Helen Hursey: During the Depression

My grandmother, she’d comb my hair, comb out the tangles without hurting us. I had curly hair—they used to tie it up with rags. I remember her sitting up all night making valentines. In those days we made them by hand. She made the best pies too. She was the pie maker: a handful of this, a handful of that from the big flour bin. She and my mother got along beautifully. During the Depression, she made our Christmas presents. She made us doll clothes. She always wore her hair done up on top of her head. I can still see her combing her hair and piling it up on top of her head. She did it so naturally, she never had to look in a mirror. I was so fascinated. She was completely unselfish. She never gave herself another thought or any special consideration

—Helen Hursey