Remembrances of Grandma Magelli

By Diane Hoemeke

The oldest of the grandchildren, I lived with Grandpa and Grandma Magelli in their Mt. Clare home until I was 15. I have so many fond memories.

I especially recall the following details about Grandma:

She held the bib of her apron in place with two tiny safety pins
On cold winter mornings, she’d rise early, head to the basement and stoke the coal furnace so the rest of us woke up in a warm house
On Saturday mornings, she’d send me to the store for “nickel’s worth of yeast” for homemade bread
She hauled buckets of hot water from the mine trough to the basement to wash clothes
To prepare for Sunday dinner, she’d get a long, stiff wire with a hook on the end. She’s head out to the chicken coop, wrap the hook around one of the hen’s feet, then wring its neck, pluck it, clean it and turn it into a delicious meal.
She kept eggs laid by our hens in a special bowl in a corner of the kitchen cabinet, not in the refrigerator
Her disciplinary style was throwing one of her shoes across the living room at Pete and Paul for wrestling and making noises when she was trying to rest
With her machete knife, she could rapidly cut the pasta she rolled out. Sometimes she’d make wide egg noodles and other times she’d slice the dough into slender angel hair spaghetti
She kept a pair of brass knuckles how she had a pair of brass knuckles in a junk box in a drawer in the dining room
Grandma would sit next to Grandpa on the couch and they’d hold hands
She left me a $2 bill in her strong box when she passed.