Hazel was my Grandmother and a very special person. I loved her very much. She was also a very interesting person. I don't remember any special recipes of hers. Maybe she didn't have any. I don't remember her baking bread, pies or cookies. I do remember her as fun to talk to and great to spend time with. Grandma died in 1976 shortly after I got out of college. I remember all through college, when I would be home, going over and spending time with my Aunt Ruth Gottschall and my Grandmother at Ruth's house. They were both very special people. I wish I had been more inquisitive at that time and documented more of what we talked about.
As I understand it, from stories I recall, Hazel was born with a veil over her face. This is similar to having a hood over your face when you are born. People born with veils over their face are said to be caulbearers. These people are believed to be possessed with special powers which vary from culture to culture. In the case of my Grandma, she always told us that she had some psychic powers that would let her see the future at times. I don't know if this is true or not but the stories are fascinating. She recalled once she had a vision of the moon hanging low in the night sky and attached to a string. She wasn't sure what it meant but the next day President Warren Harding died and she believed that what she saw was a sign about his pending death. She told stories about seeing Satan in her back yard which foreshadowed the depression. I wish I could remember all her stories. I don't recall her talking about this in later years.
My Grandfather Samuel Harvey Youmans was less than an ideal husband. They lived in Hopewell, Virginia after they were married and all six of their children were born there. During the depression, they migrated to Sebring, Ohio which was a pottery center. They came for the jobs. There apparently weren't any in Virginia but the potteries were working and had jobs. These weren't boutique like potteries we see today, they were dinner ware manufacturers and produced large quantities of dinner ware. My Grandfather eventually left the family and my Grandmother managed to keep the family together in Sebring through this tough period. My Grandfather eventually remarried, and upon his second wife's death, married again to her sister. They remained in the area the entire time. I don't remember my Grandfather very well as I was pretty young when he died. I just remember recalling what seemed to be a strained relationship between my Father and him and that through the years, only visiting him maybe twice.
I remember that my Grandmother loved to sing and dance. Music was important to her. She seemed to be a loving soul who enjoyed life fully. She was a fun person. I wish I had more stories about her and more pictures of her. At the top of this post is a picture of her when she was only three. She grew up in Camden, New Jersey. She is buried in Highland Memorial Cemetery, Sebring, Ohio in the Youmans family section surrounded by her loved ones and family that she so cherished.
Anyone with more information or photos to share will be greatly appreciated. I welcome all comments and contributions.
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