Ed's Day Wednesday
Dear FOLKS,This week on Ed's Day Wednesday I am pleased to continue with the collection of family history information left by my late cousin Ed Ostrom. Looking further into the life of Ed's paternal grandmother Anna Tomine (Brekke) Ostrom we discover that family was always very important to Anna and that is especially true of taking care of her home along with loving and nurturing her children and grandchildren. For this week's post, in addition to cousin Ed's files, I looked to several of the Ostroms living grandchildren for their memories and I appreciate their time and input in preparing this article.
Anna Ostrom would bake the family's bread and bake-day would occasionally include a cake for a treat. One granddaughter told me that she can remember Grandma Anna would often serve chocolate cake without frosting. From previous posts, we know that she would preserve foods when they were bountiful for use at a later time. She would can meats as well and vegetables, fruits, jams and jellies.
At butchering time, Anna would also make and eat head cheese and blood pudding. Both can be made at home and were eaten as a filling to a sandwich. Today, we are unsure of Anna's recipes for these items. Reports from the family is that most of her children didn't like to eat these items, so they were treats made possibly for serving at a special occasion or for Anna and Oscar to enjoy.
This is also a testament to the thriftiness of the people and from the traditions of their people. Oscar and Anna were both Norwegian descendents. While born in different parts of Norway, their parents immigrated to America; and then met and married after arriving here. Anna would likely follow the traditions of cooking, baking, using similar spices and flavorings as her mother did, allowing for what was available to her. It was most important to not waste what could be used as food.
Readers with a weak stomach are encouraged to skip the next two paragraphs while we discuss making these two Norwegian favored lunch meats.
Head cheese is made from small bits of meat from butchered beef, pig or sheep, often including the tongue. In Norway it is called hodesylte and there hogs are almost exclusively used. Once the meaty pieces and the organs are removed, maybe adding the heart and feet, the skull is quartered and boiled. The broth from this boiling contains a natural gelatin or aspic that sets as a jelly when cooled. She would add salt and pepper, onion, maybe some allspice or bayleaf. The cooked meat pieces are then added to the broth and placed in loaf pans and allowed to chill when cold it is set.
Blood pudding, in Norwegian it is called blod klub, is also made at hog butchering time. The blood that has to be drained out of the carcass is collected in a pan and is constantly stirred to keep it liquid enough to work with. A recipe I found on Rootsweb: Norway-L (click here) mentions that flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and ginger are added and then this mixture is baked in the oven in loaf pans.
Are we all back together again?
Anna Ostrom would routinely sew and mend the family's clothes. She also liked to do needlework of various kinds. We have an example of an embroidered pillowcase she made as a wedding gift to one of her granddaughters. The stitches are very delicate and she liked to use lots of color. Notice too the crocheted edging. Much love was included here.
 |
| IMAGE: Pillowcase that was embellished with embroidery and crochet by Anna Ostrom given as a wedding gift to a granddaughter and groom (ca.1966). From Edwin J. Ostrom's photo collection. |
The house was heated by coal that was gathered nearby and brought to the house by horse and wagon. Their son, Tom, would make the trek often in preparation for winter. Water would be heated on the stove after being pumped from the tank in the basement for use in the kitchen and bathing.
Bathing was a Saturday event and all children and adults would bathe in the same water. As with many, a galvanized metal bath tub was placed on the floor in the kitchen where the stove was to provide warmth to the room. Oscar, as male head of the household would bathe first, and then boys followed by the girls and finally the mother. A neighbor and relative, Barney Roberts, who never knocked and always just came in often yelling “Anybody home?” One Saturday Anna was bathing and her son Arvid went to the kitchen door, threw it open and while imitating Barney yelled, “Anybody home?” Anna jumped up, and moved as fast as she could to get up the stairs, thinking that company had come for a visit. Sons, Clifford, Tom and Arvid were all in on the prank.
During their growing up years the Ostrom's older sons often played pranks on their mother. We shared an earlier story about Anna losing many of her chickens when Tom and Arvid raised a litter of wild coyotes. Read that story here. Anna was a good sport.
In 1938, when the family sold their North Dakota farm and moved to a smaller farm near Woodburn, Oregon, Anna continued to be a “farmer’s wife” and was always part of the harvest during berry picking time. She would have the clean water, soap and towels ready when we took our “lunch break.”
 |
IMAGE: Photograph of an undated drawing an archway in
Woodburn, Oregon, claiming the town to be the "World's
Berry Center." This archway once spanned US Highway 99.
Digital photograph file in the family collection of Edwin J.
Ostrom.
|
A grandson has these memories, "I spent much time helping on the farm before I turned 16. Grandma was always in her big dress and apron. When grandpa went to town she stayed home and did her duties. During berry picking, she did her duty and picked all day. When Grandpa went to town she stayed and took care of kitchen duties. She was hard working and that is basically all I remember. She expected me to work hard and would call me in the morning from the bottom of the steps, "Elvood, get up now!" I worked hard and enjoyed my free time away from my sibs and the work that was expected of me at home.....cutting wood, milking cows, feeding chickens, hoeing the large garden. And, for a while we had pigs until neighbors complained and dad got rid of them (we lived in the township of Woodburn). The kids, [his uncles] especially Arvid, would do tricks on her in North Dakota (dad told us a few). When she was in the nursing home in Woodburn, I introduced her to a girl friend, Irish, and "she was not for me," Grandma said. Later I took Patti to meet her and she said , "Now dat's a goot girl, Elvood." I explained Patti was Irish and Catholic and Grandma told me, "She's a good Norwegian girl, you marry her." I never saw or heard an angry word, she laughed infrequently, she would do needle work and sewing when Grandpa would read farming magazines."
A granddaughter remembers, "When Elwood was in Junior High school and I approaching high school [about 1946], Gramdpa (Oscar) and Grandma (Anna) took us to the Rose Parade, in Portland. I was scared because I didn’t think Grandpa knew how to drive in that traffic." The Rose Parade is a big annual event that takes place in the downtown area of Oregon's largest city. This would be a huge event for our rural visitors. Apparently travel to and from the parade, while highly anticipated, went along without a problem.
One of Anna's youngest grandchildren doesn't remember picking berries but instead remembers visiting her grandparents at their farm where she and her brother would play outside in the chicken coops, corn bins, pig pens. One game they played was in the grain bin; they would go completely under the grain, hiding and then popping back up to surprise who ever might be watching or just to purely enjoy shouting to each other while in the bin. She also remembers finding kittens in the barn and she remembers playing in the hay, tunneling everywhere.
Here is a letter that Anna Ostrom wrote to one of her granddaughters who it is thought was away attending summer camp. Grandma Anna tells that she misses her "berry-picking" partner.
 |
IMAGE: Page 1 of a letter from Anna Ostrom
to a granddaughter. Copy of letter in the Edwin
J. Ostrom family collection.
|
 |
IMAGE: Page 2 of a letter from Anna Ostrom
to a granddaughter. Copy of letter in the Edwin
J. Ostrom family collection.
|
June 28
Hello Patsy,
How are you tonight. I just bet you are in bed by now. I am awfull tired so I must soon go to bed too. We picked berries to-day. And I missed you. I picked 5 crates this afternoon. It rained in the morning. So we didn't pick. Janice picked to. She was on the other side of Sharon. I picked all alone. I soppose I'll pick with Elwood to-morrow. Mike didn't pick to-day. But I soppose he will come to-morrow. I want you back with me when you come home. It will be berries then to. Do you have a good time down there. How is your sleeping bag. I saw your cousin to. One of the girls came up with the paper. She was down to Dates. Did your Mother write and tell you that Julia folks wont to be here for the 4th. She is not
[page two begins]
coming at all. I don't know if Clintons will come or not. Do you have lots of good things to eat. Elwood is staying her to-nigh. He helped Grandpa plant kale. Well Patsy be a good girl and keep well so you will be able to pick berries when you come home. Grandma is awful tired so must go to bed. We have to get up real early to-morrow morning. I hear some must be shooting fire crackers probly down to dates. Gary and Bonnie started to
Must go to bed.
Much love and a big kiss
from
Grandma
-------- transcription ends --------
Isn't that a fun letter? It gives us a little more insight into this woman who loved family and took joy in being with her grandchildren.
 |
IMAGE: Anna Ostrom in her kitchen at the Carl Road
farm in Woodburn, Oregon (ca 1955).
|
It is fun to note that the older grandchildren have a different perspective of their time with their grandparents than the younger ones do. But they all agree, when at home Grandma Anna would be found wearing an apron, always busy and she kept a candy dish with hard candies ready for her visiting grandchildren. Anna was easy going and a hard worker. This photograph contains Anna in her apron and behind her on the counter is the candy dish that her grandchildren remember.
Dear FOLKS, thank you once again for stopping for another Ed's Day Wednesday post. I hope you enjoyed today's telling of what is remembered about Grandma Anna Ostrom.
The URL for this post is: http://homefolktales.blogspot.com/2016/05/grandma-anna-ostrom-1890-1972.html
Please comment regarding this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then use the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Or contact me by email at dsteff4246[at]gmail[dot]com. I hope you have a good week.
Copyright (c) 2016, Darlene M. Steffens. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment