Elizabeth (Laugerman) Gross (1892-1984)

Elizabeth is my great grandmother.  

 Mrs. Elizabeth M. (Laugerman) Gross lived to be 91 years old. During the course of her life, she was a housewife to two husbands. The first, Earl Dey, left to be with a woman from the circus after they had a daughter (Frances) together. Elizabeth later married Ralph, had two sons, and remained with him until his death in 1954.  She ended her life in the Altra Mira Nursing Home in Seneca County. She was active in St. Mary's Catholic Church and a member of the Rosary Alter Society, the D. of I, and the Knights of St. John's Auxiliary. She is buried in the Greenlawn Cemetery in Tiffin, Ohio.

Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Diane Marie (Gross) Kimmet, records the following memories of her:

“My earliest memories of 'Little Grandma' (her nickname since she was the smaller, shorter, of my Grandmas) were all the fun times playing at her house.  She had only 4 grandchildren so she tended to spoil us and let us do whatever we wanted.  I used to love to swing and play on her porch until one Easter I was done eating and asked to swing.  I was probably around 4 years old and was swinging away and the swing flipped and tossed me. Everyone else was still eating and Mom told me all they heard was a loud thud and then me screaming.  Needless to say I ended up at the ER for stitches and my Mom's white dress was ruined. Grandma felt so bad and I think our connection began then.

“I spent more time at her house than any of my siblings-a lot more attention there for me and Grandma played with me all the time.  At any early age I became quite good at playing cards for money with her friends and had quite a coin purse with my winnings always on hand,hidden in my room there.  We would go on long walks and we would always walk the train tracks to make it an adventure.  When Donna was along,Grandma would walk in the middle and we would balance on the rails-it was so much fun, trying to see who could go without falling off.

“From Grandma I observed and helped can food. She was always doing veggies and fruits and I loved to wait to hear all the lids pop.  I would go down the cellar, as she called it, and organize all the jars and pick what I wanted to eat.  I just thought this was the coolest thing in the world.

“Grandma also had a slanted ceiling attic and I was allowed to go up there and check out everything.  My Father's military uniforms were there and a cedar chest with great treasures; I would spend hours looking at everything.  The jewelry was all sparkling, probably costume, but I was allowed to play with it all as long as it was returned to the proper places.  The victrola was another favorite of mine. She would play it for me and once I got old enough I was trusted to play it on my own.  Grandma trusted me that I would take care of these priceless items and I did.

“Grandma went to Church every morning, prayed the rosary every day, and was active in several service clubs.  She had great faith in God, especially during storm and tornado warnings.  She would never go to her basement, but instead would sit in her rocker and pray.  She believed that if the Lord wanted her and it was time, that she was ready so why go downstairs.  To this day I think of that whenever I hear a weather siren.

“Grandma was so precious. She gave the greatest pucker kisses and always had cheese puffs and root beer for us. 'Smacks' was her nickname for the cheese puffs and I still call them that.  I think of her and still miss her. Both Grandmas left very happy memories with me.”

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