My Grandmother as a young woman
The Woman Behind the Story
Every family has a story. Some are passed down through generations, while others are quietly tucked away, waiting to be discovered.
Today, I'd like to introduce you to my grandmother, Martha Olson (née Linder).
When I look at this beautiful photograph of her as a young woman, I wonder about her dreams, her hopes, and all the things she imagined her life might become. I don’t know how old she was in this photo, but I think it may be around her graduation.
I was fortunate enough to know my grandmother, and when I was 18, I even had the opportunity to live with her for a short time.
It was during that time that I got to know her in a different way. As a child when she would visit our home, she was a bit on the harsh side. Oh, I know she loved us, but she didn’t put up with a lot of nonsense from us kids:)
I discovered her love of music, her creativity through sketching and painting, her beautiful crocheting, and her strong faith. And the deep love and pride she had of her family.
Looking back, I wish I had asked her more questions.
Isn't that often the way? When we're young, we don't always realize how much history is sitting right across the table from us.
There were so many things I didn't know about her life. So many experiences that had shaped the woman I knew as Grandma.
One of those experiences was her time in the Saskatoon Sanatorium during the Great Depression, when tuberculosis separated her from her husband and young children.
I wish I could sit down with her today and ask what those days were really like.
But I can't.
Instead, I began piecing together her story through family memoirs, articles, and historical research. And as I learned more, I began to imagine what life must have been like for this young mother facing such an uncertain future.
That journey eventually became my novel, When Time Stood Still.
It's a fictionalized story inspired by real events, woven together with the history of the Canadian Prairies in the 1920s and 1930s.
But at its heart is a woman I was privileged to call my grandmother.
Over the next several Tuesdays, I'd love to take you Behind the Story.
I'll share family photographs, pieces of history, and some of the research that helped bring Martha's experiences to life through the fictional character of Marta.
We'll explore what life was like in those years, the challenges families faced, and the faith and resilience that helped carry them through.
And perhaps, along the way, we'll be reminded of the importance of preserving our own family stories.
Because sometimes we don't realize just how extraordinary the lives of ordinary people really were.
I'd love to know: If you could sit down with one of your grandparents today, what would you ask them?
If you'd like to discover the novel inspired by my grandmother's life, you can find When Time Stood Still on Amazon. ❤️
