Irises and Family history

No it is not spring here. And yes I took this picture early this week.

Isn't it beautiful?

It has a special story. I would like to tell you, if your are interested.

Well, as I may have mentioned before, one of my interests is genealogy and family history. Maybe that is part of my passion for quilting. I am very luck to have had my grandmother (Minnie, you have met her in previous posts) living with us as I grew up. She shared much of our family history with me. One of her stories was about the Irises.

When my grandmother was about 20 (around 1900), her father (a retired judge and creamery owner in Grant City, MO) decided to sell his creamery and move to Washington and homestead. All of his children were grown, so it would just be his wife (Arminda) and himself. He did convince some of his children to come along also and take up homesteads near his. Arminda saddened by leaving their lovely home in a larger city like Grant City, brought some of her Iris bulbs from her yard.


At their little cabin on the homestead she planted her Iris. After a few years the sold the homestead to one of their children and moved into the little town of Matthow. Back to a frame house at least. The Irises had multiplied by then. She gave some to each of her children that homesteads and took some to the house in Matthow.

Still a few more years. My Grandmother (Minnie) married my Grandfather (1910). They took up a homestead near Golf, ID. That is near Rigins, ID. Golf no longer exists. My Grandmother took some of the Irises from her mother's house in Matthow, WA and planted them there.

This picture of my Grandparents log cabin in ID was taken one year ago. I find it it amazing that it is still standing after almost 100 years.

And still some years later, when my Grandparents, my Mom and her sisters, moved to Liveoak, CA Grandma brought some of the Iris.

When my Aunt got married and moved in down the street from my Grandmother, she took some of the Irises to her new home.

When I was really young my mother had some of the Iris in her yard but they didn't do well there. I planted some in a large planter at my appartment but they parrished. Last year when we moved my Mom & Dad into the appartment downstairs from us, my cousin brought some of the Irises to us. They are flurishing this time, but this is their first blooming here.

Again I ask, aren't the beautiful?