those crocheted tablecloths. On it was a small bowl with the >> most incredible looking apples I had ever seen; and I knew my apples let >> me >> tell you; my favorites for sure. So I asked him if I could eat one. He >> said no, they were wax. I said that was okay, I liked all kinds. He >> said >> no, you can't eat it, it is wax. Well wax was fine with me if that was >> apples . . . I couldn't understand, I had never met an adult that would >> not >> let me eat an apple. We had to be rescued from the conversation by the >> intervening generations! what a way to be remembered - all the things he >> did in his life - and the only thing I remember about him is that he >> would >> not let me have an apple! >> >> >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject >> and >> the body of the email with no additional text. >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes >> in the subject and the body of the message >> >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject >> and the body of the email with no additional text. >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject > and the body of the email with no additional text. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >