My Grandfather was involved with the witnesses in the early 1930's . My Grandmother told me she never liked him trying to cram religion down her throat .She never became a witness ,but studied with them in her later years . My mom remembered going to the convention were the blue Childrens book was released . Grandpa quit going a bit after that ,I don't know why .
When my mom was in her twenties (1950's) she started studying with witnesses that came to her door . My theory about why she did this is because she was a lonely military wife away from her family ,(her parents had just divorced ) and she was looking for something in her past to hang on to . Her sister was in the same circumstances and started studying at the same time on the other side of the States .My Aunt and Uncle both became witnesses after he left the Navy . My Dad always opposed . My Mom was baptized @ the big NY /Polo grounds convention in the early 1950's . By the time I came around in 1961 she was fully entrenched in Dubland . She organized with other sisters on the Military bases we were stationed at ,and many times doing the meeting parts together with only one brother . She raised four children to become baptized JW's . One brother and sister still consider themselves witnesses , but because of health issues are not active .
In my husbands family his mom studied off and on for six years , her husband violently opposed her becoming a witness . He even stood on their porch with a shotgun once and told her Bible study conductor to never come back or else ! They finally divorced and she became a witness dragging her three kids with . She married a man that was studying in 1974 . Together they had hers ,mine ,and ours , six kids total .
Today my Father in law and his oldest son are Elders , and my mother in law is still active . Out of the other five children only one is somewhat still a witness ,but I think he is fading too . Two nephews and their wives are witnesses .