Community Chat

[AnikaBrodie]

My maternal grandfather was a true Englishman.  He was an excellent carpenter and built his own home.  He spoke fluent PA Dutch and I remember asking him (and grandmother) to "talk Dutch" every time I visited them.  This is a very fond memory.   

I never knew my paternal grandfather (or grandmother) who both died before I was born.     My older siblings told me they were great people.

[sfnative]

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@Preds wrote:

My paternal grandfather spent his life in a coal mine to support his wife and ten children.  He played ball with all his boys when he came home from the mines.  He loved listening to baseball on the radio and I would sit with him while he listened.  Later in life he recieved "Black Lung" for his life in the  mines and bought a new car.  He was so very proud of that new car. He didn't want his boys to go to the mines, so they all went in different directions when they graduated from high school.  Most went Military.  The girls married ... none miners.  He lived a hard life, a long life, and a life that he was very proud of ... as were his children, grandchildren and great-grand children.

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@Preds

So glad you were able to have a relationship with your Grandfather.  From afar and over the years, I recall hearing about early deaths, mine cave-ins, black lung, etc.  It seemed a terribly dangerous and difficult life - very removed from the safety of my bedroom.

I'm happy for your family that they chose different career paths and that your Grandfather lived a long life.

[Preds]

@sfnative ... Thank you.  I was very blessed in the fact that I knew and loved all my grandparents.  I spent a lot of my childhood with them and they spent time at my home when they got older.  I also had the blessing of knowing my great-grandmothers.  They were awesome women.  I had pictures of me being held as a baby by my great-grandfathers, but I never had a chance to know them.   We've tried to do the same with DD and she has always been close to her grandparents.  We are a small, fractured family, but we want everyone to be there if ever needed.  I think we are.   Family is what we make it. 

[Mustang Shar]

@sfnative

Loved your story!  Isn't this a great thread!

[Mustang Shar]

@hckynutjohn

Thats so sad..... Cyber hug.

[blackhole99]

My maternal grandfather died before I was born, but I've seen pictures of him and my mother spoke of him  a few times. Evidently he was a very stern man, came over on the boat from Austria. My maternal grandmother was widowed young and was way ahead of her time. Gram  gave really good and practical advice and certainly was my ship in the storm when I was growing up. My paternal grandfather was very much in the back ground, I don't ever remember speaking to him or him to me. I always thought he came to the states from Poland, but recently found out he was first generation American. The last time I saw him I remember he was a tall thin man, dressed in a plaid shirt with brown pants and suspenders and had on brown lace up boots. His wife my grandmother was a Polish immigrant and loved going to mass and was quite the gardener and cook. My grandmother didn't speak much English and she would say my name in Polish and it made me feel special. I wish I would have been able to get to know them better, but my Dad was the black sheep of the family and was not welcome in their home so we suffered too because of it.

[Zenyoga]

my maternal grandfather died before I was born but my mother kept her memories alive by always telling us stories about him so I felt like I knew him. 

My paternal was a cook on the southern pacific rail rode for 40 yrs his route was from Dallas Texas where he lived to Chicago this was in the hay day of train travel, he would tell us about all the people he met a lot of movie stars that liked the train and the private berths they had some where big suites.  He had pictures of Bette Davis, William Holden, James Cagney, Joan Crawford  all taken with him 

His specialty was baking and made the best lemon meringue pie and the lightest biscuits which I have yet to master.     Me and my sibs got to ride with him when we would visit in the summer it was fun because we got the VIP treatment in the dinning car.  he was afraid to fly but was forced to when my grandmother became ill while on a visit although he said he liked it the train was still the way to go. 

Sadly he is gone now I have so many great memories I'm planning a trip to Chicago next summer and in his memory I'm going by train.  

[candyagain]

My Papa was a quiet dignified man who loved Jimmy Durante, boxing, wrestling and songs of the Old West. He rolled his own cigarettes. When he was a young man he played in the local softball and baseball teams. He used to take me for walks and when we passed Cardine's Field (Newport, RI) he would tell me about the times he watched Babe Ruth play there when the Babe was a player in the minor leagues.

What a lovely idea for a thread! I've enjoyed all the memories.

[Shorty2U]

I dont know that its suprising. But my grandfather came over here from Italy and worked hard. Once settled in, he went back for my grandmother and brought her back. He learned English immediately and went to work opening businesses. He had a wonderful garden in their city yard with fig trees. He and my grandmother made the best homemade spaghetti (yes homemade no boxed!), sauce, and meatballs on earth! We ate at their house every Sunday. Even when my grandmother died my grandfather continued to make the big spaghetti dinner into his 80s!

My other grandparents, I never knew. My moms mom died at 27 of heart disease, and my moms dad died at 47 of heart disease (my mom died at 51 of heart disease). I did have a step grandmother who outlived my mom and we were close.

[LilacTree]

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@sfnative wrote:

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@daisyk wrote:

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@LilacTree wrote:

Unfortunately, I never had a grandfather.  They both died long before I was born.

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Me too, and my dad died when I was 12. I get a little envious of others sometimes but it is what it is and I've been fortunate in many ways.

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@daisyk

@LilacTree

I am sad for both of you.  If we had a "way-back machine," I'd make sure that grandparents were included for you both

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How sweet of you.  Thank you so much!