Snuff, Aprons, and Hats (Jennie Part II)

This post is a continuation of remembrances about Jennie Rachel Gay Robinson (see Part I).

Even as Jennie was gentle and genteel, one of the most prominent recollections of her living grandchildren can be summed up by the words of Robert George Robinson–my Uncle Bob: “She was a small grandmother who dipped snuff.”

Without exception, all of the grandchildren I heard from mentioned the fact that Jennie dipped snuff, and my mother’s cousin Willis Knierim (son of Beulah) still has one of her snuff cans. “She was very subtle about it, using a very small Garrett’s Snuff tin and a small wooden stick which she called her ‘toothpick,’” he recalls. “She would always excuse herself briefly and return smacking her lips. When she passed, I asked for and was given the tin by Oran.”

The second most vivid recollection among Jennie’s grandchildren was her relationship with her twin, Minnie. “The two of them were very close and when they were together they seemed like a matched set in appearance, mannerisms, and personality,” Willis recounts. “I got to know Minnie through her daughter and became fond of her as well as Grandma.”

My mother Gloria Robinson Mason and her sister Sharon Robinson Reid made special note of Jennie’s dresses and aprons. If Jennie was at home, she was wearing an apron. She put it on first thing in the morning over her hand-made calico dress with its hand-crocheted collar, and took it off as she went to bed. If she went outside, she always wore a headscarf. She also crocheted caps to keep her head warm during the winter. “I never saw her hair down,” Mom remembers. “It was very thin, braided, and circled her head.”

“Any time Grandmother left the house to go shopping or visiting, she wore a black or navy suit,” Mom continues. “If she was with Minnie, they would dress alike. They always wore a hat and usually gloves. To top off her suit, she would add a crocheted collar which she had made, and she always carried a handkerchief.”

Jennie, Minnie, and sister Lizzie

This post is part of a series of work to learn about the oldest generation’s oldest generation memories… As my parents age, I’ve long thought I needed to start recording their recollections of the oldest generation of family that they remember. These writings include both information from my research, as well as first-person recollections. Watch for more about Jennie coming soon!