Foundations: Florence Tatone Hastings

Grandma and Grandpa Hastings on their wedding day in 1949

Sorry, I'm a day late! It took longer than I thought to do my genealogical reconnaissance.

Name: Florence Tatone Hastings

Spouse: Edward Hastings

Birth/Death: 1923-1993

Birthplace: Arlington, Oregon

Religion: Catholic

Occupation: Elementary School Secretary

My grandma Hastings came from a big Italian Catholic family. Her parents immigrated from Italy in the early 1900's and raised their 9 children in America. My grandma followed suit and raised 8 boys in the Catholic faith (with my grandpa's help, of course). After talking with my dad and grandpa tonight, I learned that not only did they go to Catholic mass every Sunday, but they went to mass every day--that is much amassing for Catholic mass. I also learned that my grandpa met my grandma in a restaurant in Arlington, Oregon when she was a waitress there, and he was a police officer going in for coffee and donuts no doubt.

I think my grandma must have been quite strict in her attempts to wrangle 8 boys, but my memories of her are very soft. She cradled me against her belly and fed me pancakes and spaghetti. On Saturdays she took me to the drug store and let me choose a Barbie coloring book or one of those magic marker books that had secret pictures to decode once you ran the marker tip over the page (do you remember those?). She died when I was 14 years old, but I've had several dreams about her since. I get the feeling that she's chosen to spend some of her post-earth time watching over me--such a diminutive woman with enough spiritual energy to reverberate through the atmosphere, down to me.

Next Sunday: Foundations with Grandma Koford (the warm and kissable Mormon pioneer grandma)