“Most of us have an ancestor who we’d like to meet (even if it’s to ask, “What are your parents’ names?”) This week, write about that ancestor or why you’d want to meet him or her. Feel free to be creative!” prompt from Amy Johnson Crow for Week 1 2023.
It’s hard to chose just one ancestor but I will go with my mom’s mom. Nettie Myrtle (Smith) Kirkwood (1883-1952) was my grandmother but she died before I was born so I never met her. I have quite a few photos and a few stories from my sisters and my mom and she sounds like a wonderful person. My sisters say she was very snuggly and loving and gone much to soon. The picture above speaks to this description perfectly, a grandma loving all of her grandchildren.
She was so much more than a grandmother. Not that being a grandmother isn’t enough but she did so many varied activities throughout her life, they help show the entire picture. Her dad had several occupations, one was working in the coal mines around Boone, Iowa. When my grandmother was in high school her father was injured in a mining accident. I don’t know anything about the accident except it injured one of his legs (as told by my mom). My grandmother quit school and began working in the mining store to help the family with money. This is more than likely where she met my grandfather although it would be quite a few years before they married. I’m guessing this might be where she began to learn nursing skills. The miners often were injured on the job and we know that she was considered a nurse with skills she learned in life.
In 1911 my grandmother was 28 years old, it was two more years before she and my grandfather married. She was working as a printer for a local photographer. She also made hats. When I learned this a light bulb went off because we have so many photos of relatives wearing very elaborate hats. I would guess she combined these two skill sets. Here is one that she may have made.
From family stories grandma was also a suffragette. She was no doubt involved in this parade in 1908.
N. Myrtle Smith married my grandfather, John Robertson Kirkwood on 2 June 1913. We think this may have been taken about that time.
Myrtle was 30 when they married. She and my grandfather had two children. This is a photo of Myrtle and my mom who was the youngest. Not sure exactly when this was taken but three days after my mom was born there was a huge tornado in Boone that destroyed a large part of the community. This looks like it would have been during that time period. My mom said her mom was very afraid during storms as long as she could remember. Maybe it goes back to this time.
My grandmother did a lot of charitable work. My mom was a little jealous of the amount of time her mom gave to those in need. One of these charities involved the Rebekahs, the women’s part of the Order of the Oddfellows. I know she held at least one office with this group and she helped with the orphanage they had adopted in Mason City, Iowa. This photo is from one of the trips they took to the orphanage. Possibly more of her hat making skills?
Myrtle was involved in so many different clubs, which from what I can tell was pretty normal for the time period. One of them was simply called My Moms Club. There were others with unusual names but all made the society pages of the time.
My sister remembers my grandmother combing and braiding her long auburn hair to put up on her head and get ready for the day. I don’t know of anyone else in the family with auburn hair so I wish I could have seen it. She seems like a very active, engaged, involved, loving human being and I would love to sit down and get to know her. Which relative would you chose?
My Tree in the Forest 