Grandparents were a definite guiding force in my life—having lived in their home as a young child for many years.  Kenneth Cooper *  [1880-1948] and Henrietta Morrow Cooper [1880-1969] were my maternal grandparents and they are the loving ancestors who shaped my views on life in general. 

     My sister [Gretchen Cooper Van Winkle Miller] and I were the first and only grandchildren for nearly ten years and, due to pressures of living expenses during the early 1930s (depression years), we grew up as “little sisters” to our mother’s siblings.  It was a strong family association—influenced by the gentle, but definite moral standards set by Kenneth and reinforced by the more vocal and outgoing teachings of Henrietta.  Not only were we taught the importance of religious beliefs, but social and political views were strongly imbedded in our minds and hearts.  Many of the discussions and perspectives of these issues still shape my opinions today.

     My grandparents rarely attended church together, but made certain we were regular Sunday School students.  Church attendance was usually my grandfather’s “thing” and I still remember clearly the day I joined the First Presbyterian Church in New Kensington and stood singing the hymn Heaven Is My Home with him.  Fond memories of my grandmother’s teachings include her hearty rendition of What a Friend We Have in Jesus every time she took a wooden mallet and carefully pounded flour into the steak she was preparing for dinner.  The “beat” of that tune was a perfect tempo for her culinary chore, and I can still picture her every time that hymn is sung in church today.

     Both had a deep sense of moral responsibility and care for fellow men and, through their examples, carefully shaped our behaviors in those areas.  Every time we were “off” to a birthday party, school outing or whatever, we would leave the house and get no further than the brick gate, when Gram would call out, “Now, remember who you are!!”  The “reminder” was given and we were to obey and not “shame the family name” with any untoward behavior.

     Daily family supper hour was a joy.  Our four aunts [see  right], our grandparents and our parents all gathered around the table for simple meals—followed with a good hour or more of conversation as each and every one shared something of their day.  A favorite summer meal would consist of corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes and homemade applesauce.  Invariably, as we finished the entrée, Gram would bring our fresh cantaloupe for dessert and, at this point, Papa would whisper to me, “Let’s go get ice cream to go with that!”  So, off we would go in his yellow Studebaker with the rumble seat our choice.

     These are but a few of the happy memories I treasure from my childhood.  Now that I’m a grandmother, I would hope that my offspring will also find my contacts with them as meaningful as those of my grandparents are to me—to this very day.

~

 *  Kenneth Cooper was a great-grandson of John Marshall and Catharina Truby Rohrer Marshall, descending through their daughter Mary Ann Marshall Bailey and her daughter Sarah Isabella Bailey Cooper,  Concerning the initial "W" in front of his name, his granddaughtrer Sue Neubert writes, "Papa did not have a middle name. He was simply Kenneth; but, when he founded his real estate and insurance business, chose to add the initial "W" preceding his name.  Somehow, he felt this was more businesslike to have the two initials.  So, William he was not--just W. K. or W. Kenneth Cooper."

This article first appeared in the occasional newsletter Family!

(Vol. 3, No. 1; February 2007).