My maternal grandparents celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in 1951.
The last couple of “kiss” photos I posted got me thinking about the couples in my family, and actually how few photographs I have. None of my parents (without the kids) and only this one of my maternal grandparents.
David Skinner Ramsay and Margaret Simpson Bissett Cruden were married in on 21 December 1926. Grandad was 25, Gran was 18. He was a coalminer, she a shop assistant. Both lived in Dysart, Fife, Scotland. They raised six children and remained married for 47 years, until my grandad’s death in 1973.
When my grandmother was widowed, she started travelling – to New Zealand to visit us, then Australia to see her brother and his family. She went to Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) to visit her only son, and back to Australia. In the last 15 or so years of her life she mainly stayed in Europe, but still managed to clock up an impressive number of miles for a woman who had never left the UK until she was in her mid 60s.
My gran died in 2006 – a week short of her 98th birthday. By that stage she had 17 grandchildren, 26(ish) great grandchildren, and a couple of great, great grandchildren.
She’s the grandparent I knew best and the only one I spent time with when I was an adult. Thinking back on all the hours we spent drinking tea and scoffing coffee meringues (her favourite), I wonder why I never asked her all the questions I now have about her life – her childhood, marriage, parents. Back then I just wasn’t that “into” family.
Now, a mother myself, I’m determined that my son will know more about his ancestry than I do about mine, and in particular the stories of lives and loves and death that make the past alive for us.
Shaking the tree 
Interesting story and an interesting woman! I understand your need to leave your son as much of the whole story as you can while you grew up with tiny bits and pieces of stories. I feel the same way.
Not sure if it is helpful to you but the Fife Family History Society is now on Facebook and it is very interesting. They are asking people to email them old Fife photos if they want to.
Lynn
She was an amazing woman; about four foot ten tall, and nearly as wide. She could be incredibly funny and perceptive, but had a bit of a vindictive streak as well. I always got on with her, but I know that my mother had quite a difficult relationship with her, and so did at least one of Mum’s sisters.
I’ve started following the Fife Family History Society on Facebook, and was going to try and see if I have any photos that might be appropriate.
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Your posts do make the past alive for your family and especially for your son !
Thanks kindly Su for all the likes and for being a consistent follower ✿ ✿ ✿
Doda
Thank you Doda 🙂