Grandma Sunday
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Hannah Marie Anderson is a Civil War widow who lives in Ginger
Brook Hollow, just below the town of Amber Fields. She loves the orphan
girls in the town as though they were her own granddaughters, and they
visit her every Sunday. To them, she is their Sunday Grandma, and the
one person who keeps their hopes and dreams alive and who makes them
feel important.
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Orphan Girls of Ginger Brook Hollow
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These girls were taken in by Grandma Sunday and her best friend
Mildred when they were babies and their families died in an epidemic.
They are all born within the same year. From oldest to youngest:
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Emmaline
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September 18, 1885—Is practical, good in arithmetic, and wise for her age.
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Meg
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November 7, 1885—Is a natural nurse, loves to bake, and is a wonderful listener.
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April
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February 24, 1886—Loves to write and longs to travel, notices everything, keeps a journal of the orphanage happenings.
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Kathryn
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April 20, 1886—Loves music and sings, reads to the other girls, quietly thoughtful.
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Johannah & Suzannah
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June 29, 1886—Twins, Johannah is the tomboy, loves horses, and is
slightly impulsive, while Suzannah is a lady, sweet, sensible, and good
at sewing and detail, is a peacemaker and loves hats.
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Louisa
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August 11, 1896—Louisa is pretty and dainty, likes flowers and
gardening, is prone to daydreaming, and is conscious of manners and
propriety.
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Miss Gretchen
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Marylou Gretchen is in charge of affairs at the orphanage. She is a
young spinster with a possibility of late marriage, and, although not
unkind, she is somewhat strict and not motherly. She is the
sister-in-law of Ruben Farnsworth.
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Mrs. Miller
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A widow who has the job of being the cook for the orphanage.
Although she is not always there, she is a motherly influence and is
kind to the girls.
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Mrs. Mildred Farnsworth
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The woman who took the seven little girls into her home with the
help of her best friend, Hannah Marie, and raised them until they were
six-years old and she died. At that point, her home became the
orphanage, and Miss Gretchen was put in charge by a board of directors
while Hannah Marie was away.
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Ruben Farnsworth
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The only child of Mrs. Farnsworth. His father died in the Civil
War. When his mother died, leaving the seven girls orphans, he became
the head of a board of trustees in their behalf.
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Mr. Woods
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The postmaster and friend of the orphan girls. He is a widower who
is rather sought after by many of the widows of the town.
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Harold
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The owner and operator of the general store. He lost a wife and
son in the same epidemic that left the the girls orphaned as babies, and
he has a soft spot for the orphan girls. Although he does not give them
things free, he does work with them to help them get the things they
need.
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Miss Pine
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The young school teacher the orphan girls like and trust. She
cares about her students and treats them equally most of the time,
regardless of their background.
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Mr. Simms
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The man most likely to fall asleep in church.
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Ben Smaller
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A boy the same age as the orphans. He is mischievous but not bad, generally cheerful, and makes unusually good cookies.
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Charlotte Dibble
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A new girl in town, about the same age as the orphans, She is from
a wealthy family and does not like the way the orphans are treated as
her equals, especially when they beat her consistently in school
competitions.
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Jane and Ruth Gilly
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Sisters from town. Ben ties their hair ribbons together in church.
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Mr. Howard
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Owns the horses in the pasture near the orphanage, and pays Johannah to help him train the yearlings.
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Polly Harris
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Talks about ice skating on the pond behind Jerry Hooper’s barn. She also talks about going West in the summer.
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Mrs. Nelson
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Plays the piano and is the mother of the family Kathryn likes.
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Tommy Jenkins
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A tease who stole April’s pencil.
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Mrs. Girty
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Lives on Back Street where many of the oldest residents live, and
was the lady who requested the girls make a snow woman because she had
nothing to put on a snowman.
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Mrs. Hughes
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The neighbor across the street from Mrs. Girty, who likes to watch what Mrs. Girty does and do the same.
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Mrs. Berg
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Sings loudly enough to sing solos in church.
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Mary Lyel
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A girl in the same grade as the orphans who listens to Charlotte’s gossip.
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Christian Strang
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A boy who says April will get very seasick if she tries to travel the world.
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Dr. Banks
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The town doctor who comes if ever the girls in the orphanage need him.
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Eddie Flinn
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A boy who is kind enough to tell Emmaline what he overheard Mrs.
Dibble and Miss Pine say to each other regarding the orphan girls.
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Angelica Flinn
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Eddie’s little sister, who froze when it was her turn to perform her recitation.
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Rulen Family
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The family with so many little girls that Kathryn helps get them ready for school in the mornings.
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Mrs. Creswick
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A lady Louisa helps to plant her garden, even with blisters, so she will have enough money to plant her own.
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Mrs. Kettrel
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A prim and proper, but kind lady who gasped in church the day she started to doze off and thunder woke her.
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Henry Fitch
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Shows an interest in Miss Gretchen now and then.
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Lucy Fadelio
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The girl who helps Charlotte lie about and exclude the orphan girls.
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Janette Peterson
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Lets the orphans share her jump rope and befriends them even though she is a year older.
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William Schneiden
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Ben Smaller’s best friend who accidentally hits Mrs. Maken with his hoop when they are racing down Main Street.
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Mrs. Maken
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Kind, elderly widow, who is also a good friend of Grandma Sunday.
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Mrs. Derley
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One of the wealthy women in town who lets Suzannah have the beads
from her broken necklace and then gives her more necklaces she doesn’t
wear much.
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Gertrude
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Grandma Sunday’s milk goat that has a poor disposition.
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Guinevere
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Gertrude’s kid. The girls help feed her from a bottle and they all
love her because she is pretty for a goat and has a sweet disposition.
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Mable
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April’s pet pocket mouse.
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Camillia
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Kathryn’s special doll she got from Grandma Sunday for her birthday.
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Jensen Family
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This family moved into town during the summer of 1896. They have
seven children and are especially kind to the seven orphan girls.
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Golda
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She’s the special golden mule that has won Johannah’s heart.
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Matthew and Marcus Jensen
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Matthew and Marcus are twin boys the same age as the orphan girls.
They are friendly and when Matthew introduced himself to Johannah at
church a friendship between their family and the orphans developed.
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Mr. Kail
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Mr. Kail is the church choir director. He has been impressed by the singing ability of the seven orphan girls.
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William Schiller
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Grandma Sunday's brother who lives on the other side of Ginger Brook Hollow
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Harvey Phelps
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Owner of the bull that was so mean it was a legend in Amber Fields
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Jake Mullingham
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One of the men in town who helps out occasionally, especially on the day Harvey Phelps' bull got loose.
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Jeff Parker
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Hired hand in town who also helps when the the killer bull gets loose
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Mrs. Fantine
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An older fashionable widow who fell asleep in church and slapped her husband after being pestered several times by a fly.
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Shariff Brown
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The sheriff in town. His job is usually easy, but when he is needed, he is there for official law and order.
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Mr. Mittler
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Has pigs that he pastures by the school in the fall to eat the acorns there before winter.
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Mr. Keeler
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Owns an apple orchard that is on the way home to the orphanage
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Bob Hanks
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A boy at school who sold chunks of rock salt
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Cora June
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A girl at school who came from England. She says her favorite thing to eat is sausage, cabbage, and potatoes.
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Andrew Anderson
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Grandma Sunday's late husband who was killed in the Civil War.
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Rupert Harken
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A rowdy boy who is prone to fighting and from a less trusted family in town.
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Jed Lampin
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An older boy at school who is a bully
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Mr. Hooper
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The man who lives in the house closest to the school.
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Mr. Kennaren
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Grist mill owner-the miller
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Mr. Smaller
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Ben's dad - keeps and sells ice, is known for ice cream in the
summer, apple cider in the fall, and popped corn in the winter.
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Jacob Penning
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A boy from a wealthy family, he has been tutored privately and is
an excellent student. He comes to live with his uncle while his parents
are in Europe.
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Charles Schiller
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Grandma Sunday's grandnephew who is only two years older than the orphans.
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Mr. Lenter
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He is an older man with ill fitting false teeth that whistle when he talks.
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Laurette
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A girl in town who plays the piano quite well, but is not proud or arrogant about it.
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Jenny Miller
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She is a trend setter and not afraid to be the first to do something. She starts the handbag craze in the spring.
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Anette Harker
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She is very shy and stays to herself. The "seven orphan sisters" befriend her and find her fun to be around.
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Dr. Jenkins
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The veterinarian in Amber Fields who recommends treatment for the black mare, which Johannah and Meg follow.
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Mr. Whitty
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An Irishman who tells travel stories that boarder on tall tales.
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Mr. Mitchell
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A member of the board of trustees for the orphanage who makes it a
point to find wool for the girls to finish their blankets. |
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