My Gramma Austin

This is my Gramma and Grampa Austin.  Rob and Mattie.  RB and Martha Jane Wilson Austin.  Mother and Pap, to my dad, Forrest.  Gramma and Grampa to me. 

By the time I came along, these good folks had 20 or 30 grandchildren.  They were getting elderly and wearing down but they still put up 3 little girls and once in awhile, Alan, too while our folks went off on vacation with the 5 or 6 older children.  It was special, those 3 or 4 times, we stayed.  We had some adventures!  and maybe I can tell you about those later but my Gramma Mattie had a life-time of adventure!  of travel!  of sorrow and happiness!  If I don't get it all told here, I'll write again.  Gramma's life is just so different from what I experienced, or you.  I really can't imagine it . . . so am pretty sure my children can't either.  My grandchildren will think it happened on another planet.  or that I made it all up. 

My Grandmother Austin was born Mattie Jane Wilson.  well, there, already I fibbed.  she was bequeathed the name Martha Jane Wilson upon her birth.  She was one of 14 children born to George W. Wilson.  Her father had 7 children with his first wife and after she died, he remarried to Mary Willis Wilson and had 7 more.  George Washington Wilson tried to name his children so that they couldn't be nick-named.  Out of 14 there were 2.  2 rogues.  2 with nicknames.  It wasn't until my dad was gone that I and Dad's cousin Irma discoverered that there were 2 of George's children that had nick names.  My Gramma Austin was always an obvious choice for the child with nickname.  She was christened Martha Jane but everyone . .  I mean everybody . . . called my Gramma Mattie.  Now that's a nickname. 

My grandfather as a boy, and my young grandmother.  Gramma stuck these to photos in this album, side by side.  I think she dislodged another Austin relative to to that! 

After Dad died and I was still visiting Granny in the nursing home, I got to know and love my dad's cousin Irma Stradley Miller.  Irma had suffered a broken back in the late 1960s and had survived a multitude of illness and health problems.  She was a tough bird.  Through Irma, I learned that her mother Stella Wilson Strandley's real name was Estella.  I will bet you a 1000 bucks that my Dad didn't know that because he always claimed that his mother, Martha.  Mattie.  was the only one nick-named.  Anyway . . . doesn't really matter.  What I want to tell you about is my easy going, fun-loving, boyant Gramma Austin.  Mattie Jane Wilson Austin. 

Gramma was married young (oh weren't we all?)  but she married an Austin and the Austin's wandered around.  They followed family here.  They followed family from Ohio to Iowa to Nebraska to Missouri to Minnesota.  And all before the automobile.  They traisped around in covered wagons or horse-drawn carts.  Without coolers or refrigerators or bathrooms.  and other, newer sanitary items.  or washers and dryers and laundromats.  OMGosh.  how did they women do it?  especially in the month of birth of a new baby . . .   I'm overwhelmed and stressed out just thinking about it all.  I have no idea how the women of that time coped. 

Whew.  I'm spent.  Not sure I am up to the next leg of this journey.  Check back.  I'll get the smelling salts and get revived for the next part of this tale.