After we got over the shock of Grandma Alta Jespersen lying about her age so she could get married, we headed up to Ogden so the kids could see where Grandma Leah Jespersen grew up. Ooops! No such luck. It turns out all of Mom's houses have been torn down and replaced by a gas station or shopping center. However, we did retrace the path she would have taken from her house to her grandma's house when she ran away. Mom was only 4 years old when she decided things weren't going her way, and headed off to her Grandma (Harriet) Williams a few blocks away for some love and attention. We drove the distance in the car, and couldn't believe a four-year old made it all that way by herself.
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| Little house on Madison Avenue |
We were taking photos of the house when the resident came outside. We assured her that we were not stalkers and told her our great-grandparents had lived there in the 40s. She was really nice and invited us inside to look around. We could not believe how tiny the kitchen was; there was a tiny stove, a little sink and a small refrigerator. No counter space! The basement was maybe seven feet high; I can't imagine spending a great deal of time there, but Mom and Jay stayed there for four weeks when Grandma went to St. Louis to see Grandpa during basic training in WWII.
Our hostess was kind enough to take us into the backyard and show us the storage shed/workshop. She had found an old toolbox with old square iron nails that the owner said belonged to my great-grandfather. We collected enough nails for all the grandkids, but they disappeared at some point. If any of the Byron Jespersens or Van Horns have extras, let me know.
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| John and Hattie Williams, ca. 1956 |
Cool, Jul. I'm glad someone in the family knows all these stories - they're all news to me!
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