Author: Memory Detecting

The analogy of digging artifacts from the ground and then using those artifacts to “dig up” memories from seniors during the reminiscence program is striking. The beauty of hunting for these artifacts is you never know what you will discover. The beauty of conducting the remiscence program is you never know what memories will be surfaced. In a recent program at Laurel Ridge in Plymouth MA that was exactly the case. This particular program had the group revisiting the past. The memories effortlessly flowed from a time when they were very young during World War Two.

As is usually the case the memories were initially triggered by one artifact, in this particular case a Mason Jar. The discussion then turned to canning and Victory Gardens. Victory Gardens (Home Vegetable Gardening) during World War Two were fairly common as nearly 50% of the United States population participated in this form of self reliance. At this time in the United States the major stressor was the newly disrupted food supply chains, and the increasing need to feed the troops. This encouraged citizen participation and patriotism as families, to include children, were now actively involved in the war effort.

Interesting memories were shared. One women in the group said she remembered how she sold crafts for the war effort. She took on the task of painting match boxes with birds and flowers, and then selling them to her “wealthy neighbors.” The money she collected was donated to the war effort by her family.

The memories continued to flow with the recycling effort. The seniors recalled collecting paper, gum wrappers, and other metals and rubber items at home. Families even donated pots and pans and children sacrificed metal toys. They remembered scouring their homes for these items to support the troops. The most fascinating story for me came when an 87 year old gentlemen recalled how he and his family actually saved the fat from cooking and delivered this fat to a local collection site. The fat from cooking that was collected was used for the war effort to make bombs. The science behind this after some research is that one pound of waste fat equaled 1/10 of a pound of glycerine. Eventually this equaled 1/3 of a pound of gunpowder. This is something that I had never heard of. Wow.

These are fairly common examples of how one artifact (Mason Jar) is a hub to various memories. I have learned to say less and listen more through the years when doing these programs, after all evoking memories is the goal. The artifact is the prompt to the memories and a few open ended questions can lead to some very interesting discussions and memories. I LOVE hearing these stories and can’t help but think how many of these seniors stories are soon to be lost if we don’t capture them. One of the tools the Memory Detecting Membership Program offers is the creation of the seniors Lifetime Memory Journal. These are the types of stories that a family would love to hear, and what a great opportunity it is if we can help capture and document them.

For more information and to join the Memory Detecting Reminiscince Membership Program simply click the link below.

www.memorydetecting.com

John Lanis Mason invented the Mason Jar on November 30th 1858. In 1884 the Ball corporation began manufacturing glass home “canning” jars. This was the product that established Ball as a household name in this industry. Ball used the design and licensed the Mason Jar. This became a very popular brand in the canning industry. Canning was popular especially in the 1800’s into the early 1900’s because it was a great way to preserve fruits and vegetables. Preserving food by canning was a practical way to keep food fresh as refrigeration was not as readily available. This was necessary as there was deep concern about food borne illness like listeria, e Coli, and botulism. Do your seniors recall this time?

Your seniors may recall a lot of these different jar brands. I have found many different varieties. Seniors may reminisce about using Ball, Mason, Economy, and may other popular jar brands. A sad an interesting side note was that after 20 years the Mason designed jars patent had expired and John Mason never really attained any wealth from his unique and practical design invention. He lived a “meager existence” until his death in 1902.

The jars unique design, color, and weight all are very iconic. They were practical and some would say beautiful designed items of the past. Ironically these jars are gaining popularity again especially since COVID according to the latest google search results and a revitalized surge in sales. One can only speculate that this is because of the percieved need for self reliance, and more time spent at home. Interesting how these cycles in society happen. Mason jars are still used today for Victory Gardens are a thing of the past. Thankfully seniors can share these interesting stories of days gone by.

One of the interesting things that I have learned (or relearned) while conducting these reminiscence programs is about Victory Gardens. I can vaguely remember a show on PBS called the Victory Garden. Seniors can tell us a lot about this period of time in United States history. Essentially Victory Gardens (also known as War Gardens) were a way for people in the United States to prevent starvation and gain self sufficiency. Gardening was essentially considered a civic duty. This made the use of Mason Jars a popular choice for the citizens of the United States but also in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Germany. It was estimated that nearly 40% of American vegetables were produced at home, community, or in school gardens. Many seniors recall these patriotic days.

Did your seniors and or their parents have a vegetable garden? Did they can? Did they use Mason Jars? What types of vegetables did they can? Love to hear the responses!

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