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30 Questions for My Mum

30 Questions for My Mum

May 4, 2016 by Liz Gardner Leave a Comment

My Mum – one of the most influential and wonderful people in my life. This article was written in 2009 two years before Mum passed away.  30 questions for my Mum  may seem a little unusual to write about but it became obvious to me that there were lots of interesting things about her life that I never knew.  And she lived for an amazing 99 years!  All the new, startling and incredible things she saw in her lifetime! Here is an updated version of the original article.  Perhaps it will inspire you to ask your own family members questions, and write the answers down for your children and grandchildren.  

Mum & her sisters - early 1900's
Mum & her sisters – early 1900’s

Memories of My Mum

Recently I read an article written by one of my cousins, which were the memories of her mother’s childhood and the house where the family were born and lived in Victoria, Australia.  This prompted me to ask questions of my mother one of the last times I saw her.   Mum confirms much of what her older sister mentions in the article but many of her memories are getting a little muddled with the passage of time.   If you are interested in recording stories from your own parents (or grandparents, etc.) here are a few questions – and one question usually leads to many others!  The list is at the end of the article.
Mum & her sister playing cricket - 1920's
Mum & her sister playing cricket – 1920’s

Notes:

  • Question relevancy often relates directly to the age, and health, of your parent
  • Not all these questions will bring back happy memories, so some we skipped
  • Obviously these questions would be for either parent or even an older sibling
  • Old family photos from 100 years ago, especially childhood photos, are very rare and precious
  • Some photos courtesy of P. Ellis
  • The first photo in the gallery was a Wattle n’Daub home constructed by our Great Grandmother around circa 1890’s. The home and property were sold for development in the 1990’s. Truly defines “home-made from scratch”.
Original family home
Original family home built by Great Gran
Sisters - 1915
Sisters – 1915
Dad & Mum's 1st formal date - 1920's
Dad & Mum’s 1st formal date – 1920’s
Mum at 17
Mum at 17
Mum - 1920's
Mum – 1920’s
Dad & Mum dating - 1920's
Dad & Mum dating – 1920’s
Mum & Family horse Dolly
Mum & Family horse Dolly
Family Christmas 1933
Family Christmas 1933
Family & soldiers fighting bushfires 1939
Family & soldiers fighting bushfires 1939

These questions to Mum, and her answers, provided many happy moments, laughter (and speculation!) for us over the last few years of her life, and in later conversations with my own siblings and children.  Be ready for unpredictable answers and unusual stories. This time has given me special memories to cherish all my life!

Happy Mother’s Day to all our special Mum’s.

30 Questions for My Mum

  1. Did you have a favourite place as a child
  2. What was your happiest time growing up
  3. Do you remember the home you first lived in 
  4. What can you remember about it 
  5. Did it have electricity – kerosene lamps 
  6. Where did the water come from – a rain water tank 
  7. How many rooms in your home
  8. Was there a vegetable garden 
  9. Do you love gardening  and did you garden as a child 
  10. Did you help with the chores, like milking the family cow, feeding the “chooks” (aka chickens) and pigs
  11. What was school like 
  12. How did you get to school.  By horse or walk
  13. Do you remember any teachers, stories, books that were special and why
  14. Did you own a car or travel by horse and buggy
  15. What games did you play with your brothers and sisters besides cricket
  16. Did you have to work and help your parents with chores 
  17. Did you have pets besides your horse, such as a dog, cat or cockie 
  18. Did you have chickens, cows, etc. which had to be looked after
  19. How old were you when you moved to the City (Melbourne) 
  20. What was Uncle Charles and Auntie Lou’s house like (where Mum lived in Melbourne) 
  21. Where did you go shopping.  At the Victoria Market
  22. Did you have a favourite place.  To go fishing, walking, etc?
  23. What about cooking.  Did you help your mum.
  24. What is your favourite recipe perhaps Pavlova or lamingtons
  25. What is your favourite food (beside lamb)
  26. Where did you meet Dad and how old were you 
  27. Do you remember your first “date”
  28. Where did you live when you were first married
  29. Where was the first home you bought. Tell me all about it!
  30. Where was I born?

Links & References:

Mum lived through ~
  • The sinking of the Titanic
  • She rode in one of Henry Fords Tin Lizzie cars 
  • WWI 1914 – 1918
  • Lindberg’s first Atlantic flight 1927
  • The Roaring 20’s & The Great Depression 1929 – 1932
  • WWII 1939 – 1945
  • The discovery of the polio vaccine in 1955 by Jonas Salk
  • Watched the summer Olympics on the debut of TV to Australia in 1956

 

A wonderful place to rest
A wonderful place to rest

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About Liz Gardner

Live in Canada's Pacific Northwest. Dual nationality & personality. Happy gardener all my life. Love my grandkids & our West Coast beaches. Passionate about all things "healthy". Life long learner & asker of "how". Encourager - we all need a little help sometimes. And a sense of humour. Every day is a gift. Read More…

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