Norma Ann Jones: My Hero's Life

Norma Ann Jones is my great grandmother and she is 88 years old. She is my moms grandmother on her dads side of the family. The grandchildren and now great grandchildren all call her Gran. Gran was born in Blakely, Georgia on a small farm on August 20, 1927. Gran told me Blakely was a very small town; it was a simple place. It had a courthouse in the center and small businesses around it. Her father was a printer and worked at the towns print shop, Blakely was his hometown. Gran’s father’s family originated from Scotland and England and moved to the town of Blakely. Her mother’s dad’s family came from Scotland as well, but they crossed the Atlantic and stayed in South Carolina. Her mother moved from South Carolina to Blakely after marrying, here she raised Gran and her brother. Gran’s childhood was simple, her brother was six years older and her father worked, so most of her time was spent socializing with friends or at home with her mother. She told me her mom would take her to the pool when she was little during the summer, this is where her social life began. Gran’s social and high school life sounded like so much fun. She explained that there wasn 't much to do, but they didn 't need much. Kids would spend most of their time …show more content…
The United States entered WWII when she was only fourteen years old. School for Gran was centered around the war. She recalled that Pearl Harbor was attacked December 7, 1941. Remembering that some everyday items were rationed like shoes, coffee, and gas. This was done to help out the war and the soldiers fighting. Gran’s view of the war was surprisingly positive from what she said. She said that the war brought great things with it; she mentioned the creation of penicillin, the ability to freeze foods, and more jobs for the people around her. Gran did not know until later that the war might impact her life more than she had thought it