Monday, July 25, 2011

It will always be home

When I remember back to my childhood, growing up in the Amana Colonies in Iowa, many pleasant thoughts come to mind.  It was beautiful place, where children could grow in safety and with a faith that would last a lifetime.  Everything was centered around family and church.  Usually three generations, sometimes four,  lived under one roof, and those roofs were covering very large homes.  

The photo below, to me, is how I remember home.  The bricks houses, the grape trellis covered with leaves and grapes in abundance.  The windows; quite often 9 panes of glass above and 9 panes below.  






My family home, built in 1872, with the same family owning it until we needed to sell it in 2001, after my mother passed away. 


Our home had 9 panes of glass above and 6 below.  I am not remembering the significance right now why some had 9 below and some had 6 panes of glass.  You could sometimes see the little bubbles left in the glass during it's making.  


Some of the homes were wooden and some were made of sandstone.  No matter, these were homes where our parents and their parents grew up and then where we children were also raised.


And in the end, we are all put to rest in the same way.  There are no family plots.  You are buried in the order in which you died.  The tombstones are simple; made of concrete with your name, date of death and the length of your days on earth.  In years past, the tombstones only recorded the year of birth and the year of death.


I have taken you on a very short tour of my Amana.  No matter where I have lived or what I have experienced, it all comes back to my childhood, growing up in Amana.

12 comments:

  1. A beautifully nostalgic post today!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  2. Susan, you have a very, very rich heritage. Full of all the most important things in life.

    You know I love those homes. So much history and love.

    I would enjoy some good afternoons spent knitting together myself. ;)

    blessings ~ tanna

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  3. What a beautiful post full of memories Susan. Looked like the perfect place to grow up.
    Rita

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  4. Anonymous10:25 AM

    Susan, it is like a time that has passed. the norm is no longer the family with a mom and dad and going to church. so sad that the norm is single parent families or relationships with no marriage and children from this one and that one. My definition of chaos.
    Love your stories. 'Home' is a word with so much attached to it; love,memories, family, beginnings, heritage etc. How will the children today have much of that when they are shuffled around like a deck of cards and think that the Kardashians are the epitome? We have cut off our heads. We aren't thinking anymore, just feeling and we want what we want. There are consequences to all of it.
    wishing it weren't so,
    Laurie Erdman
    back in the good old wisconsin woods with a bunch of midwesterners who are still 'the salt of the earth'.

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  5. Such a beautiful post, from the heart.

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  6. Strong roots - what a gift your parents gave you.

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  7. Great post! I have enjoyed my time here. I'll be back to visit.

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  8. Anonymous8:16 PM

    This is so beautifully written and meaningful. Thank you for sharing your memories. We are always here to welcome you back to Amana. Reading this was like receiving a birthday present. Danke schöen. Connie

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  9. Love this post. Where we are from shapes us.

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  10. What lovely memories. Sounds ideal - life centred around family and church. Lovely family home too.

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  11. I love this Susan ~ thank you so much for sharing the rich tapestry of history with us. I enjoyed it very, very much. xo

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  12. The Amana Colonies remind me so much of my Hutterite way of life! Thanks for sharing! I would love to visit these colonies someday.

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