Stories from the parents

Grandma, do you remember any stories that your parents or grandparents used to tell about hard times or the good old days?
My mom often talked about the Big Earth quake and fire in SF 1906. She and her family had to live in a tent in Golden Gate Park. More people in SF lived in Flats. Their house was not destroyed - I should remember more as my mom talked about this disaster often - she said her father took her to one of the hills near by - (SF had three or was it seven hills) - and watched the city burn. My mom was only ten years old. In the park where many people lived until their houses were safe enough to return. About this time my aunt Eileen was born - we all called her Mono (Mo no)

My dad never talked about this sister Kathrine dying - he was only twelve but life was hard then - He did tell my brother he helped build the barn with his Dad.

___________________________________________________________

I learned a bit more about Grandma's maternal grandma (Nana) yesterday, she was a Flynn and had two brothers that graduated from university yet she worked in an orphanage and married a barber, a Madigan (Uncle Bill Sarsfield thinks there is a story in that ... just will never know). After her husband died, she took grandma's mom and sister (who were both employed in SF at the time, one at a hat shop) to Weezer, ID where her nephew was a priest. Why? ... grandma doesn't know ... maybe it was to escape something or start over since both daughters were well employed for the time in SF. And eventually she moved to Portland and lived on NE 31st and Oregon. Grandma has fond memories of her Nana and this house, where she used to roller skate around the block :)