Who Do You Know From the 1940’s?

Both sets of my Grandparents were alive and kicking in the 1940’s. They were in the throes of living their lives and just trying to make it day to day and they were living totally different kinds of lives, as well. 

My Father’s parents were living in Northern Utah and my Grandmother was the County Treasurer for Rich County—the first woman and Democrat – and my Grandfather was a sheep-herder. I loved visiting my Grandparents and hearing them tell me stories of  “the olden days.” My Grandpa would tell us all about riding horses and herding sheep and how a lightening bolt hit his horse and killed it dead out from underneath him. He would tell us about how he would hitchhike from Rich County down to Salt Lake County and then back again. 

My Mother’s parents lived in Southern Utah and my Grandpa helped to build not only all the state roads, but some of the interstates as well. Whenever I catch a faint whiff of cigarette smoke or coffee, I am immediately transported to their front porch where I would sit and listen to my Grandpa play his pride and joy – his organ. He would play all the tunes from the ‘40’s and the neighbors would come out on their porches to listen to Russ as he cut the rug with his mad organ skills. I remember sitting on his back porch with him and him telling me all sorts of crazy stories about him and his brothers fishing and growing up in the small Southern Utah town. 

I was enthralled with their stories of the “olden days.” I would look at their pictures and wonder what it would have been like to live during those times. 

When Family Search asked Mormon Mommy Blogs to help them “rally the troops” and get people excited about the 1940’s census, it was a no brainer. I KNOW people in that census. YOU know people in that census. 

They are launching the fist of its kind, and the largest recorded nation wide community service project and they wanted to invite the readers of Mormon Mommy Blogs to be Blog Ambassadors and help get people excited about not only the 1940’s but finding the people you know from the 1940s! You get buttons and prizes, people!  Starting sometime this week there will be awesome prizes for the 1940 blog ambassadors to win AND to giveaway on their own personal blogs as well. 

Some of the prizes may rhyme with Pie-Schmod.  #justsayin’

First, you need to sign up to be a blog ambassador, and get your swanky sweet blog ambassador button up on your blog. Then, if you want you can write a post about who it is that you know that was living during the 1940’s and what they mean to you. Or just write about the 1940’s and what you love about that era,  like Caroline did. Then on Friday come back and link up your 1940’s post to the Post of the Week linky and we’ll pick our favorites to be featured and win a swanky cool prize. 

We have been working like crazy coming up with FREE BLOGGING PROMPTS for you to use so that you can write not only about the 1940’s but YOUR version of the 1940’s – your people that were living during that time. We have hundreds ready to prick your creative writing mojo and get your juices flowing. Keep watching the blog because there will be a super cool page that will list all of the FREE BLOGGING PROMPTS! 

Need more inspiration of this fantastic era? Check out our group Pinterest board, Vintage 1940’s and follow along on twitter via the hashtag #1940census. You can also follow the Facebook Page: 1940Census Community Project and their blog, where we will be weekly writers.

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