A SIMPLY GRAND LADY ON COURT STREET!

MYRTLE TUTTLE.  Her name is a tongue twister and her date of birth, October 31 (Halloween) is a date full of fun and mischief for kids and adults.  But my Grandma Olson (Tuttle) is easy to remember.  I recall magical Christmas Eve celebrations  at her home on Court Street in Neillsville, Wisconsin.  My family made the one-hour drive from my hometown to gather with my grandparents and a houseful of aunts and uncles and cousins. Grandma made delicious popcorn balls and candies and the house smelled of wonderful breads baking.  Of course she had plenty of help at Christmas.

Grandma Olson was born October 31, 1875 near Colby, Wisconsin.  She married March 27, 1901.  The local newspaper wished her and my grandfather a “happy and prosperous voyage on the matrimonial sea.”  Grandma was very close to her younger sister Sarah and ironically, Myrtie and Sarah married two Olson brothers, Oluf and Fred.  I often wondered how they met and if they double dated.  I know that in Grandma’s later years, Sarah was always nearby.  She was a kind, gentle woman and was devoted to Grandma.

Grandma and Grandpa Olson had ten children.  Eight of them lived into their 70’s and 80’s.  Although they grew up very poor, almost all of my grandparent’s children graduated from college, helping one another with expenses along the way.

Grandma and Grandpa Olson in later years

Grandma Olson followed her husband’s work pursuits through the years, from sawmill worker to farmer, village marshal and lamplighter, deputy sheriff, and janitor.  For over sixty years they were a team—the trusty Norwegian and the English lassie with the long lineage dating back to 1635.  Grandma often accompanied her husband around the village (my hometown) in the evening as he lit the kerosene lamps.  They moved to Neillsville in 1916 and were able to buy a house two years later.  Although it was a home for their large family, it didn’t offer many amenities.  In fact, it had a dirt basement which allowed rodents equal access to the house.  In later years my Aunt Ellen completely remodeled the house and my grandparents had a warm, cozy home for the rest of their lives.

The old 1905 Edison phonograph; Grandma used the horn for a planter

I remember my grandma’s love of birds.  There were often little parakeets taking up residence in the corner of the dining room, close to the window.  I can still picture her saying goodnight to her little friends and covering the cage with a cloth so they could sleep well.  She loved nature and birds, as well as flowers and plants.  Lacking a planter, she used the horn of an old Edison phonograph, which I now am proud to own. I think my grandmother, mother, and I share a few quirky traits. 

It’s still hard for me to drive by that little green house on Court Street.  A part of me still thinks Grandma is there sitting on the porch and waiting for us.  She lived a long life (94 years) and will always be affectionately remembered.  Within the pages of a Bible she often read, my aunt showed me the note Grandma had written telling her children how much she loved them and wanted the best for them.  She was a dedicated mother and grandmother who overcame many hardships.  She’s one special lady I won’t ever forget.