Grammas and Grampas

Roadtrips, Granddaughters & Modern Technology

Gramma & Grampa take a Roadtrip

In 1962, my grandparents, Virgil Crowell, aged 53 and Della (Convers) Crowell, aged 51 took a trip across the United States. I was 2 years old at the time. I’ve known about this trip my whole life. The details of the trip remain a mystery to me though. I never thought to ask my grandparents about their experience. While I have an archive of photos of their trip, I really don’t know much about where they were or what their experiences were. I wish I did. I know it was an important trip for them.

My grandfather, Virgil Crowell, who I called Grandpa, pronounced “Grampa” was the kind of man who you knew just loved you so much. I loved him very much. All of us cousins did. He always wore a baseball cap, plaid flannel shirts that were as soft as his demeanor, and hearing aid in one ear. He passed away in 1974 when I was 14 years old. My relationship with my Grampa was cut short, and I’ve always missed him.

My grandmother, Della Convers Crowell, who I called Grandma, pronounced “Gramma,” always said, “Come hug Gramma’s neck,” when we would visit her. She treated me like I was important. She put the M&Ms candy she always had ready for me in a little bowl, instead of leaving them in the bag. I always remembered how it made me feel like I mattered to her. I always put my granddaughters’ snacks and treats in bowls. I want them to know they matter to me. My Gramma passed away at age 91 in 2003. I had a long and loving relationship with her.

Next Generation Gramma and Grampa’s Roadtrip

On Saturday morning, my husband, Jeff and I left our house in California and headed out on a trip to Montana to visit Glacier National Park. With our luggage packed for this 12-day road-trip, we embarked on the first leg up Interstate 5 to Bend, Oregon. Fueled with our excitement and a full tank of gas, we made it to Bend about 4PM. We left Bend and are on the road again early this morning. The karma of getting up early and leaving on time for our next leg gave us a beautiful Oregon sunrise.

Oregon Sunrise

We planned the trip for about 6 months. As the day of our departure approached, I continued to have thoughts of my grandparents’ trip 62 years ago. How great it would have been to hear their voices describing their time, see their faces and in a way, go along for the ride. Were they excited like Jeff and I are for our trip?

Granddaughters

Then I came to a realization. My three granddaughters are aged 4 years old, 2 years old and the youngest is also 2 years old, the same age I was when my grandparents went on their trip. Are they going to wonder about our trip?

When we were getting ready to go, I was sad to leave them. We live pretty close by and see them quite often, so this time away, even though it is only 12 days, seems like a long time. I requested Zoom time and FaceTime with their parents and I think it will help.

With my grandparents’ trip history still somewhat of a mystery to me, I knew that documenting the trip with photos, and video to be able to show the girls 10 or 20 years from now was a must. Will they appreciate it as much as I would have? Time will only tell. How they will receive it can’t be the determining factor whether I leave them with this legacy or not. If not them, it might be their grandchildren who want to know. Family history matters.

This got me thinking about those who will call me their Great Grandmother or 2 Times Great Grandmother. The relationship I had with my three granddaughters might be of interest to them. It certainly is part of what I want to know about my ancestors. Beyond the events that happened in their lives, the stories we can learn about them, I am always curious about the relationships they had with family members.

Modern Technology

When I was 8, I took a trip with my family to Disneyland in Southern California. When we visited Tomorrowland, I got to see what the future held in terms of technology. I was shocked and surprised to learn that phone calls in which you could see the person you were talking to on a little screen on the phone was in my future. In 1968, at least for me, that kind of thing was impossible.

These days of talking over a Zoom call is so beyond what I saw that day in Tomorrowland. I had no idea of what the implications of that future-tech I saw in 1968 would be. The opportunity it brings with regard to preserving family conversations would have knocked my 8 year old self’s socks off. When I think about the implications for the future generations of my family, well I’m still struggling with my socks.

The time my granddaughters, and their Grampa and Gramma spend on Zoom and FaceTime is the perfect opportunity for preserving a family conversation. In fact, with this trip, the opportunity is great. I live so close to them, time with us talking online just doesn’t happen. That is why I am going to record each Zoom or FaceTime conversation.

With video from the online calls, photos, video, a personal Vlog and journal, I will piece it all together and leave it for them. Look at that. I turned another event in my life into a genealogical adventure.

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