Long ago and then into Grandma’s kitchen

Grandma wasn’t a professional chef or baker, but when holidays and special family events came around she certainly filled the role.

New Year’s Day was the first day of the year that she rejoiced in her youth in the 1910s in Argos and Bremen. I first journey back to the 1910s and Grandma’s precious cards from her now over 110-day postcard album she passed on to me before she died in May 1974.

My grandma, her maiden name Eva Zentz, and her sisters, Grace, Chloe, Della, Dora, Ada and Hazel sent dozens of beautiful holiday, birthday and other event postcards to each other during the 1910 years and into the 1920s. Grandma was born in August 1897, so would have been about 12 years old in 1910 when she started saving her beautiful postcards.

Fast forward to Grandma’s adult years, specifically to the 1950s so fondly recalled in my youth. It was during this decade when she burst forth with her talents as a baker, chef, decorator and family host of wonderful holiday dinners, which remain with me today in vivid memories.

Grandma made delightful birthday cakes for me and my two younger sisters, such as a train cake, doll cakes, circus cakes and so forth, but a most special cake was the lamb cake in celebration of that most special day of the year — Eas- ter Sunday. Happy Easter, everyone! Any information welcome to: Dr. Greg Lawson, 1801 E. 3rd St., Mishawaka, IN 46544. Lawson is a long-time writer laureate of area history and human interest stories.