My 5 year project.

I love to blog, but that isn't anything new to those of you reading.  My blog is keeping a journal of our life for my children, and the many generations to come after I am gone.  I have been privileged to experience first hand how awesome it is to read life stories from family that has passed away, and to read about the way of life many, many years before I was even born.  My Great Grandma Ellen (I have blogged about her before, but if you missed that post you can read it here.) was committed to journaling for 71 years, and I will continue to do the same for as long as I am able.

This is an article I found tucked away in a keepsake box in my cedar chest, of old photo's of grandparents and great grandparents.  When this article was printed she had already kept her journal for 44 years!    It reads:

Forty-four years ago on Feb. 15, 1932, Mrs. Ellen nelson started keeping a diary.  She gives credit to her grandfather Ludvig Moe as being her inspiration.  Moe kept a diary in a tablet, writing in Norwegian, and Mrs. Nelson remembers his reading to the grandchildren from his diary. 

Mrs. Nelson first used the little books that her father got at the stockyards.  Writing every evening ,she records the temperature and a few words about the weather, and then writes about herself and her family.  She and the members of her family enjoy reading them- especially the older ones.  She hopes that one of her grand-daughters will continue with the tradition that she started as a girl.

My Great Grandma Ellen passed away in 2003, at the age of  89.  She started journaling in 1932, and continued writing in her diary each day until the day she died.  I have been given those journals but my Grandma LaVonne. (Ellen's daughter)  I am going through each journal and typing them out onto a blog titled 'The Life of Ellen M. Nelson'. She has left behind a legacy and words can not describe how privileged I am to have been given this opportunity. 71 years of journaling is a LOT of typing, but I have it all calculated out, and figure I can have it done in 5 years!  This blog will be available to all of our family, and books will be able to be printed for those wanting their own copy of her life stories.  Is that pretty awesome or what?!

I am on the first year, 1932.  My grandma is 18 years old and I have laughed and cried as I am reading.  To be honest, the night I got the journals home I couldn't even look at them because I just sat next to them crying.  I miss her so much.  She was such a Blessing in my life and she left us all such a wonderful gift.  She has the most beautiful handwriting, and as I am reading her journal I can picture her living in that era.  Her and her siblings all being raised by their father in an old farm house, her Dad and brothers working in the field while Grandma and her sisters cleaned, washed clothes and baked.  They attended church every Sunday (weather permitting), and were very active in church choir and 'Saturday School'. She was very detailed in writing about the weather each day and some days has a full page written, and others just a few lines.  She is mentioning Cliff, whom she eventually marries, but I haven't gotten that far yet.  I can't wait!

She said that she hoped one of her grand-daughters would continue with the tradition.. I pray she is looking down on me from heaven with a smile on her face as I read her stories with smiles and tears, and as I journal about my own life.

Her first journal, started in 1932 and written in pencil.  Some of the words are very hard to read.

71 years of journals are in these 2 boxes.  Most of her diaries were a 5 year diary.