My great-great-grandma, Margaret Hopkin Tolman, was gifted sourdough starter around 1910 from an immigrant ranch hand from Basque Spain. The starter has been nurtured for over 100 years and used to feed hundreds. My ancestors were sheepherders in the Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming. From the sheep hand to Margaret, to great grandma Anna Toman, to my Grammy Pamela Tolman, to my mom and her siblings, and now to me, my siblings, and cousins, the original starter and herding land have been passed down and treasured.Its health benefits and adaptability to feed multitudes make it increasingly popular today. However, my family has treasured it long before its recent popularity.  Talk of sourdough unfailingly brings me back to the crisp morning air at my Grammy's Big Horn Mountain, Wyoming Cabin, where my family spends our summers. Each morning I wake up to the bustling and smells drifting from the kitchen. Grammy (and the other parents) prepare bacon, eggs, and sourdough pancakes. The wood-burning stove, my Grammies' presence, the huge lazy Susan table, being in the mountains where my ancestors once breathed, and enjoying century-old sourdough pancakes are priceless memories I hold to. They remind me of my strong Grammy and the rich history of hard-working ancestors who preceded me. I am grateful for the simple gift of sourdough starter shared over 100 years ago that continues to connect the culture of a sheep hand from Basque with the generations of friends and family who enjoy it today. 

 

– Anndi Wright

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