Dad/Larry/Paco reminded me this morning that today is the 110th anniversary of Grandma Kirsch's birth. She was born on July 13, 1901. I have a million and one memories of GK, but not the typical ones associated with a sedate, gray-haired old woman. Yes, she had gray hair, but she was anything BUT sedate and old-seeming.
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| Mom, Grandma Kirsch, Uncle Mike Kirsch in 1984 |
Here are a few memory flashbacks I had today...
**For many years Grandma Kirsch lived in an apartment at 5501 Nicollet Avenue. She didn't drive, so she hopped on buses to go to Dayton's in downtown Minneapolis and to visit TCF Bank to check on her money. When I'd go on one of those adventures with her, she'd clutch her handbag (a purse to the rest of us) close to her chest to protect it from bus vandals. We'd get downtown and she'd say to me, "I have money in every bank in downtown Minneapolis," and then chuckle. Who knows if that was true or not, but it was an intriguing thought to a kid. Grandma Moneybags. We'd invariably make a bathroom stop in a classy marble-decorated bathroom in some big building on the Nicollet Mall and that handbag would once again be protected rather than hung on the hook provided inside the stall door. "I've seen a hand reach over to try and grab my bag more than once," she'd offer as a reason. That was my warning to follow her example.
**Grandma Kirsch's response to the heat of summer was to tell my dad it was "gin and tonic weather", which prompted him to break out the appropriate ingredients for a cool drink.
**She was a neat and tidy person, and because of living through the Depression, was exceptionally mindful of taking good care of clothing and household goods so they would last. I can hear her saying, "One spot and it's ruined!" at least a thousand times about getting a grease spot on a skirt or sweater or on couch or chair upholstery. For my entire childhood I lived in fear of getting a spot of anything on my clothes for fear of having to shamefully toss a favorite wool skirt or sweater into the garbage because I'd ruined it.
**GK always described the latest purchases of her nephew, the well-to-do Duane Nathe, to my envious mother. My parents had their share of financial struggles, so hearing about her cousin's apparent wealth, especially when embellished as it was by GK, made Mom seethe. Yes, Duane Nathe worked for Dayton's, and his wife Mary Kay, with the glamorous shiny black hair and deep red lipstick, had a huge home and five or six kids to fill it. GK seemed to know the price of everything Duane and Mary Kay purchased. I remember in particular her telling Mom about the thousand dollar dining room table they bought. In the early '60s, that would have been one spiffy table-- and it was!
**GK was generous to my siblings and me. She gave us piles of Christmas presents, mostly clothes because she knew my parents were on a tight budget. GK had been widowed rather young--before age 50-- and she went to work as a housekeeper for the Goldenberg family, who lived in what seemed like a mansion in south Minneapolis. I don't think I have any photos of their home, but I found this black and white photo online of the house at 4545 Fremont Avenue South, near Lake Harriet.
**The Goldenbergs encouraged GK to have us stay with her when they were on trips from time to time. My brother Mark and I loved climbing the winding staircase, going into the wine cellar, and climbing up to the top floor to the maid's quarters. The house was fantastic. The Goldenbergs followed some kosher guidelines, and so it was the first time I'd seen a kitchen with two ovens and two refrigerators, or realized some people owned two sets of dishes to use depending on what kind of food they were serving. The whole notion of being Jewish was magical and mysterious to me, especially when described through the eyes of the very Catholic and German GK. I think it is remarkable that she and the Goldenbergs had a relationship that went well beyond an employer-employee relationship, and in fact they considered her a part of their family. She felt the need to pass along some of the Goldenberg family's traditions to the Reps family, including a hearty "Happy Hanukkah!" to accompany "Merry Christmas!" when she showed up for the holidays with (big) Uncle Mike. She made us Manischewitz Matzo Ball Soup, too, and would have enjoyed tasting Evan's version. Even more than that she'd have enjoyed Evan's love of pork products!
**My grandma was a knee slapper and she laughed with enthusiasm and energy. A favorite expression of hers was, "Gott in himmel!" which she exclaimed in good situations and in bad. She was a force of nature, and my mom didn't always appreciate that, but thanks to my dad, who got along supremely well with "Mart", as he often called her, her visits were fun and entertaining.
**She met Larry/Dad on Mother's Day in 1970, and they got along very well. A few weeks later I called her to tell her we were getting married. She told me she didn't think that was a good idea because I'd probably have to clean houses and scrub floors for a living if I married him. I never figured out what inspired that vote of confidence, but I know she was relieved when we both finished at the U of M and got jobs teaching. She didn't bring up the floor-scrubbing after that.
There is more to tell, but it will have to wait. I do wish I remembered more stories from Grandma Kirsch about Lake Henry, working in the bank in Paynesville, and about my mother and her siblings when they were children, but the details are vague because I wasn't so interested in hearing about that old time stuff when I was a kid. Grandma, it will be gin and tonic weather this weekend, and I will think of you, but will likely drink a beer instead. You liked beer, too!
