Treasured Memories: A Great Grandmother’s Legacy Passed Down through Generations
BY OLIVIA CROSBY; PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK COOPER
When those who know me read the theme of this article series “closet pieces you will never part with” they will probably think I will be describing a dress or my favorite pair of high heels. It is not that at all. There is one item in my closet I will always keep and cherish. It is Virginia Ann Cantrell’s scrapbook. She is my great-grandmother, and our family lovingly calls her “Gigi.” She started working on this memory book in 1939. My Gigi passed away in the spring of 2013. At the time I was 20 years old attending Florida State University and working on my bachelor’s degree in political science and communications.
Gigi’s death brought the entire family together. We were closer than ever, spending time with one another as much as we could before we went back to our daily routine. The matriarch of the family had passed away. This was the first time I saw this scrapbook. It was such a special moment for me to see all of her memories and the many treasured events in her life. The scrapbook holds pictures of loved ones, drawings, and ticket stubs to events long past. On every page she described people who were close to her at the time. Her scrapbook was never just about her and that is special to me. While I do not know who some of the people were, I learned a lot about them from her book. There are pictures of Gigi’s sorority sisters and the things they accomplished. Before that, Gigi was the junior high school class president and won awards many years before her college career.
There are many incredible items in her book. It is extremely difficult to name my favorites. After much thought, I decided there are two that mean the most to me:
The tickets and brochures that document Gigi and my great grandfather’s first date in 1942 to the 68th annual Kentucky Derby. Seeing the tickets from so long ago makes me feel as if I had been there. I can picture the horses and hear the roar of the crowds. Knowing my great-grandfather and Gigi were there hand in hand puts the biggest smile on my face. Along with the tickets to the Kentucky Derby were tickets to a showing of Gone with the Wind; both a movie and a book that is so beloved to this day. It is so fascinating to know that the movie everyone loves is a movie my grandparents saw when it was new.
Another favorite in her book: all of her drawings. I come from a very creative and artistic family. My mom is an interior designer and my little sister can probably out-draw anyone. I love painting and crafts but definitely don’t have the talent my sister and mother have. Seeing my Gigi’s drawings brings everything together. Not just the drawings but the book itself represents our family, our talents, and our legacy. From the drawings to the pictures of the family gatherings and all of Gigi’s community involvement; it just clicks. Our family has always continued Gigi’s legacy. I love to stay busy and like to consider myself a people person. Looking at her scrapbook I see just where I get it from. I cherish Gigi’s scrapbook and hold it very dear knowing that she held it close to her heart. I am able to share something special with my Gigi even when she is gone.
Things I learned in school are documented in this memory book; it is absolutely breathtaking. A stranger could look at this scrapbook and know Gigi was a wise Christian lady with a heart full of love, confidence, and integrity. She started a legacy, and it is up to me and the rest of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to carry it on.
About Olivia Crosby
Olivia Crosby, 23, works as the governmental affairs regional representative of Northwest Florida for the Florida Association of Realtors. She tells us she has kept a journal most of her life and has made quite a few scrapbooks and memory books of her own. “I think journals and scrapbooks are so important because I can look back and remember exactly what I felt like, or what I wore, who I was with, and what we talked about,” she says. “It’s amazing to know my Gigi did and thought the same thing.” Olivia graduated from Mosley High School in 2011 and Florida State University in 2013. (Note from the editor: Virginia Ann Cantrell was the namesake of the family-owned restaurant, Granny Cantrell’s in Panama City.)