Some years ago, Dad told me a story and then told me not to tell people.  Well, now that all of the older generation have passed, I am sharing the story.  I think Dad thought it was too risque and might put his mother in a negative light, but I believe shows a side of my Grandma Nellie (Peelle) McCracken that many of my generation may never have seen.

The Story

Someone, although I don’t recall who, was questioning Grandma about her second oldest daughter Ester’s looks.  Apparently, they thought her coloring and maybe her height did not match Grandma and Grandpa.  I guess  they thought Ester was too blonde and too tall.  Anyway, Grandma, in a rarely seen moment expressing humor, calmly stated, “Well, we lived across the road from a family of Swedes back then.”

The Assessment

It was true that Ester was very light in color when she was young and she was taller than her older sister O’Ella.  However, anyone that knew Grandma McCracken would know that there was absolutely no chance that her implication was true.  First of all, if it had been true, she would never, ever have made the statement.  She was far too proper and she would never have stated that if she had even given the Swede a glance.  Secondly, unlike some people that married just to be married, letters between Grandma and Grandpa show that they were quite smitten with each other.

In addition, they clearly didn’t notice Grandma’s very light colored skin.  It isn’t as if she had dark hair and olive skin like her sister.  Nor did they realize that many children, including several of Grandma and Grandpa’s children, have light colored hair that darkens as they grow older.

Anyone that is still questioning if there is a chance that the implication could be true, Aunt Ester’s great-grandchildren’s DNA proves that they are indeed descendants of Grandpa McCracken.

The Humor

Her statement reminded me so much of the humor of her son, Dewey – dry, calm, and simple.  It was funny if you caught it, but sometimes it came out so smooth that some of the people missed it.  Her style was very different than her son Don who would be chuckling and making exaggerated gestures with his hands as he made statements that were meant to be humorous. 

Don’s gestures reminded me a bit of stereotypical Italian gestures.  But, before you get any ideas, I can attest that a German family – not Italian – lived across the road when Don was born.