Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Meet Bubbe, a 92 Year Old Blogger!

Guest post by Bryce, Bubbe's great-grandchild




I am Bryce, and I am a third grader in Mrs. Yollis' class. This is my second school year with her, and she has been teaching me a lot about blogging. During Family Blogging Month, she's been able to teach my family about blogging too. One special commenter has been my great-grandmother,  Bubbe. 

Bubbe is a non·a·ge·nar·i·an  (nän ə jəˈnə rē ən). A nonagenarian is a person who is between 90-99 years old. As our senior-most blogger, Mrs. Yollis asked if we could feature her! 


Here is the first comment from Bubbe on our Family Blogging Month :: Learning From Family post:







Mrs. Yollis replies to Bubbe:




Like any great blogger, Bubbe replies:

Dear Mrs. Yollis,

Thank you for your warm reception. It is nice to be a part of Bryce's school activities. Thank you also for the new word "nonagenarian." I'm never too old to learn.

When I was in third grade, I went to Pothier School on Social Street in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. My third grade teacher was Miss Cilcline. I don't remember exactly what I learned. I was told that I had very good penmanship and I loved to learn. I was glad that I could pass that feeling on to my children, Ellen and Irwin.

Everyday I walked home from school for lunch. Then I walked back for the afternoon. Then I walked home again. I was very lucky to live in a house. In my backyard was my father's horse Yankee. He was almost red in color. Everyday my father would take his horse and cart and go out and buy and sell rags. I guess he did very well, because he was able to buy his first car in 1926. It was a Buick.

Warren G. Harding was the president when I was born. I have lived through 16 presidents. I plan to be around for the seventeenth, too. I knew that Warren G. Harding was the president, but I didn't know about the 16 until we had dinner one night and Bryce played a President's game with us. He knew them all and he told me that there were 16 since I was born. 

I love living with and near my family. You are right. Family time is special.

I can't wait to blog again. I learned to type when I was in Junior High School. We didn't have typing in the third grade, like Bryce does. Next time I will tell you more about life in Woonsocket. I'll answer any other questions too.

I remembered one more thing about school. We didn't use ball point pens or computers. We had pens with tips on them and we dipped them in inkwells on our desk. We had to be very careful not to smear the ink.

If I remember more, I'll write more.

Sincerely,
Bubbe






Here is some information about Bubbe:


"My father was born in 1869, and my mother in 1872.  Think about that.  If they were alive they'd be almost 150 years old!    They were both born in Russia and came to the United States in the early 1900's.  They left Russia because conditions were very bad.  The Tsar (Zar) made life very hard for Jews, forcing them to live in what was called a "pale."  The Tsar made life hard for everyone.  

They came to the United States in the early 1900's with my oldest brother, Murray.  I had two brothers and three sisters.  I was born in 1922 when my mother was 50 years old.  Can you imagine that?  My mother died when I was just 13.  My sisters were old enough to be my mother and they helped raise me.  




Bubbe's high school picture


When I graduated from high school I learned that a man named Joseph Shorr was looking for a secretary.  I called his mother and she thought I was a nice girl.  She told me not to worry.  I found a job and I found a husband.  We were married in 1944.  We went to New York on our honeymoon.  It cost $6 a night to stay at the Waldorf Astoria.   We had two children, Ellen and Irwin.  I spent most of my life taking care of my family.  I remember that my first typewriter was a manual one.  I was so excited when I got an electric typewriter and I could help Ellen and Irwin with their homework.  We did a lot of things in our community.  We were fortunate enough to be given many honors, but nothing was more important than my family."



Bubbe has two children, Irwin (Uncle Irwin) and Ellen (Gaga). They have left many blog comments for the class and we all appreciate their efforts. So far, I am in the lead for Family Blogging Month because of  Uncle Irwin and  Gaga.



What questions do you have for Bubbe?


19 comments:

  1. Dear Bubbe, (Mom)

    We know you are still a Boston Celtics and a Boston Red Sox fan. Do you like the Dodgers at all?

    Love,
    Ellen aka Gaga, Bryce's Grandmother, your daughter

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bubbe, Bryce's Great GrandmotherApril 30, 2014 at 10:59 AM

      Dear Ellen,

      I know the polite answer should be that I like them all. My hearts says that my loyalties are still with the Boston teams. Aren't yours?

      Love,
      Mom (Bubbe)

      Delete
    2. Dear Bubbe,

      I do not know much about blogging, however, I do know that I am flabbergasted that you are blogging to a lot of people. I have never seen such a blogger!

      Sincerely,

      Mrs.Yollis' student Kate

      Delete
  2. Bubbe, Bryce's Great GrandmotherApril 29, 2014 at 4:23 PM

    Dear Bryce,

    I don't think I wrote enough about 4 of the most important people in my life, my grand daughter, Sloane, my grand son-in-law, Evan, Hunter and you. My life is full because I get to spend time with you. Once your Mommy stayed with us for 3 weeks. Those were some of the happiest weeks of our lives.

    I also want to write about Steven, Papa. I am the luckiest woman in the world to have him in my life. When Ellen, Gaga, started dating him, I told her that he would be her husband someday. I picked him out. Isn't he great?

    If you want to know more, just ask?

    Love,
    Bubbe

    P.S. Thank you, Mrs. Yollis, for your care and attention. You've made an old woman, who's growing younger because of this, very happy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Bubbe,

    You said that your mother died when you were only thirteen. If you were only thirteen, and she already passed away, what did she die of? You also said that your sisters were old enough to take care of you. If they were just like a mother, how old were your sisters? How old were your brothers?

    I never knew that Uncle Irwin and Gaga were your children. If you don't mind, how old are they? What year were they born in?

    Now, I want to introduce myself:

    My name is Heather, and I am a third grader in Mrs. Yollis' class. My birthday is in the year of 2005, and if you do some math, you will see that I am nine years old. As many people have, I also have a dream. When I grow up, I want to be a veterinarian or a dentist. For a part time job, I want to be an author or a poet. Some of my hobbies are at school are blogging, reading, and writing. I enjoy blogging because I get to share my thoughts, and I get better at writing. I even have my own blog, Heather's Perfect Post! You may be wondering what my favorite book is. I don't have one, but I like two series, The Series of Unfortunate Events and The Nancy Drew Mysteries. My favorite types of genres are mystery, adventure, and fiction. I like writing stories, and I sometimes get so blown off track that they get too long! I like putting lots of detail into my stories because they are more interesting to read. Out of school, I relish swimming, messing around with my dog, Rocky, and drawing illustrations for my stories. I fear some things, and that includes: poison dart frogs, venomous snakes, explosives, and skydiving. When I retire, I want to be able to travel around the world without having an accident or getting bankrupt. As you can see, I have many dreams, and I hope I accomplish them.

    Sincerely,
    Heather

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bubbe, Bryce's Great GrandmotherApril 30, 2014 at 11:08 AM

      Dear Heather,

      It's very nice to meet you. You are a very busy young lady and you have lots of dreams. I know they will come true for you. You sound very determined and very talented. That's wonderful.

      In regards to the age of my brothers and sisters, that's a bit hard to figure out. My brother, Murray, was born in Russia, so he was at least 22 or more years older than I was. My sisters Ruth and Harriet were probably 15 and 18 years older. My sister, Eva, was the oldest. She died in Russia. Thank you for being interested in my family.

      I don't think Ellen or Irwin will mind if I tell you their ages. Ellen is 68 and was born in 1946. Irwin is 66 and was born in 1948.

      Keep up the good work, Heather.

      Sincerely,
      Bubbe

      Delete
  4. Dear Bubbe,

    My name is Peter and I have known Bryce for about two years now, we go to the same school.

    I have to say you are an amazing blogger. Your vocabulary is stellar, and your comments or humongous! Everyone in your family are amazing bloggers, including Bryce. He is getting his own blog and boy can I say, he deserves it. When you were born, the president was Warren G. Harding When I was born, George W. Bush was president. We have amazing presidents.

    Now, your great-grand child is hoping to get 1st place in Family Blogging Month, and you are apart of that. If he wins, which I bet he will, you should be proud. You very helpful to him.

    I've figured out that at the end of last November's family blogging month, he would definitely want to place 1st for April's. I bet he is going to win.

    Do you think Bryce is a good blogger?

    Fondly,

    Peter

    ( P.S. I have a blog of my own.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bubbe, Bryce's Great GrandmotherApril 30, 2014 at 11:19 AM

      Dear Peter,

      It's nice to meet you too. I think we've met before. Didn't you have a play date with Bryce here at the house? I think I remember sitting in my wheelchair and watching the two of you play basketball in the driveway.

      Thank you for the compliments, Peter. Vocabulary and good grammar were always important in our house. I hope we are all good bloggers. We try very hard. I would like to think that I was helping Bryce in this contest. I think it's even more important to learn how to blog, like I did. Later today, I will ask Ellen to show me your blog, so I can read it.

      You asked if I thought Bryce was a good blogger. Yes, I do. I love him very much and think he's special at everything he does.

      Fondly,

      Bubbe

      Delete
  5. Hi Heather,

    Dear Bubbe’s blog brought me back to over 40 years ago when I was only 3 or 4 years old. Your grandpa and grandma were dragged into the unprecedented Culture Revolution in China and had no time to look after me. Your older aunt, my older sister, who is 11 years older than me, was old enough to take me everywhere with her friends after she got off the school. I still remember hanging on her back and quite often falling into sleep on our way back home late in the afternoon. All her classmates knew me, but I couldn’t remember them. She was like a mother to me as well, even nowadays. Thanks to Dear Bubbe for reminding me of these happy memories.

    Heather, you are a wonderful blogger, and I have been enjoying your blogs.


    Love you,
    Heather’s Dad

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bubbe, Bryce's Great GrandmotherApril 30, 2014 at 11:22 AM

      Dear Heather's Dad,

      I am glad that I was able to help you remember good times with your family. As we get older, the memories are more important than ever.

      Heather sounds like a wonderful daughter. We are both very lucky.

      Sincerely,

      Bubbe

      Delete
  6. @ Bubbe,

    What a beautiful and touching post! I love learning about you and your family. I also appreciate how open, candid and wise you are. The greatest nonagenarian ever!

    You state that you spent most of your life taking care of your family. Well, it surely shows!!

    My daughter, Chloe, has been in class with Bryce for several years. I met your beautiful family through that connection.

    You also mention that you did a lot of things in your community.

    Sounds like a legacy that has been well kept by your family.

    Many honors and much beauty is associated with your family in our community. Your story is a true testament to all of the seeds, modeling and nurturing that you instilled in them. A great piece of the puzzle that I was happy to read about through your blogging and that I am very much inspired by.

    I adore Gaga, your daughter, Sloane, her daughter (and your granddaughter) and, of course, your spunky great granddaughter Hunter.

    How neat it is that there are four generations of you ladies all living so close and enjoying family together!!

    My grandparents were also from Russia and lived there during hostile times. They moved to Israel, though were separated from their family that did not make it. Their resilience and love were unmatched to me as I heard and witnessed their stories and their determination to create and nurture a family anew. I also admire that they kept Yiddish alive in their home. My parents speak it as well, though only when they didn't want us kids to understand what they were talking about.

    Do you speak Yiddish fluently? If so, with whom do you speak Yiddish?

    You mention that Papa was your pick and, I must agree, what a great pick indeed! Papa is the warmest, most welcoming and overall great guy! He is the Papa of our community!! What a great match for the great Gaga of our community!! Thumbs up, matchmaker Bubbe!

    Thank you for sharing your story with us and, for sharing your family with us as well. You are all a true gift to our school and to our greater community!

    Warmly,

    Liat (Chloe's Mom)








    ReplyDelete
  7. Liat (Chloe's mom)April 30, 2014 at 8:04 AM

    @ Bubbe,

    What a beautiful and touching post! I love learning about you and your family. I also appreciate how open, candid and wise you are. The greatest nonagenarian ever!

    You state that you spent most of your life taking care of your family. Well, it surely shows!

    My daughter, Chloe, has been in class with Bryce for several years. I met your beautiful family through that connection.

    You also mention that you did a lot of things in your community.

    Sounds like a legacy that has been well kept by your family.

    Many honors and much beauty is associated with your family in our community. Your story is a true testament to all of the seeds, modeling and nurturing that you instilled in them. A great piece of the puzzle that I was happy to read about through your blogging and that I am very much inspired by.

    I adore Gaga, your daughter, Sloane, her daughter (and your granddaughter) and, of course, your spunky great granddaughter Hunter.

    How neat it is that there are four generations of you ladies all living so close and enjoying family together!

    My grandparents were also from Russia and lived there during hostile times. They moved to Israel, though were separated from their family that did not make it. Their resilience and love were unmatched to me as I heard and witnessed their stories and their determination to create and nurture a family anew. I also admire that they kept Yiddish alive in their home. My parents speak it as well, though only when they didn't want us kids to understand what they were talking about.

    Do you speak Yiddish fluently? If so, with whom do you speak Yiddish?

    You mention that Papa was your pick and, I must agree, what a great pick indeed! Papa is the warmest, most welcoming and overall great guy! He is the Papa of our community! What a great match for the great Gaga of our community!! Thumbs up, matchmaker Bubbe!

    Thank you for sharing your story with us and, for sharing your family with us as well. You are all a true gift to our school and to our greater community!

    Warmly,

    Liat (Chloe's Mom)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bubbe, Bryce's Great GrandmotherApril 30, 2014 at 11:31 AM

      Dear Liat,

      What a beautiful comment. I need to go and lie down for awhile, but I will reply to you as soon as I get up. There is so much I want to say.

      Love,
      Bubbe

      Delete
  8. Bubbe, Mrs Yollis and everyone who has commented on this post.

    Thank you all so much for this amazing post. I am sitting here, on the other side of the world (nearly) and just amazed by the whole conversation and how wonderful it is for everyone. I am quite old myself so one of the things I love about blogging is that it makes me hear about new experiences and think more about people. Theres so many great aspects of the conversation.

    I have to ask Bubbe a question. Have you travelled overseas to other countries? Whats been your favourite place to visit? Have you ever been or heard of New Zealand?

    Mr Webb and Room One, Auroa Primary School, Taranaki, New Zealand. mrwebbauroa.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bubbe, Bryce's Great GrandmotherMay 13, 2014 at 12:26 PM

    Dear Mr. Webb and Room One,

    Thank you for asking. It is very nice to meet this way and I am very pleased that my posts have touched you. I feel like you do about blogging. I cannot walk any more, so this is very special to me.

    Yes, I have heard of New Zealand, but I have never had a chance to visit. Now that you have brought it up, I will ask Bryce to show me it on our globe. Then we'll look it up on-line. The computer can help me visit there.

    I haven't had much of a chance to visit other countries. I did visit Israel with my husband for our 25th anniversary. We were married for 66 years. We always wanted to go to Hawaii, but that was in the days that it wasn't a state. Have you or the students from Room One visited other countries?

    Once of the nice things about blogging is that we don't "sound" old.

    Regards,
    Bubbe

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bubbe, Bryce's Great GrandmotherJune 2, 2014 at 10:01 AM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis, Bryce and the whole class,

    Thank you for naming me as a Commenter Extraordinaire. It was wonderful taking part in this project. It was even more wonderful meeting so many of you at the Open House. I'm sorry if I was a little quiet that night. Sometimes I have headaches and then it's hard to talk. I hope that none of you has headaches.

    Guess what I found? If I already told you this, please forgive me. Sometimes I forget things. I found a family album from my childhood. In many of the pictures I was your age, the age of members of the class and Mrs. Yollis' age too. I'll ask Gaga to scan some of the pictures, so you can see what 8 and 9 year olds looked like in 1930 and 1931. I'll send a picture of myself at Mrs. Yollis' age. You won't believe how we dressed or how we wore our hair.

    Have you ever wondered about how people in other times or other cultures lived and dressed? I think it would be very interesting to study.

    Sincerely,
    Bubbe

    ReplyDelete
  11. Bubbe, Bryce's Great GrandmotherSeptember 1, 2014 at 8:24 AM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and the New Third Grade Class,

    My name is Frances Shorr and I am Bryce Jacobson's great grandmother. I am 92 years old and everyone calls me Bubbe. I know that Bryce is in fourth grade now, but I was hoping I could still leave messages here. I've never had a blog before. In fact, when I was your age I never had a computer.

    The schools gave us pencils and paper. In the right hand corner of our desks was a round hole and our teachers put an ink well in it. An inkwell was a jar with real ink in it. They also gave us a pen. It wasn't a ball point. It was a pen with a metal tip and every time we wanted to write, we had to dip the pen point in the inkwell and then we would write. We had to do a lot of dipping to write a whole story. Can anyone guess why this was hard for a left handed person? If you can't guess I'll tell you the next time I write.

    Good luck in your new class. You are going to learn a lot this year.

    Sincerely,
    Bubbe

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bubbe, Bryce's Great-GrandmotherSeptember 1, 2014 at 9:41 AM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and the New Third Grade Class,

    My name is Frances Shorr and I am Bryce's great grandmother. I am 92 years old and everyone calls me Bubbe. I know that Bryce is in fourth grade now, but I was hoping I could still leave messages here. I've never had a blog before. In fact, when I was your age I never had a computer.

    The schools gave us pencils and paper. In the right hand corner of our desks was a round hole and our teachers put an ink well in it. An inkwell was a jar with real ink in it. They also gave us a pen. It wasn't a ball point. It was a pen with a metal tip and every time we wanted to write, we had to dip the pen point in the inkwell and then we would write. We had to do a lot of dipping to write a whole story. Can anyone guess why this was hard for a left handed person? If you can't guess I'll tell you the next time I write.

    Good luck in your new class. You are going to learn a lot this year.

    Sincerely,
    Bubbe

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Bubbe,

    I know why using ink was hard for a left handed person. It is because your left hand will rub off the ink as you write! Your hand must have gotten really dirty! I wish we could write with ink. That sounds cool.

    Sincerely,
    Leah

    ReplyDelete

* * *
Getting feedback is important to our writers. Let us know what you liked or what you learned.

Steps to Comment:

1. Write your comment in the box below. Be sure that you have proofread it for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Students should have a parent check it!

2. Choose an identity. (If you have a gmail account, use it. If not, choose name/url. You can leave the url blank if you do not have a blog.)

3. Click "Publish your Comment". You may preview your comment before publishing if you'd like.


Important: All comments MUST be approved by me.
:-) Mrs. Yollis