Grandmother Interview Essay

I interviewed my grandmother, Kathleen Beat. I chose her because we are very close and I don’t know much about her childhood. She was born in Toledo, Ohio at Saint Vincent Hospital. Her parents got divorced when she was three years old. Her mom got remarried and Grandma became very close to her step-father. Her family's religious background was Lutheran and Catholic. Her biological father was a metal worker, her mom did not work outside the home, and her step-father was a farmer. She normally spent a lot of time with her aunts, cousins and uncles. She had a special relationship with her grandparents and they spoiled all the kids. My grandma had one older sister, Audrene. Grandma’s childhood home was a small one story and with just two bedrooms.

Her duties around the house included, peeling potatoes, washing dishes, maintaining a clean room and setting the table. The family normally had a meat and potato dinner, but one of her favorite meals was vegetable soup. Children did not have many extracurricular activities like today; they were normally just working on the farm. She remembers going rollerskating for 50 cents on Tuesdays with her best friend, Ruth. Holidays were always special events and family always came from Michigan. Her family history is recorded with pictures. My grandma liked home economics and health in school. Her least favorite subject was science. She never thought much about college and it wasn’t really encouraged. She had a paper route as a teenager to earn extra money and after she graduated from high school she went to work at a department store. She bought the family's first TV! It was black and white and her favorite show was “I Love Lucy!” Her greatest satisfaction in life has been having her children and grandchildren. She got married when she was just 19 years old and had three children. Her and my grandpa have been married for 57 years! They both worked outside the home, mostly in factories, and are now