Woman Born in 1878 Talks About Her Childhood in Los Angeles, California in the 1880s 

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The oldest person I ever met was 107, a woman who’d outlived three husbands and seven of eight children. She was nearly deaf, but read lips and loved tell stories of her life and experiences growing up and living all her life in the same place, a small upstate NY town. She was sharp as a tack, well-spoken. She passed away later that same year, in her sleep in her own bed, same room as where she was born! That was in 1978. RIP Miss Helen ❤ 😇

It’s amazing how her niece recorded this for her grandchildren- little knowing that thousands would take interest in the years to come. ❤️

My father will be 102 in December and I still can't get him to talk about his life. This recording is pure gold!

Can’t you just hear,how much she’s loving this chance to tell these stories,from her lovely childhood.It’s beautiful.

She has a voice like a warm cup of tea. I could listen to her all day. :) Sounds like she had a fabulous time growing up in old Los Angeles.

I was a dementia nurse. Many of the patients in long term care however are not there for memory loss. Getting to hear the stories of their lives, and the stories from the family members of those who had no memory anymore made that job very interesting. We fail in this country, to show enough intrest in our elderly. They have so much to offer us.

My children’s pediatrician was Dr. Leila Denmark. She lived to be 114 years old. What a gem she was! She continued practicing, in-office, until 108. Later giving advice by phone until 112 years old. Always ‘sharp as a tack’! No one like her!

My great grandmother passed away at 101 yrs young. Her daughter my grandmother passed at 100. The stories they would tell of their time growing up as lil girls were awe inspiring. My great grandmother came from England and to hear her talk about England in the Victorian era was something else, especially when I got to play with trunks up in the attic of all her old long dresses & gowns with the bustles and corsets and high lace up boots with her big hats from that time.

A good friend of mine is going to be 97 this month. Born in 1926. He is the "baby" of his family who are now all gone. He has long outlived 2 of his 3 children and his wife. His last living sibling passed away 25 years ago. He has more energy than most people i know at my age! Still splitting wood, still gardening and loves to fabricate with metal. He is the grandfather i never had! I am 42 years old and i enjoy every minute listening to all of his stories, even if I've heard them already. And I've learned quite a bit from him

I grew up in the L.A. area so I found this particularly interesting. When my grandmother was little, her great-great grandmother Hannah lived with them. Born in 1801 and died in 1905, she told the children bedtime stories of her lifetime including the civil war. My great aunt, who was 12 years old when Gramma Hannah died, and remembered her very well, had the foresight to write down the stories and later typed them up, giving copies to family members. They are a treasure for our family.

I love how she described her shoes and clothes. Embroidered undergarments, button up shoes, beaver trimmed coat from New York. And her embarrassment at school when her brother said the word “belly” during his little poem and that she couldn’t go back after that. So innocent.

Something about this audio is so grounding. And humbling. This was recorded so many decades ago. And this lady is loooong gone. To hear the humanity in her voice... her perspective. Reminds me of just how short life really is. I enjoyed it.

We have elderly people all around us right now with great memories and stories to tell all we have to do is make the time to listen to them speak.

I could listen to her for hours. What a memory!

So amazing. This recording inspired me to ask my mother, born in the 1930's to record her, and then my father's history. She lived through the times when wood burning stoves were still common, the end of the depression, WW2, and the developments since. The grand and great-grandchildren would love it.

She sounds like a professional narrator… but it’s just her story! My goodness, how people used to talk back then! ❤

I think it’s so cool that she contributed to this somewhat obscure recording and now 60 years later it’s been listened to by a million people

This is an 86 year old talking??? What a beautiful voice! And she must have seen so much change.

This is wonderful.I could listen to her talk all day.Her voice is mesmerising. I love how she ends some sentences with “ that was that.”❤

I enjoyed this so much! My great grandmother (born in 1901 and passed away in 1992 at 91 years old and I was 12) she was such an amazing woman and i loved listening to her stories of growing up in the rural mountains of North Carolina! I wish I had known to record her and ask more questions back then! I still have her daughter, my grandmother, who is now 83 years old and I need to document her in this way, so we always have something to cherish. She’s the strongest and most loving person in my life. The world would be such a better place if people still carried some of these morals and characteristics from old days gone by… we obviously need progression as well, but I believe there’s a balance between the two. Thank you so much for sharing this with everyone! Over a million views! How remarkable! 🙏🏼💗💯

Its incredible hearing people from those times speak on camera so even though they have long since died their stories will live on forever

My Great Great Grandma was born in 1860 and she used to tell us stories about "the old days". I loved to hear what she had to say. I wish now we had recorded her stories with a tape recorder. As a child I never thought about it back then.

My great-grandmother came to this nation from Sicily in 1893. She used to tell us stories of her childhood in the small village she grew up in, coming to this nation by steamship, and growing up as a young woman in Cleveland, OH during the boom years of that city. She passed at age 103. She was a sweet and wonderful woman who loved having so many grandkids, great grandkids, and great-great grankids all around herand I still miss her to this day,

Listening from Los Angeles. This warms my heart so much.

They recorded this for the grandchildren, but thousands have a chance to listen. So cool! Pembroke sounds like a blast, too.

I love this. I can’t wait to get my teacher’s license in 2025, because I will definitely show this to my students in my social studies classroom! They deserve to hear this lovely lady say this wonderful testimony!

My grandmother lived to be 101 years old! She loved to tell us scary stories and we loved hearing them. She was born in 1902. I miss her so much! I love this video!

my great great aunt lived to 101 died in 2021 her husband lived until 100 died in 2015 their stories were amazing and I miss them

I feel lucky to have basically grown up in a nursing home. All through the 80s and 90s we'd go to work with my mum, and later, I worked in health care. I've met WW1 soldiers and survivors, holocaust survivors and WW2 veterans, heard stories about the depression and how they survived, and much more. If you can, go make friends with the elderly. They enjoy the companionship, and you'll learn a lot.

This brought back so many memories. I am 40 years old. My great grandmother Stella was born in 1889. She died when she was 103 years old. I loved hearing stories between her and my grandmother, Lorna. Great grandma Stella told me about growing up in an old church house. She had "stick dolls" made of sticks and cloth. Her favorite past time was sitting by the fire playing marbles with her siblings. Eventually, she inherited her childhood home, that became a boarding house. She ran the boarding house her entire adult life until she wasn't able to in her elder years. My Grandma Lorna told me wild stories about the boarding house and how she met so many interesting people. When I was little, they talked alot about the depression era. They had kept ration books and other trinkets from that time, and passed them down to me. My grandpa Charles was in the Navy during WW2. Grandpa Charles and Grandma Lorna met shortly after he returned from WW2. Grandpa was one lucky guy. He was transferred off the USS Arizona, to another ship, ONE day before it was bombed. My grandparents bought their home in 1946, raised all 8 of their children in their 3 bedroom home and lived there all their lives. My dad is the 3rd oldest, out of 8. I also have so many fond memories of my dad's childhood home and spending time with my grandparents there. I can still remember every nook and cranny of that old house.

I just can't help but to absolutely adore Pembroke myself. What a marvelous thing to do in recording this first-hand account of history for not only your family but now to share it with all the rest of the human family here as well. These historical memories are a such a wholey unique and priceless treasure.

This is absolutely marvelous!! Rest in peace dear Mrs. Collins. Thank you for sharing your story and making a piece of history come to life. I'm so glad your niece bullied you into doing this.

My great-great grandma was born in 1892 in Ohio. At 19 and a newlywed, she and her husband rode in a covered wagon to Kentucky. Her life as a farmers wife was starkly different than this lady, as were their children. The only thing store bought was flour, coffe and cornmeal twice a year. She lived to be in her 90's. She was very sweet, kind and smart. She taught me a lot. Thanks for this lady's story. Fascinating!

I just didn’t know how needed to hear this dear woman speak of her life in such dulcet tones. I bet she could’ve never imagined that this recording would reach over half a million people ❤

This was absolutely delightful. I'm so happy her niece recorded it for all of us to enjoy.

This recording have an infinite value. It's a true time machine. Thank you for uploading it!

She's very well spoken, and descriptive. It makes me realize that we have pretty much lost the art of storytelling as a society. Great quality recording! Thank you!! (I'm from the Los Angeles area too, but born 100 years later)

I am so grateful Rowena thought to record her aunt's memories while she could! This is incredible.

Just a beautiful voice. She could not have an idea we would be listening to her today. God bless her heart and i never heard her curse not once

This brings a huge smile to my face. Such simple times and she seems so happy. I almost wish there was no internet bc I feel this is where we fail in a way. Too many choices now. Too much for us to see that we probably shouldn’t see. We can’t cure everything and shouldn’t see everything

Amazing. Her memory was so clear and so detailed, and she talked about her memories so beautifully, as if she was on stage and holding the audience spellbound. It is a privilege to hear her talk about her life.

There is a picture of Belle aka Jett Collins in public genealogy trees. She married in 1901 to a wealthy man (Arthur Collins) from England and moved to England with him until he passed away in the 1930s. Prior to that her father, and her beloved Pembroke had died in Los Angeles. She moved back to L.A. and was the last surviving child of Belle (her mother) and Cameron Thom. She had no children of her own. She died in Beverly Hills, CA. Her father was one of the original landowners for what is now Glendale, CA.

Hey you, Life in the 1800's, thanks a bunch for doing this video & posting it for us all to enjoy. @2:42 "I've been bullied all my life by my niece to do this..." Oh my, how wish that we could reach out & thank her for doing this. What an absolute _sweetheart_ of a woman & such a great sense of humour too. 🤗💕💕

It really touched and inspired me that the first thing she mentioned was God and the many blessings of her life🙏❤️ She went on to describe her childhood and 1880s Los Angeles in vivid detail! Thank you so much for putting this on RU-vid!

I feel privileged to have met my great grandmother who was born in 1884. She died when I was 7 in 1977. Time passes by so quickly doesn’t it? This stuff is so interesting. I love hearing old stories. And her voice is so sweet and soothing. Such a gentle and dear lady.

I sat with my eyes closed listening and I could picture it all. I smiled several times listening to this lovely woman.

I was born in 1953, my mom and dad in 1917, my grandma 1893 and both grandpas 1887, great grandpa 1865, and great. great grandpa 1811. I have a history on them all and pictures also. I love listening to older folks. I did an interview in college 1977 with a women in a nursing home who was born in 1876, she was as spry as a spring chicken.

Oh my gosh, I just sat back and let it play on a speaker, it was amazing. She really transports you there with her. I could listen to so many episodes of her life spoken like this. It's a shame we only have these few, but I'm so grateful we do!!!!

I recorded my great grandma telling about her and my great grandfather's history as they were San Diego natives. She was born in 1898. I have a video of it actually, I recorded it in the early 90's. I consider it a priceless piece of our family history, and we all still live in San Diego.

This lady is so beautifully spoken. So clear and articulate. If only people spoke like this now.

I could listen to this woman talk for hours - she had the most beautiful speaking voice! Am so looking forward to Part 2. Would love to hear about her teens and young adulthood...

Whenever i come across something like this, i am so filled with all sorts of emotions. First i am astonished that these documents exist, where people tell about their youth and lives, sometimes audio only, sometimes video even, made from old film and its so interesting to hear about those times long gone. With video and audio, you get so much more than just reading about something in the past. It somehow always stays distant if its written words, but if its a real person, telling it, it becomes alive and you get all the nuances of dialect, breathing, pitch, trembles in the voice and so on. And it then always dawns on me that these people are long gone aswell. They are here, talking to me, but long gone the same. Thats somehow a miracle too. And then i always think about my own life and experiences, which are increasingly further away aswell. Im not american, but dutch, but even during my 63 years on the planet, things have changed SO much that thinking back to how things were, is not only a travel in time anymore, but a travel to another world. I tried to explain it to my children when they were teenagers, how much things have changed, and even though they listen and try to understand, the true realisation and the consequences of it all, dont dawn on them. Its to them, i suppose, another planet, which cannot be understood. Typing this now, i realize im probably closer to this lady in Los Angeles in 1880, than to the world here and now in 2024. I guess im increasingly becoming a relic from the past. It always makes me sad aswell. But at the same time, some form of happy, that i experienced this, as a breeze gently moves the leaves of a beautiful flower and then the storm blows it apart. The memory is still there. I can try to explain the flower, but youd have to see it. And it wasnt all easy and fun either, bc there were many thorns aswell. Still, all in all, id go back to that world any day. Im so homesick, longing to go back to that world, every day. I obviously dont like this one. Maybe i feel too much. I remember as a kid and youngster, even young adult, i was always amazed that my mothers grandfather was born in 1889... and he was still alive till the 1980ies. I couldnt talk much with him, for one, bc as a youngster not seeing him all that much, when adults were talking, you werent supposed to say anything. It always amazed me that he was born when nobody had ever flown even. Heck, even my own granddad was born in 1910, before humans could fly. There were no cars here. No telephone. No washing machines. I remember being at my grandparents in the 60ies and 70ies and life was still so peacefull, quiet and content. Nobody said 'im in a hurry, quick quick quick. busy busy busy'. People always found the time for some words. But they didnt waste time either. They were hard workers and needed to be. Nobody was overweight. Nobody talking nonsense. People didnt lie, bc if caught in a lie, oh my, youd be austracized. You instantly would have a bad name and nobody would trust you again. People also cared. Nobody was left behind and complete strangers would help you. Everybody was friendly. Life was pretty simple. I dont envy youngsters living now. I hate my body starts to fail me, hate getting old and weak. But other than their physical strength and beauty, i dont envy them, bc they are living in an increasingly sick and depraved world. And it doesnt look like its getting better anytime soon. In fact, it looks like its going to horrible things very fast. No, i dont envy them. I pity them and fear for my children. The path we are on is not good at all. Wish you all the best from an old dutch relic that once was.

This is my personal account of an elderly woman I met years ago. It’s fairly long, so TL;DR: 109 y/o woman broke her wrist and spent a few days in the same hospital I happen to be in recovering from a car accident. 1993 - I was recovering from a near fatal car accident. This was a three week ordeal that started at one small town hospital for the first surgery, had me transferred to another for two more surgeries, and found me back at the first hospital again to recover. The last week I was there, a 109 year old lady came in (she referred to herself as G-ma). She was there because she had broken her wrist and needed surgery to pin it together. I was just relearning how to walk again, so as I got out in the halls more on my own, I got to meet her. The staff at the care home G-ma stayed at warned a new intern to never take her teddy bear from her because it was the only thing she had left in this world seeing as how she had outlived her entire family. Well, the first night shift the intern worked, she took the teddy bear away. G-ma broke her wrist when she punched the intern square in the jaw and knocked her out cold. G-ma stayed at the hospital for 4 days before she went back to the care home. She was a strong woman who still cared for herself for the most part. She showered and dressed herself, fed herself, walked with just a cane, and she could crush your hand if she caught you off guard when shaking hands…something she liked to do to unsuspecting people as a joke. I would spend hours in her room just listening to her talk about her life and everything she had seen and done. Those were some of the best hours of my life. She basically told me her history from the late 1880’s to the present (1993). She traveled the globe many times, married once, had two kids, and three grandkids. Unfortunately her parents, her one brother, her husband, their kids, and grandkids all passed away before the 1960’s from various illnesses and fighting in wars. She lived on her own until her early 90’s. Once she could no longer drive, she decided to live in a care home to be safe. After I was released from the hospital, I tried to find out where she was staying at, but because I wasn’t family, no one would tell me. I’ve never forgotten her though. The history I learned from her was more valuable than just about any book I’ve read or documentary I’ve watched.

“I’ve been bullied, by my beautiful niece…” That made me smile because I know the world bully meant something different. Her niece persuaded her with the insistence.

This was magical - eloquent storytelling is a lost art these days. Thank you for sharing!

What a recording treasure! I loved listening to this grandma’s memory tour. Such a talented storyteller!

I could cry...her voice is laced with wisdom and grace. Wooden sidewalks, she saw us go from horse and buggy to cars... Her shoes, with the tassels...😏 She absolutely transforms us to another time. "I must have been a sight!" She is absolutely precious. Nowadays people record every mundane thing...and they're saying nothing of value. She's amazing. And she would be amazed that we're so impressed. And we are. 🌹

My grandfather was born in 1876 and died in 1965. He was a farmer and owned a livery stable when he was young and served as postmaster in town when he got older. I remember him as a kind and hard-working man.

She's so well spoken, recounting these stories so smoothly. Gorgeous recording.

I love this ! It’s so informative and nostalgic! Before she mentioned she was rich with a mansion, I already guessed it by How articulate she was. The best part to me, is her sense of humor. I love that about her. The way she explained and expressed some things are just absolutely Funny. She’s so adorably cute! What a good memory and recall she had! Makes me wish I could go back in time!Thank you for sharing!

What a sweet woman! This is a treasure to keep forever. Her voice is so soothing! I loved when she said: " thank God there were no sirens back in those days". She seems to have been a very good-hearted, sensitive old lady.

You get the feeling this woman has never cussed or used vulgar language, EVER. pure class and refinement.

I used to work at a veterinary clinic and one of our clients was in her late 90s. Whenever she came in she would talk about what times were like when she was younger and she had such interesting stories. I remember her saying getting to her age is bittersweet. She was happy she had lived so long but sad because she can no longer share memories with the people from her memories. Everyone she knew (family, friends and even her children) had passed. I had never thought about that. Wanting to reminisce with loved ones about the past but there's nobody left.

How wonderful. I absolutely loved listening to this amazing woman. Having lived in Los Angeles for 10 years, I laughed out loud when she said, "...and it's crowded and smelly, smoggy now..." because L.A. reached 11,000 people in population. What a lovely lady Rowena and her niece are. Thank you for preserving such a terrific piece of history. Wonderful.

I love how she talks..reminds me of my grandmothers, especially great-grandmother. I love how she says, "and that was that!"

I’m in awe of her very descriptive storytelling of her childhood. I don’t know about how any of you feel, but I feel like I was there when she was growing up, like I was born in that era instead of being born in 1970. She had such an amazing childhood. I’m so very, very grateful that her great-niece had her record what her childhood was like, because that’ll be preserved for generations to come. I’m honored, in some way, to have heard such brilliant words coming from a phenomenal woman. May she rest peacefully in her eternal slumber.

This evokes memories of my Grandmother, recounting tales from her youth. I cherish those moments and miss her dearly.

As a Brit, I find this fascinating. The rhoticiy and precision of her speech is the most fascinating thing I've heard. I've always wondered where the American accent came from, but this shows a continuum from an English to an American accent. It does sit somewhere in the middle of an English and American accent.

This is a treasure. So fascinating!

Wow, what a great memory this woman has! Loved listening to this. Some of my family history is out of L.A. Glad I came across this!

This is so wonderful to listen to; reminds me of the beautiful stories my grandmother used to tell. She was born in the 20s and was a proud first generation American. My deepest regret is not recording her...we foolishly thought we would have more time with her. Thank you for sharing!

My microplastics-ridden brain will never be able to recall this much at her age. So glad records like this exist!

I had a great great grandmother that turned 100 in 1996 she told me about traveling in wagons and how life was when she was a little girl! It was so neat! I had never known someone who lived that long ago and was amazed by it! She passed away right before her 101 birthday. I had another great great grandma that lived to be over 102 as well

i'm grateful for this recording ❤❤❤

I would have liked to have known Belle and Pembroke. Delightful stories from a sentimental heart. Her memories are a precious glimpse into a different world. I am enchanted by her telling of it.

Really remarkable to have someone tell us memories of their life from the 1880s- 140 years ago. This makes that era come alive.

Truly, a beautiful thing ...a voice from the past.Her teacher, "...from between the covers of a Dickens novel".... Thank you Ma'am!

Delightful, thank you. She had a lovely speaking voice, I could listen to her for hours.

So great that her niece did this. I am 38, days away from 39. My wife never met my Grandpa. He was a wonderful man. I wish I would've done this with him. He could tell stories so great. He was so captivating. My youngest boy would have loved that. So, so very cool that her niece insisted that she record her stories.

What a delightful voice this lady had … so expressive … so genteel. What a treat to listen to her. Greetings from Querétaro, México .

I loved her story about the dog pulling her brother from the water "by his britches" and I loved how the pet parrots would call out "Pembroke," and little Pembroke (such a great name!) would come running, only to find he had, once again, been duped by the parrots! I could listen to her for the whole day and I am so grateful this was posted. She sounds like she was truly a lovely person.

This was absolutely wonderful to listen to. Her retelling her memories really paint a picture. Plus her diction & general speech are so sweet. Thanks so much for sharing this.

So great to hear these stories. She sounds so humble. Thanks for sharing!!!

Her CORRECT vocabulary, her PROPER diction, is spellbinding. People seemed to speak differently now compared with how she sounds. She's just enchanting.

The way she spoke w such love & adoration for her baby brother made me sad in the best way. I wonder how Pembroke passed away, she spoke of him in the past tense. These type of recordings are priceless. ❤

Feels weird to hear about Los Angeles being a town tbh. Buts it’s neat to hear about what things were like back then

This is the most clear crisp audio I have ever heard from 1964, almost makes me think this is ........

Now THIS is class. I'm 74 years old and remember knowing people like this lady ... and I miss those times very much.

This interview reminds me of the talks I had with my great-grandmother in the 1970s. She was 92, at the time. She recounted the Chicago fire, and life back then. It was precious!

What an absolute treasure this recording is. Thank you for sharing!

I’m so excited for the second part of this! I’ve shown so many people this video. I Just think she’s so charming.

Mrs. Collins was a wonderful story teller as many people were in those days, also beautiful letter writers. Loved this audio!🥰🥰

“Well that was that.” Love to hear this lady and the memories she shares. God bless her soul.

Your own memories will, one day, seem this nostalgic and wonderful to younger generations. We are all unique and our experiences valuable and beautiful. Thanks to everyone willing to share their stories.

Her accent and speech are amazing! Wish they still spoke like this.

I loved how clear and understandable she talked it really helped paint the picture! I love how beautiful and quiet was the picture she painted of the story. One with nature,1800 hundred's things were very simple yet you still had to work very hard to get by,

What a beautiful story teller. She has a voice like running water, I could listen to her talk all day. RIP

This is absolutely wonderful! I’m so glad she was willing to record this! Delightful!

My great grandfather on my moms side was born in 1883. He had a lot of stories to tell. A gentle soul.