How grandparents maintained family connections across generations

SEX: Male [X] Female [ ]

AGE: 18-30 [ ] 31- 45 [X] 46 and over [ ]

PLACE OF BIRTH -- Westminster, Colorado

US or Europe [X] W. Indies & Caribbean [ ] L. America [ ] Asia [ ] Africa [ ]

LENGTH OF RESIDENCE in the U.S.: Less than 5 years [ ] 5 to 10 years [ ] More than 10 years [X]

PRESENT NATIONALITY: American

RACIAL/ETHNIC IDENTITY: White

EDUCATION Up to 8th 9th to 12th Some college orgrade [ ] grade [ ] college graduate [X]

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS

FAMILY MEMORIES

I grew up in Northglenn, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. I have lived here my entore life except for two stints of college. I grew up in a lower middle-class family. My parents divorced when I was 3 years old. Both parents agreed not to drag it out through the courts, and came up with shared custody where we would switch off and on. Every other day, and every other weekend so it we spent the same amount of time with both parents. Both parents worked, and when we were younger we were watched by my older cousin until my brother was old enough to take care of the both of us. Each parent would later get remarried, my mother in 1984, and my father in 1985.

Not many sentimental items were kept for the family to be passed down as heirlooms or anything like that. Basic items like photos, and the occasional handmade blanket or quilt were the only things kept from the past.

INTER-GENERATIONAL AND INTRA-GENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Both sides of my family were close with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins until I was in my teenage years when the elders got too old to join in family functions. And when my Aunt Sue died in 1998, the majority of my mother's side unraveled in the sense that the gatherings ceased to take place, and many daily connections to one another faded from view.

Typically both sides of the family would gather on Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. These were raucous, fun, exciting holidays for the entire family. Drinking, laughing, game-playing, and silliness were commonplace. Again though, as the elders became less involved, and in some case, passed, these holiday gatherings faded, or disappeared completely. My grandparents' generation were definitely the glue so to speak, keeping everyone in good spirits and encouraging connection and contact throughout the year besides just the holidays. As I mentioned these quickly dissipated with their aging and deaths.

FAMILY'S INTEREST IN ITS PAST