As I write this blog post and look out my office window, here in Tennessee we have ice and snow on the ground. This got me to thinking about my ancestors and what they thought about each of the four seasons. Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons of the year. Many who know me, know that I hibernate in the Summer and come out in Fall and especially Winter. I even love snow!
Barker House, Tennessee Ridge, TN. February 16, 2021
Have you thought about what seasons your ancestors enjoyed? Were they Summer people or Winter people? Did they hate a particular season?
I have been researching my family history for over 31 years. I am the type of researcher that wants to know what my ancestors had for breakfast, what were their hobbies and lately I have been thinking about what season they enjoyed the most and which season they detested.
I will admit it might be a bit difficult to really know if your 6th great-grandfather loved Summer as I imagine there are probably no records that actually state this fact unless you have his diary where he says it himself. But maybe we can glean from other sources if our ancestor was partial to a particular season.
Maybe your ancestor loved gardening and you know this because you have records where they bought gardening supplies or seeds from a catalog. Or maybe you have photographs of them next to the beautiful roses they grew in their garden. My Grandma Ida Kathryn (Drummond) Bartram loved gardening, especially growing flowers. She truly had a green thumb.
My Grandmother, Ida Kathryn (Drummond) Bartram, ca. 1968
Many of our ancestors grew their own food, either out of necessity or pleasure or both. There is a certain sense of accomplishment, I am told, when you can grow your own food during the Summer and feed your family throughout the Winter.
Mrs. P.L. Cook Prize Winning Canned Food, Houston County, TN. Archives
In the Fall of the year, here in Tennessee, it is sorghum molasses making time. This is an old tradition that dates back to the mid-1850s. Here is a great article from the Tennessee Encyclopedia about Sorghum Molasses making history: https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/sorghum-making/ Possibly your ancestors made sorghum molasses and you can find evidence of that because they sold their jarred molasses to the local mercantile or they entered it in the local county fair and won a blue ribbon. Documenting our ancestors daily lives, in any season, helps to tell their life story.
Lola Knight Scrapbook, ca. 1922-1923, Houston County, TN. Archives
Maybe it's the Summer season that your ancestors loved. They loved picnics, going creek stomping and attending that family reunion. Summer was a very busy time for farmers but they always took the time to enjoy themselves at the local watering hole or enjoying a summer treat of cold watermelon. My husband's family owned and operated a local public pool and it was the place to be in Houston County, Tennessee on a hot summer day.
Southernaire Restauant & Motel Pool, ca. 1959, Houston County, TN. Archives
So, as you are reading through old letters, diaries, scrapbooks and any other records your ancestors left behind. Pay closer attention to any mention of the seasons and if there are any thoughts shared about if they preferred one season over another. We can't know every thought and feeling our ancestors had but we can sure glean as much as we can from the records they left behind.
*****
Get Melissa's Legacy QuickGuide
Family Gatherings: Dragging Genealogy Information Out of Your Family
http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=2680
