Extra Extra Read ALL About Her

Good morning Tanderanians, today I am writing to you about my great-grandmother Minnie Nesmith. After playing phone tag, I finally got in touch her with daughter Pearl, who happens to be my great-aunt. Mrs. Minnie was born February 11, 1907, and died on a cool crisp Sunday evening in 1975. For starters,  I would like to say she was  just amazing. Many would refer to her as strict, strong-willed, and a powerful woman, but to me she was everything.

My Great-Grandmother Minnie

After getting married, her and my great-grandpa had 10 children and lived on a farm with the 11 children he had from a previous marriage. It is said that they had just about anything that you could imagine on this  farm, from fruit trees, vegetables, and gardens to their very own grapevine. When talking with my aunt, I found this to be sentimental because most of the things my grandmother grew up with she brought to the house I live in now.

Sadly after a few years, my great-grandmother's husband died and she had to raise all twenty-one children and run a farm on her own. She worked hard to get what she wanted in life and taught her children the same. If this isn't a strong determined woman, then I do not know what is.

While talking on the phone with my aunt, I admired how they either planted, raised or made everything from scratch. It was amazing to know that everything she made came from the heart, including her homemade syrup. The most important things to her were her children and being productive. The part that surprises me the most is that she was able to do all of those things as a woman of color, back when we had few rights. In a time period where women were disrespected and where black women weren't even acknowledged, she proved that you can do anything. She believed that there was always work to be done. The day she died she was suffering from Tuberculosis, but her actual cause of death was because her sugar dropped and her blood pressure went up.

My Great-Grandmother with her children and grandchildren.

 Before I go, I wanted to say that my great-grandmother was an amazing woman who did  regular grandmother-like things, for instance, quilting, baking, and planting. Whoever is out there reading this, I hope you know that you can do anything and don't have to be dependent. My great-grandmother never remarried or dated after her husband died, and even though he was the love of her life, she still managed to be strong. She was buried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  at Mount Moriah Cemetery. Her  last words were, " I know I won't get to see my grandchildren because I am dying soon."