GRANDPARENTS
Kathleen Brooks
My grandmother, Kathleen Brooks, was born in Richmond, VA, on July 14, 1941. My grandmother, like my mother, grew up in a very rural setting: on a farm in Hanover county. Like my mother's upbringing, there wasn't large financial pressure to produce harvests, livestock, etc, as her father, Edward, was a very successful businessman in Richmond. Yet, he still managed to instill in her values of hard work, dedication, etc. From that hard work, she went to the University of Mary Washington and married my grandfather, then a senior at UVA. As my grandfather found success in mechanical engineering, inventing, and soon patenting, my grandmother's lifestyle became gradually more relaxed. By the time my mom and uncle were born, she was an independent woman, active in local groups despite functioning as a stay at home parent. They had also moved back onto the farm (the same one, I presume), but this time, with sizably greater outside assets. Once my grandfather found even more wealth through real estate and investments, she moved into the elusive upper class, and now owns 2 houses, both waterfront, sizable amounts of real estate, and has been able to travel nationwide in retirement. She is still alive and doing well as I write this, although health is always a concern. Heck, I usually don't know what state she's in at a given moment nowadays.
Event #1: The final sale of the family farm in September, 1993 (the document is the deed of trust which eventually led to a full-blown sale)
This marked the final release of our family's farm, which had been held in family hands for at least 3, maybe more, generations. This event really marked the shift in our family's, and really, our lineage's attitude: it's a shift from growing up on and returning to the family land to using real estate as a commodity to be traded and profited on.
Event #2: Health Scare, Fall 2013
I don't normally feel the need to explain the personal major events to this extent, but I think that this one warrants explanation. My grandmother, like my grandfather, has been dealing with diabetes for a while now, and health is always a concern to her. She went through major emotional turmoil when drafting her will, according to my grandfather, and that experience really encouraged her to become more active in religious organizations. In the end, I decided that this phase of her life really has brought about large-scale change, and thus I have chosen to include it here.
I don't normally feel the need to explain the personal major events to this extent, but I think that this one warrants explanation. My grandmother, like my grandfather, has been dealing with diabetes for a while now, and health is always a concern to her. She went through major emotional turmoil when drafting her will, according to my grandfather, and that experience really encouraged her to become more active in religious organizations. In the end, I decided that this phase of her life really has brought about large-scale change, and thus I have chosen to include it here.
Outside Event #1: World War II
In talking to my grandmother about this, she highlighted a rather obvious fact: she was a bit too young to remember much of anything about the war. At the war's end, she was only 4 years old, and she admits that seeing everybody come home was one of her first memories. Yet, this also had an interesting effect on her. Everybody alluded to and remembered a major event that happened oh so recently, yet one she had little to no memory of whatsoever. She had relatives in the war, yet she never knew much about the war until she learned it in the 5th grade.
In talking to my grandmother about this, she highlighted a rather obvious fact: she was a bit too young to remember much of anything about the war. At the war's end, she was only 4 years old, and she admits that seeing everybody come home was one of her first memories. Yet, this also had an interesting effect on her. Everybody alluded to and remembered a major event that happened oh so recently, yet one she had little to no memory of whatsoever. She had relatives in the war, yet she never knew much about the war until she learned it in the 5th grade.
Outside Event #2: The 1973-1975 Recession
This was an especially remembered event for my grandparents. Right at the time, my grandfather was 38, and as a result, was busy climbing the corporate ladder in his mechanical engineering career. Yet, things were difficult. Gas prices were soaring during the period, and my grandparents are quick to recall the days of carpooling with coworkers, squeezing out every mile out of a tank of gas. It was tough, my grandfather admits, to do well in business and garner enough capital to invest in real estate under such conditions, but he found a way.
This was an especially remembered event for my grandparents. Right at the time, my grandfather was 38, and as a result, was busy climbing the corporate ladder in his mechanical engineering career. Yet, things were difficult. Gas prices were soaring during the period, and my grandparents are quick to recall the days of carpooling with coworkers, squeezing out every mile out of a tank of gas. It was tough, my grandfather admits, to do well in business and garner enough capital to invest in real estate under such conditions, but he found a way.