Writer uncovers side of her grandmother she never knew
New book chronicles how life was before surgery left her paralyzed
Growing up on the Elmhurst family farm in Asphodel Township near Rice Lake, Kathryn Storring knew her grandmother only as quiet and reserved — a shadow of her once lively self.
In 1947, major surgery left Storring’s grandmother, Ruth (Birdsall) Elmhurst, partially paralyzed. She could only speak in brief, halting sentences and relied on family members to help her walk. As a result, the two rarely communicated with one another.
In the 1970s, Storring left home to pursue a career in journalism, and she soon started working for the Peterborough Examiner before becoming an editor at the Record in Kitchener.
It wasn’t until later in life, after 30-plus years in journalism, that Storring’s mind began to wander back to her grandmother, who died in 1974. Storring’s childhood naiveté was replaced by regret. She yearned to know the real Ruth.
Then, in 2019, Storring’s aunt, Barbara Mather, gifted her a trove of letters penned by Ruth. The letters, addressed to Ruth’s daughter Rachel Grover — Storring’s aunt and Mather’s sister — were written between 1905 and 1946.
Witty, captivating, and full of life, the cache of some 150 letters painted a picture of Ruth presurgery, detailing her dayto-day life on the farm, her trips abroad and the hardships of war.
Through the letters, Storring uncovered a side of her grandmother she never knew, igniting a spark of intrigue that would lead her down countless rabbit holes to the past.
“I’d been curious about my grandmother and feeling guilty that I didn’t get to know her, so I started reading these letters and the more I read them the more I went ‘holy smokes,’ ” said Storring, who lives in Kitchener.
Engrossed by her grandmother’s natural knack for storytelling, Storring found herself researching the many names that popped up in Ruth’s writings.
Storring started compiling names and dates — she intended to pass along tidbits of the past to her sons, cousins and extended family. But Storring’s work quickly transformed into something much bigger.
Buoyed by interest outside of the family, Storring decided to write a book based on her grandmother’s letters. Last year, holed up at home amidst the pandemic, Storring pored over the decades-old source material, ultimately producing “Life & Legacy.”
Active and engaging, the book is presented to readers in a magazine-style format, featuring a mix of letter excerpts, longform articles, miniprofiles and reflections from Storring.
One entry chronicles Ruth’s trip to Buffalo, where she visits Harry Vars, a relative in the pharmaceutical business, who takes her from Buffalo to Norwood and back again in an automobile.
In humorous detail, Ruth’s voice retells the problemplagued trip: the early 1900s-made vehicle breaks down several times en route, and Vars’ chauffeur regularly steps out of the car to guide it past easily-spooked horses pulling buggies along the road.
In another excerpt, the tough realities of war are brought to life as Ruth writes to her daughter about the young men leaving her community to fight overseas.
Penning the book was a new experience for Storring.
“It was unlike anything I’d done before. With journalism, you have a clear assignment; you know who your audience is. I didn’t even know who my audience was,” recalled Storring.
“As it got broader, I thought, ‘I’m connecting with all these other people who are interested,’ ” she said.
From there, the project flew naturally, evolving “from the heart.”
In writing “Life & Legacy,” Storring learned a lot about the grandmother she never truly knew.
“I’d never really heard her speak, so simply hearing what I thought of as her voice, her internal voice, was miraculous,” Storring said.
“The letters are clever, witty; they’re loving and caring. All of those elements were a side (of my grandmother) that I hadn’t seen or heard,” she added.
Storring learned a thing or two about herself, too.
“I’ve been away from the area (for decades) so it was interesting to reconnect so deeply with my roots. You get away from your childhood as you get your own life and career — you don’t realize how deeply those roots shape your life and inform who you are as a person,” Storring said. “I found out that at heart, yeah, I’m a country girl.”
In “Life & Legacy,” Storring’s grandmother is at the centre of the story — that’s significant from a historical standpoint, the author said, as a lot of history books only include passing references to women.
“It’s really important to acknowledge the deep role women played in local history, from looking after the farm to building community ties,” Storring said.
At its core, Storring said “Life & Legacy” is a “celebration of family.” She hopes the book will instill in readers the importance of living in the here-andnow while cherishing what truly matters. Her grandmother’s story, she said, is an example of how life can turn unexpectedly.
“She had an extremely vibrant life, and then, suddenly, she ended up with a serious illness that changed everything. Thank God I can read her letters and see the joy she had,” said Storring.
“Life & Legacy” is available for purchase online through Lydia Heins Publishing at lydiaheinspublishing@gmail.com.