Favorite memory of Grandma Gardner
Each summer Dad and Mom would take me to Afton to stay with Grandma Gardner for a whole week. I have many memories about Ivory Soap, bottled cherries, sitting on a red stool eating fried chicken, a singing canary, watching Grandma do wash with her old ringer washer, sleeping on the feather bed, watching The Price Is Right every morning. One night Cecile and I decided to go out late and see what was in the neighbors gardens and just have fun. Our plan was she would come after dark, knock on the bedroom window I was sleeping in, and then I would crawl out. Well I went to bed dressed and waited for Cecile. She finally came and I just got out of the window, when I heard the window shade open with a loud FLAP, FLAP, FLAP!! There stood Grandma Gardner in her night gown looking very frightened........ "I, thought there was a burgler coming to take you away," she said. Boy did we get into trouble the next day!!! The aunts where all at Aunt Dorthy's crying and talking about what we had done to scare poor Grandma Gardner. I don't know if she liked me much after that. Do you remember this Cecile?? Cousin Patty

I spent a lots of nights with Grandma because she didn’t like to stay alone. She was particularly afraid of thunder and lightning. That old feather bed of hers needed a lot of beating with a broom. It took some time to please her. Some times I would slough off to see what she would do. Pretty soon I would find her in the room with a broom beating it herself.. Julia

I remember Grandma rocking me and singing to me before my afternoon nap when she was tending me while Mom was teaching school. I remember her faith. When I stayed overnight with her we always knelt for prayer before breakfast. When she had part of her liver removed and was not expected to live much longer she would not go to bed at night without a Priesthood blessing. She lived many years after that. I remember her industriousness and always wanting a clean, neat and tidy house. She taught me to clean it even if it didn't look dirty, that way she said, it would always stay clean. I remember quilting bees at her house and playing underneath the quilt while everyone was quilting. She was a great inspiration to me. When I had my first baby, I remember thinking who on earth would ever want to go through this twice. I thought of grandma doing it 13 times. When I lost my husband Jerry, when I lost my son, Jed, I thought of Grandma and the fact that she had managed through the same trials and I could do it too. I am grateful for this strong and faithful woman. Judy



Just before my mission in April of 1967, she visited us in West Point and I had what I consider my first real chat with her and we posed together for a picture that is memorable to me. It was the last time I saw her and I am grateful for those hours together. Suzanne

What is your favorite memory of Grandma Gardner?

Favorite Memory - My Rook partner I knew her at a time when she was younger than when she was during the times most of you describe. She lived in 4 different homes in Afton when I was there. Kayleen stayed with Grandma much of the time when I was young so I visited with them often. During my high school years I remember many Rook games where I teamed up with Grandma. She was as good as anyone in the family. She was not yet 70 years old when I knew her best, and that seems pretty young these days. About the time I graduated from high school she went with Vern to Philadelphia. I moved from Afton and did not see her much after that time.

Every time I drive the road between Montpelier and Afton, I think of my first trip along that road. It was with Grandma, and she told me not to look down because it would be too frightening for me. Kendell


Does anybody remember the old 78 record grandma had recorded singing?? I remember listening to it but cannot remember the song. The quality was not so hot and it was very scratchy but mom had a copy of it and cried every time she played it. Most of you younger "kids" won't even remember the old 45 and 78 vinyl records. Joane

Grandma Gardner died when I was little. I would guess 4 or 5. I do remember
that she stayed at our house for a while before she passed away. I also
remember that I didn't go to her funeral. I loved to hear the stories about her
from my mom. Troy

Grandma Gardner must have been a strong woman in charge to have been able to raise so many strong-minded children - many who loved to debate and argue. She would have had to be "tough" yet loving. I have a lot of respect and admiration for her. Nancy


I remember Grandma Gardner being the boss in the house. This was interesting when she had all her big sons there especially Vern. There never was any question who was in charge. She always seemed glad to see me and had a special way of making me feel important. Joel

Nancy sent these great pictures! Thanks

I hope you are still taking comments about Grandma Gardner because I have so many memories of her. I used to stay with her often at night and remember many nights walking the long block from our home to hers in my jammies. She had the most quaint wood stove and oven ever seen and she always prepared a huge breakfast. If I didn't feel like eating she would give me a big dose of paregoric.

She always told all of the grandbabies how "lazy" we were and was known to "wash our mouths out" with homemade bars of soap. I remember her making this soap with huge vats of "fat" and lye. She was the first person I saw kill a chicken with her bare hands and that was gruesome! Something you just can't forget, especially when it is fried up for dinner.

She wall papered her house so many times it was pulling off the walls but this was her yearly spring cleaning. When we slept at grandmas we slept on feather beds and had to shake them out every morning and make-up the beautiful brass beds. She always offered food when we entered her house and it was usually very stale cookies. She would always dye her hair and it could be very unusual colors of pink, purple, blue.

She would make us either hide in the closet or on the feather beds when there was even a hint of lightening. She always wore a beautiful hat to Sunday School on Sunday and there was always a crocheted hankie tucked in her waist belt. We had fun dressing up and wearing all the hats, some even had netting over our face. She loved listening to her old radio--especially basketball especially when it was her grandsons and BYU. I think it was Vern or Delos who bought her first TV and it was sports or Ed Sullivan.

I could never imagine someone having 13 children but she loved them all as her favorite and always sent her grandchildren a birthday card--until there were so many of us she couldn't keep up. She taught me how to crochet, do laundry with a wringer, mow the lawn with a push mower and laugh! I have some wild stories and Lea Rae helped me make some of them like sneaking out of the bedroom window because she made us go to bed so early.

She was very political and that is when I heard my first swear word when she spoke of "Damn Cats". She was very firm in her beliefs and I am pretty sure that is where most of us learned to argue. I never saw her back off a good debate. She had a great sense of humor and I remember her laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.

Grandma had a picture of her husband in her bedroom and she often talked of her love for him. She was so proud of her children and her heritage. She had so much love for all of us and even though she could be stern and crotchety, I loved her. Her children took such loving care of her and each other.

She always kneeled down at her bedside at night and gave thanks to her Heavenly Father and asked for protection for her large and growing family. She had a very strong belief in her religion and a strong testimony of being with her loved ones in the after life. Sometimes I hated walking the long, cold block to spend the night with Grandma but now wish I would have taken note of those good times more carefully. Joane

I was also afraid of Grandma. I remember a time that we stayed with her in Afton and she fixed clam chowder. I hate clams, so I wouldn't eat it, and she got mad at me for being a "picky" eater. I learned to stay close to Vernie, and then she was much nicer to me. She's the only person on earth that I know of that had some kind of control over my dad. He surely loved her. Though I didn't really feel like I had a personal relationship with her, I grew to love and admire the life she lived and the wonderful family she produced. Karen

Pulling an egg from behind me and saying I laid an egg. Gary

I remember her staying with us when I was a kid and her getting after my mom (Beatrice) for letting me eat potato chips after I came home from school - Darrelyn