Tell something you remember about one of your grandparents.

(Were they funny, crazy, loving, mean, or special in a certain way.)

From: Lee Harris (cousin)

About: Marshall Leroy Harris

I remember picking potata bugs with Mark and Sharon for Grandpa Harris. When they lived in the trailer. We would get a nice big can of potata bugs and grandpa would put gas or kerosene or something on it and light it. I do not remember too much about Grandpa but he would tip my head sideways and tell me I had Potatoes growing out of my ears.

From: Lucy Welden (Bentley cousin)

About: Lucinda Gagne

My grandmother Lucinda Gagne was special she was usually always smiling she didn’t have an easy life raising 12 children. She enjoyed life and enjoyed her grandchildren. I remember when I was a teenager my grandfather was ill and I spent about a week with them so that they weren't alone and she spoiled me. Another time I remember her getting on a bicycle, she also loved growing roses and she made a rose corsage for me at my graduation. She was talented she did hairpin lace, tatting and crocheting without using directions she would look at the picture and make table cloths, bedspreads, doilies and edgings for pillow cases.

From: Heidi MacDuff (Harris cousin)

About: Marshall and Sarah (Miller) Harris

In thinking about Grandpa (Marshall) Harris. I can always remember when we visited, he would pick up the newspaper and read an article to us and slide our name into it. He would chuckle as he commented on how we made the newspaper. He would sometimes make up a silly story and pretend he was reading it from the newspaper. We always knew he was kidding around.

I also remember Grandpa would make Grandma buy her own "Photoplay" magazines and cigarettes. He wasn't going to spend his money on that nonsense. I would always feel sorry for Grandma; I felt it was selfish of Grandpa. Especially knowing how hard Grandma worked for the little she was paid.

From: Mark Harris (cousin)

About: Marshall Leroy Harris

One thing I remember about Grandpa Harris....
Grandpa used to "let" us (Sharon, Lee and me) pick potato bugs from the garden. He used to send us back to the garden several times until we had about an inch in the bottom of a 1 lb coffee can (each visit we got smarter and didn't come back to the metal shed until we knew there were enough bugs). He then put some gas in the bottom of the can. The icing was that end of the visit, Grandpa lit the can. I guess you can call us pyro's, but it was pretty exiting when you're 5.

From: Connie (Harris) Farrington (cousin)

About: Brayton Harris, Jr.

Here's a story about my grandfather, Brayton Harris, Jr. He never drove a car, as far as I know, and lived alone in a house out in the field next door to us. The house had no electricity or water, but had a rain barrel and outhouse. He rarely talked (except to the chickens), had a bad temper when he drank, and squandered his Social Security check on South Street, returning by taxi and weaving his way through the field. One summer day when I was probably about 8, I was sitting on the ground under a tree in front of his "stoop". I was reading a book and slowly eating a stalk of his rhubarb.

I could hear birds chirping noisily and otherwise had nothing to interrupt my reading. Then I noticed Grandpa walking very slowly toward me carrying his long walking stick as if it were a club. Knowing of his occasional temper, I decided to continue chewing the rhubarb and not look over at him again. He got quite close and then "crash", the walking stick struck the tree above my head, not once but two or three times.

Tumbling down the tree, partially falling on my shoulder was a long black King snake. It turned out to be just under 6 feet long, with sharp little teeth, and lumps in its middle where it had just eaten all the baby birds in the nest above me. Grandpa hung it by its tail from the "stoop" roof so we could look it over. Like my Dad, he believed that King snakes kept the rattlesnakes from coming down into our back yards from the mountain, and therefore were not to be killed. But he was afraid this one might sink its sharp teeth into my cheek if I made a quick movement, since its head was very close to mine when Grandpa killed it.

From: Philip Harris (father)

About: Ella (Spinning) Miller and Donald Carlton Miller

I had some very wonderful grandparents. Grandmother Harris took care of me when my appendices burst and I was paralyzed for a time. She was a wonderful cook. I stayed with my grand parents on several occasions when growing up. It was my second home. I do remember one time I was over to Art and Henry Harris. I had picked up some new swear words and used them on my grandfather. I was over his knee getting a spanking so quick it made my head spin. I never did that again. Grandmother Miller was a kind person. I liked to stay overnight at her house. I could take a bath in her tub and she had a dish of hard candy. I was blessed with good kind grandparents.

From: Connie Olson (Hubbard relative)

About: Allen Edger Youngkin

By the time I was born my mother’s father had been gone since she was 7 years old. My mom’s mother died when I was two. I only remember her lying on a bed that to me seemed very high. She had pitch black hair and was very pretty. She had on a high necked nightly. She smiled at me, and asked me to come closer to her. When I was walking up to her an Aunt came in and grabbed me by the hand scolded me for being in there. She then took me off into the kitchen where all the adults were. That is the one and only time I remember seeing her. So that doesn't really count.

My father’s mother died in May1937, just before I was born. So that leaves my dads dad. He was my grandfather named Al. He lived with us since I could remember. My father had made a death bed promise to his mother to take care of him. He was a railroad man like my dad; both were switchmen working on the same railroad. He was a rough around the edges type of guy. A deep growley voice that made you sit up and take notice when he spoke. He smiled a lot too. He had his chair at the dining room where he sat when he was home. Now these are the days before TV. When people came by to visit he had the best spot and chair. The reason he sat in the spot at that table was it was in line with the front door. That was so he could see people coming up the stairs to the house before they saw him. If he didn't want to visit with them he would get up go around the corner of the kitchen and out the back door without them knowing it.

At Christmas time to me and my sister we always thought he was very smart and generous. He always bought us "pretties" as we called them, and just what we always wanted. The one gift I remember is the slim cream colored box of hankies. Each one had the names of the week on them, along with butterflies of different colors. Another year it was pretty pink girly pajama's with matching feet on them.

He always gave us candy at least one piece a day. I realize now he favored my sister over me, as she had the same color eyes and hair as he did. I favored my mother and he could get sharp with me at times for no reason. When I was older my mom told me he never really had wanted my dad to marry anyone, and sometimes took it out on her because she had married him. He was sharp at times with me I couldn't figure out what I had done or why he was that way towards me When I was grown, my sister and I talked about the candy we got from him and I found out she always got two pieces and myself only one. But I still loved him. I remember more good about him than bad. He died when I was 14. We then sold the house and moved out to a suburb. To me he was the greatest grandpa in the world.

From: Amy (Glick) Freeman (niece)

About: Philip and Alice (Weatherwax) Harris

I remember Grandpa Harris chasing us all around the house trying to get us with his wet hands. We all tried to get away, but always failed. He also used to "lock" us between his legs and we'd struggle to break free (only to go back for more). I still love going to visit him and Wanda. All those memories come flooding back.

A special moment with Grandma Harris I will always cherish was when she was in the hospital. She couldn't talk, but we could still understand her. She said I was beautiful just like my mom, and then rubbed my cheek with her finger. There are times when I'm sad or upset and I can feel her finger on my cheek and hear her say, "love ya, Aim". I will always remember my grandparents as kind and loving.

From: Lois Rotella (Bentley cousin)

About: Joseph and Lucinda (Bentley) Gagne

As far as a grandparent I had only my mother parents. My grandmother was Lucinda Bentley Gagne and her husband was Joseph Gagne. My grand father died when I was only 9 years of age. Now my Grandmother she was funny, strict and loved to laugh. What I remember most is when we played cards. We would play rummy and she would hold all the cards and never put one down. We would tell her she was cheating and she would tell us it was her house and her cards. I also remember when it was hot she would tell us stop coming in and out of the house. We would let all the flies in. She would put the hook on the back screen door to keep us until lunch time. She loved to have visits from family. I also remember I really didn't know her name because she was called Mom or Grandma. When one of her nephews came by he called her Aunt Cindy. I ask who was that and she said that was her. I then asked was her name Cynthina and she said no it was Lucinda. I miss her very much.

From: Steven Marshall Harris (brother)

About: Marshall and Sarah (Miller) Harris

I can vividly remember Grandma Harris (Sarah) watching me when my parents were working. As you all know she had severe arthritis but never complained and she would at my request play her records for my entertainment and I would watch her with her crippled hands put the needle gently in the old vinyl and together we would listen to Johnny Cash over and over. I also remember Grandpa Harris (Marshall) coming home from a hard days work and still having the energy to take a walk with me through the fields and around the brook looking for Great Grandpa's cain ( I really don't think there ever was a lost cain) and I would go upstairs and play with grandpa's black bear rug and Grandpa would brag how Grandma Harris shot that bear with 1 shot as she was being attacked.( We all know better) Grandpa would always save his cookies from his lunch for me, It was fun to see if he had any in his lunch box. I don't ever recall a time when there were no cookies. Oh how I miss those days, I wish I were 4 again!

From: Gail Goodrich (Harris aunt)

About: Alice (Osberg) Harris

When I was 9 or 10 I used to wear my hair in braids. I loved to have Gramma Harris braid it because she had a way of being gentle. Her hands shook a little and she had a funny way of breathing, like a hum. It was so soothing (not like my big sisters). I also remember taking it back out because I didn't like the way it looked. She was always a gentle sweet lady to me. I was the baby and really, really cute!!!!!

From: Renee (Harris) Zamora

About: Julia (Bentley) Weatherwax and Sarah (Miller) Harris

I was very little when Grandma Weatherwax died. I can still remember her staying at our home when she was sick. She slept in a hospital bed in the living room. I recall her sitting on the toilet and eating green apples. She took forever there. Once we kids had a bag of popcorn and Grandma took it. We kids kept complaining we wanted the popcorn. She finally threw it at us and popcorn went everywhere. I remember when she died Aunt Martha made me kiss her goodbye. That was very frightening to me. She was the first dead person I ever saw and then to kiss her!

I interviewed Grandma Harris about her life July 5, 1985. I have taken the time to listen to one of the tapes again. I hope to get my microphone to record so I can copy these tapes to a CD. Then anyone that wants one can get a copy of it from me. It would be too large to put on the website. She said Grandpa didn’t kill the bear on their wall, that someone gave it to him. I have a picture of the bear hanging after it was shot. I wonder who shot it. Grandma did say she shot a deer that was hanging on the wall. One story on the tape is of her birth. Grandma was only 3 lbs when she was born. She was so small they could put a tea cup on her head. They wrapped her in warm blankets and put her in bed with her mother. When Grandma was 3 months old she came down with pneumonia. Her mother had yellow jaundice. Everyone gave up on grandma but their next door neighbor, her godmother, Mrs. Trewstow (unsure of spelling). She took her in and nursed her back to health.

There are several things I will always remember about Grandma Harris. Her crippled hands and how she could still pay solitaire, her watching her soap operas, the fig Newton cookies she would give me – my favorites, watching her get the fallen starlings out of her stove pipe, bringing her dinner, her dog Holly, the traditional Christmas Eve Party at her home. Grandma Harris was always so nice and I loved her with all my heart.

From: Linda Smith

About: Her Grandmother Holmquist

I truly meant to start earlier this week, because I have wonderful memories of MY grandmother Holmquist...
When I was around 8-10 or so, my father would always bring me on Saturday mornings to my grandmother's house on the Meadow brook Rd. [It was really my Uncle Eric's house, but I didn't know that until much later--it was just always my grandma's house to me!] She was almost ALWAYS making homemade doughnuts...cooking them over an old iron, wood-fire-fed stove in a black cast-iron pot filled with grease. I can see it boiling and bubbling now, in my mind's eye. And the aroma when we (my sister, my dad, and I) walked into the kitchen--mouthwatering! She would drain them on flattened paper bags to absorb extra grease, and then we would eat one, still warm--Yummmm. Oh, what I wouldn't give for another one of those, and to see my grandmother toiling over them, with her full-length apron on, like they used to wear. We weren't encouraged to hug in that household, but I'd love to give her a big one, now! ;)

From: Jenny McMurray

About: Philip and Alice (Weatherwax) Harris

When was eight years old I spent the summer with Grandma and Grandpa. I loved the big weeping willow tree outside, and at the time it had a swing on it. I told Grandma that I was going outside to swing and Grandpa told me not to touch the branches of the tree or I would turn into a bird. I believed everything Grandpa every told me, I also wanted to swing, so I got on my stomach and crawled army like under the branches until I got to the swing. Grandma came out and asked what I was doing, so I told her what Grandpa said. She started laughing so hard and broke the truth to me that Grandpa was only joking. Since then I never new if he was telling me the truth or not!!

From: Sharon (Harris) Lowell

About: Sarah (Miller) Harris

Something that I remember about a grandparent is that grandma Harris was a very independent woman. I would leave about a hour early each day, (Mon-Fri) to go to work, and stop by grandmas house and help her get ready for the day. As you remember her hands and legs were very bad, and she walked with a walker. I had hoped that I made things a little bit easier for her while letting her stay independent. I would make her breakfast each day. She loved over easy eggs on either a slice of toast or a corn toastie, with lots of butter, and a cup of coffee. I would join her each day. As she made her way to the couch I did the dishes. When she got all settled in I would leave for work. I treasure this memory because it was my own special time with her.

From: Brenda (Harris) Olszewski

About: Marshall and Sarah (Miller) Harris

I will never forget the memories of Grandpa and Grandma Harris. The fondest memory I have is going to their house on Saturday’s to mow the lawn. They had a huge front yard that went down hill and a more level backyard. I would mow the whole lawn with a push mower. After I was done and did the trimming I would have lunch waiting for me and grandpa's favorite pinwheel marshmallow cookies. I felt special and looked forward to that time with them. To this day every time I smell new mowed grass I think of them.

From: Joyce Eggleston

About: Ella (Spinning) Miller

My Grandmother Miller was special. She let Nan and I come down to her apartment quite a lot. She lived upstairs at my Uncle Charlie's house (her son). She would take us shopping, get us ice cream and ride on the bus into Glens Falls. She took us into Fort Edward to take the train to Lake George. We got to ride on the Mohigan Boat on Lake George. Grandma played cards with us and lots of games. Sunday mornings we would have popovers, bacon and coffee. A special treat.

From: Marie Zamora

About: Vito & Lucienne Zamora

My Grandparents... um... well I always remembered getting bags of candy on Fridays from my Grandpa and Grandma Zamora. That was fun!! i miss that...