Eunice Sarah Franklin born in Houston, Texas, 30 August 1913, Died 4 September 1998 in Chicago, Illinois.
I had the family over for dinner Christmas Eve, and I mentioned how when we were younger we would have Christmas brunch at grandma’s. She’d fix scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, grits, fried apples and biscuits. Didn’t matter if you didn’t like scrambled eggs, you ate what was put on your plate!
And all the food had to be eaten and the kitchen cleaned before anyone opened any gifts!
As my grandma got older the task of holiday gatherings fell to my mother, despite the fact that she was the middle daughter and now I am the matriarch of the family holiday dinners.
Grandma Eunice was a very talented woman, she was a tailor and a furrier. That woman could, would and did take newspaper or brown butcher paper and create a pattern in the morning, sew up a dress for herself to wear to a formal event in the evening! She was just that good! You better believe she would not walk into an event and see her dress on someone else!
She tried to teach all three of her daughters to sew but the only one who showed any skill or interest was my mother, who passed it on to me. Neither of my two sisters were interested.
Sometime between 1941 and 1942 Grandma Eunice moved from Galveston, Texas to Chicago. After a period of time she purchased a two flat on Chicago’s westside across the street from the Garfield Park Conservatory. She was a single parent providing a strong, secure home for her daughters and their families. 
Gathering Family Untangling Roots 
I love this! My grandmother was a seamstress as well and the craft was passed to my mother! This inspires me!
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Hi Amy! I forgot to put in there that I have my grandmothers sewing machine, it’s over 50 years old and it works just fine! I use to make clothes for my kids when they were little.
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“Didn’t matter if you didn’t like scrambled eggs, you ate what was put on your plate!” Yes indeed you didn’t have the option of being picky about what you ate as children. Nothing like a wonderful Grandmother! I’m loving your blog too excellent work!
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Thank you Terrence! My grandma didn’t take no mess! lol
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Enjoyed your post Donna, your grandmother was really talented.
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Thank you! She truly was, wish I had a picture of the fur coat she made from scrapes of fur. She was awesome!
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Love that you are keeping in the Spirit of her Craft. We need more families to pass these Trades on. It was always done out of LOVE! We consume way to much, instead of Producing! KUUMBA!
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Hi True! You ain’t never lied! I learned so much from her and my mother, strong women!
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Family traditions pass from one generation to the next. I am amazed I am now the family matriarch. How did that happen?
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Hi Linda! It certainly does, I know how I got here, I’m the oldest! lol
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Wow! I love your post about your grandmother Eunice. I remember, like it or not, you definitely had to eat what was put on your plate. Lol. My grandmother sewed as well and inspired me to do the same. Beautiful story! 🙂
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Thank you so much!!
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Donna, great post. Your grandmother certainly was talented. What a wonderful way to pay tribute to her.
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Thank you Bernita!
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Loved learning about your very talented grandmother, and the photos were great.
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Thank you! She was a fantastic woman! Happy New Year!!
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Donna, welcome to AAGSAR and the world of genealogy blogging! Your new blog looks WONDERFUL! Listen, I’ve also enjoyed reading about Grandma Eunice too, who just happens to be a woman after my heart. Your Grandma and I have a lot in common — I was born and reared in Houston and my mother sent me to Singer Sewing School which resulted in me sewing most of the clothes I wore in Jr High & High School– LOL!
I am so glad you’re blogging and I look forward to reading more about . . . Your never ending search for your ancestors!
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I am loving me some Grandma Eunice! She is beautiful, classy, and obviously expected the family to follow house rules! You better eat what’s cooked and if you put it on the plate, then the plate better be empty before putting in the sink when you’re done! And I bet you all did just that, no questions asked! Your Ancestors are smiling at your beautiful work!
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Donna,
I enjoyed reading your blog and have read it twice. Many memories come to my mind about Mother Dear. One day, I will share them with you.
Auntie
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Thanks! Please don’t wait, you can always tape your stories!
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