Today is my paternal step-grandmother's birthday. Helen (Torrance) Coughlin (1910-1995) was born May 10, 1910 to Walter Torrance and Elizabeth (Madden) Torrance in Upper Jay, Essex County, New York. "Grandma C" was an English teacher for many years. I use to hate seeing my letters returned from Grandma with corrections to my elementary school grammar (of course in red ink!!!).
I have many fond memories of my grandmother. She would write long letters, which my family called "the Book", where she would update my parents on the gossip of the area. My parents would look at each and ask "Who is she talking about?" as neither knew the person. But we looked forward to getting them as that was the way we were updated on our family before the age of internet and cheap calls.
One of the best things my grandmother did was write on the back of photos or as my father would say "there's a story on the back again!". I'm not sure who got all of her photos after her death but who ever has them as a treasure chest of information at their fingers!
Here's a photo of Grandma, my mother and me in front of a golf and country club in Goose Creek, Berkeley County, South Carolina in 1970. I'm sure they were probably visiting us on their way to Florida from New York so my grandfather could play golf in the winter!!
And her "story":
So Happy Birthday Grandma!!
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