We have had this particular grinder in our family since my great-great- grandparents came to America from Bohemia or, as it’s now known as the Czech Republic. Most coffee grinders usually grind well, coffee beans. However, back in the 1920’s and 30’s it was exclusively used for grinding poppy seeds and sugar to make poppy seed bread.              My great-great-grandmother would prepare the dough. Meanwhile my grandfather and maybe one of his siblings would grind the poppy seeds and sugar together. (Back then they had multiple grinders but only the one survived over the years). Although they often made bread and other baked goods, my grandfather’s family did not have an oven big enough to bake anything larger than a tennis ball. The solution was to send my grandfather out with the dough in his little wooden wagon and some money. He would go to the bakery round the corner. When my grandfather would arrive he would say hello and pay the baker. Then, the baker would take the dough and bake the bread in his oven for the family. After the bread was baked my grandfather would thank the baker and return home quickly with the fresh bread. After that the bread would be continuously used as dinner bread and the occasional snack if any remained.             It’s funny looking back on this. Before I even knew this story, the nickname we have always had for our grandfather was “Poppy”.             

– OF

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more