Große Mama

Our Mom as a child, enjoying "grandma time"

The last time I was in Colorado, I brought home a few more old photographs to scan and share with the young folks in the family. 

There are only a few precious pictures of Great-grandmother Klingler, our grandfather's mother.  Her name was Marie, and apparently she was of French descent, not German.

After my grandparents (Herman and Anna) emigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 1920's, she joined them there as a widow, and lived with the family for the rest of her life.

Herman and Anna worked long hours at hard jobs, so she took care of our mom and her sister Ruth.  Mom (above) was especially close to her while growing up.  Grandma looks a bit severe in this picture, but she was very sweet.

My grandmother (standing on the right) was a small lady, around 5 feet tall.  So Great-grandma Marie was very petite, indeed. 

Here's Herman, Anna and Marie together. They loved the outdoors, and there are quite of few photos of camping, picnics and hikes.  

And that's me, sitting on her lap with my sister Marji behind.  I remember her fairly well, even though she died before I was five. But mostly I remember the many stories our mom told us about her.

We always called her Große Mama. "Große" (pronounced gro:sae) is an archaic high German word, an adjective that means "great."

Slowly and traumatically, she lost her vision late in life, and spent her final years at this home for blind women in Philadelphia.

I found some archival information about The Pennsylvania Industrial Home for Blind Women on the Internet. It provided housing and paid work for blind women, who performed handicrafts including basket weaving, chair caning, and lace-making.

At one time we still had some of the poignant crocheted potholders they taught her to make at the blind home. 

Here she is, being helped down the front steps. Perhaps my mother took this picture on a visit there.  I have a vague but vivid memory of us going to the home in Philadelphia. Needless to say, it was an intimidating place for little farm kids who rarely saw the big city.  But I have a nice memory of Große Mama fumbling an old suitcase from under her bed, and pulling out a small candy treat for us.