Flipside: Giving Thanks for the Old Time Hughes Thanksgiving

I crossed age 78 this year and am the oldest in my greater US Hughes Family. My brother Ken's death this year also places me in the position of being the only one in the US Hughes Family who lived through our grandparents (Grams and Pop Pop) time in the 1950's at an age to have vivid memories. A collection of those memories are about Thanksgiving and, although many I have verbally told, it is high time to "put pen to paper" and get them out on Flipside.

My memories go back to elementary school days. Paternal grand parents, George Henry Hughes (Pop Pop) and Sarah (Sara) Margaret VanGilder Hughes (Grams) lived in a duplex in the Borough of Bellevue, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. 168 Lincoln Avenue held Hughes Family Thanksgiving meals from 1950 to 1956.

There are precious few photographs from the gatherings and the three years that are covered are 1953, 1955 and 1956.

From about 1957 until Pop Pop retired in 1962, The Thanksgiving celebration was held at their second apartment, also in the Borough of Bellevue. During these years I have "iron glad" memories as I was in late elementary school, then junior high and finally sophomore year in high school.

Pop Pop, Grams, Great Grandma Hughes,
my maternal grandmother, Aunt Faith, Cousin Kae
and me peeking from the side of the photo

I just located this photograph. Taken by Dad, Thanksgiving 1953 at the Lincoln Avenue apartment. Dad was back from Korea that summer. Mom and Ken are not pictured.

Front Row: Me and Ken
Second Row: Dad, Pop Pop, Aunt Barb, Mom
Back Row: Grams, Aunt Faith, Uncle Ed, Great Grandma Hughes, Jeff, Uncle John

This was the one entire family Thanksgiving celebration. Thank you Dad for capturing us in this freeze fame of our life. 💖 My youngest brother, Jeff, was born in May and Aunt Faith and Uncle Ed were married in May. Aunt Barb and Uncle John were expecting their first child, Fran.

Actually 1956

1956

There were a few more 1956 Thanksgiving photographs. Uncle John and Aunt Barb were not present; however, my maternal grandmother is in the pictures. I am sure she was also at the 1955 Thanksgiving, just not in the one photograph. I reevaluated these sets of photos and realized I mistakenly labeled them all 1955, not noticing that folks were wearing different clothes. Rooky mistake. 😁

Memories

Lincoln Avenue apartment had a HUGE kitchen. The women would be in the kitchen having coffee and chatting while Grams was working on the meal. The men and Great Grandma Hughes were in the living room having drinks and laughing. After the table was cleared, the women would be back in the kitchen doing the dishes allowing Grams to sit.

As a kid I found it funny that Wild Turkey was one of the bottles that was poured in the living room.....on Thanksgiving.

A joke Uncle John played on his wife, Barb, was sneaking into the kitchen and shooting her in the leg with a spray bottle of anesthetizing liquid. Maybe some new medical product Dad brought for either Grams or Pop Pop's use.

I can remember the plates that were always used. White plates with green ivy leaves around the edge. Some were chipped. Coffee or tea in cups and saucers were on the table and served with the meal. No wine.

The North Bryant apartment was smaller--a two bedroom. Everyone gathered in the living room or sat at the table before the meal was served.

The kitchen was small. Grams was in there readying the feast. Pop Pop was the potato masher. The women relieved Grams of kitchen duty after the dinner, clearing the table and washing the dishes.

Pop Pop always called the sweet potatoes....yams and as a joke the green beans....bems.

Grams' food was always so wonderful. Nothing fancy. Just delicious.

Her baked items...wowee! There were always two pies. Pumpkin and mincemeat. Although Grams was a teetotaler, she still put a little somethin-somethin in the mincemeat. One year Pop Pop added another healthy pour. Best pie ever. LOL

I have covered this in other blogs about Grams; however, I want to add it again here. Grams learned her cooking and baking skills from her mother, Jessie Pool VanGilder. Jessie ran boarding houses after her husbands death and Grams and her sisters grew up assisting their mother with household and kitchen chores. When her girls were grown, Jessie was a stewardess (the cook) on river boats.

Jessie was skilled at baking, breads and sweets. My Dad told me of coming home from school and knew when his Grandmother VanGilder was in town from the aroma of the baking bread wafting toward him as he entered the house. I do not have a memory of Grams baking bread.

My Mom told me when remembering Grams....whenever Grams wanted something sweet, she would find a recipe in a magazine and bake it to have with her tea.

The usual Thanksgiving Meal

Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Gravy with giblets (I don't have them in my gravy...lol)
Green Beans (bems)
Candied Yams
Rolls and Butter
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Coffee, tea and milk for the grandchildren
Pumpkin Pie
Mincemeat Pie

Grams and Pop Pop dressed for
Faith and Ed's wedding

Nothing to do with Thanksgiving; however, a favorite photo of mine from the 1950's....clear and in color. They both look terrific!!! Grams was a seamstress. The plan was for her to make Aunt Faith's dress and probably her own. Unfortunately she broke her arm and was unable to do any of the sewing. She is wearing long white gloves to cover the cast on her arm.

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