Tell me about your grandmother (or grandfather)

[teach1rusl]

My grandpa's still alive and kickin' at 100

He lives alone, still drives (a stick shift) out to "the farm" just about every day to tinker on things, still "plays around" on his tractor - he ain't no rocking chair grandpa, that's for sure. He's slowed down a lot over the past year or so - I see him walking a lot slower and depending on his walking stick a lot more, and his hearing is shot (he refuses to wear his hearing aid), but his mind's as sharp as a tack, and his memory is better than mine. It's really cool to listen to his stories on how things were in "the old days," especially to get his perspective on issues like the current economic situation, civil rights, etc. I like to think I got my sense of work ethic from him - he's always been a worker. He loves poetry and can rattle off just about every Poe poem from memory. He tells me to "never stop learning." I always felt love for my grandpa, but have only come to truly appreciate the person he is and his view of the world over the past ten years or so...

 

[BarefootMom]

hmm most of my grandparents are still alive- my favorite:

Granny:

Granny is 82 years old and is the most active woman I know! (not just for her age either!) She volunteers at the hospital gift shop 2 days a week, the senior center 1 day a week, works out with some other ladies at the hospital 1 day a week and then they knit caps and blankets for the nursery at the hospital. On Fridays she goes and gets her groceries, gets her hair done, and eats lunch with her friends. She goes on bus tours with the bank (they are always having special trips for senior citizens--last year she went on 3 trips- one to Michigan, one to Montana, and one to New York! We live in Missouri) She still mows her own yard, washes windows, does everything herself since my Poppy passed away in April of 1999. Last week she fell while pulling weeds out of her garden. She broke her hip but still managed to crawl into the house and get into bed. She layed there for a few hours before she decided she needed help. She called my parents and they took her to the hospital- had surgery on Friday morning and was home on Sunday afternoon. The doctor wanted her to go to a nursing facility for rehab but Medicare said she did TOO WELL in the hospital so they wouldn't pay for it. (She was up with a walker the same day she had surgery...)

Not only is she active- she has style. She is one of the most stylish old women I know. She will not wear old woman shoes- you know the black/grey tie ones... She goes to church every Sunday morning and night and on Wednesdays too. She loves shoes- always has the cutest heels.

She has always been beautiful.

her engagement picture- 22 years old

this was 2 years ago with my son:

 

[Gen9]

I don't remember a whole lot but I can tell you little bits here and there. My great grandmother lived until she was 106 - grew up on a farm in Montana. She and her 11 children (4 boys 7 girls, one of them my grandpa) would shell wheat by hand. My grandpa said every once in awhile, when the weather was nice they would go to the fair and buy strawberry flavor soda pop. I remember my mom telling me my great grandmother was in good shape - was up fixing her roof when she was 83. My grandpa, wanted to join the Navy when he was 17, mom said yes, dad said no (a requirement is to have both parents consent - still to this day) had to help dad finish the railroad for another year -bummer. Then as soon as he turned 18 Navy recruiter picked him up and shipped him to bootcamp. His job was gunner's mate, he got stationed at Seal Beach, met my grandma in Oceanside, CA. They were 11 years apart in age, quickly got married at a small chapel. My grandpa was aboard the USS California during the Pearl Harbor attack. My grandma got a telegram in the mail saying that he was MIA. She was pregnant with their first child - cried until her eyes swelled shut, didn't hear anything for 1 month - thought he was killed. His Command told everyone they were going home. Ended up fighting in the Korean War instead, that's why she didn't hear anything for a month. Retired after 22 years of service. When I was about 7 years old, they separated, he moved back to Montana. Both grandparents treated poorly for PTSD then, which developed other mental illnesses down the road. Grandma was in and out of institutions, lived with us for awhile until right before she died. Grandpa moved in with us when he was about 75- was still mowing lawns, walking 2 miles a day up until about 83. Passed away when he was 90 - would have been 98 a few days ago. I was young while they were alive and regret not telling them I loved them more. I really miss my grandpa the most. He said that my grandma was always smiling and laughing before things went wrong with her. My family on the other side was never really close; moved over to the States in 1923 from Poland and Russia - missed the war by a good amount of time, though our cousins who stayed ended up in Nazi camps.

 

[teach1rusl]

Barefootmom - your grandma is a pretty woman!

Maybe we should play matchmaker with our grandparents...lol...if she likes older fellas. Grandpa had a heart valve replaced at 92 and made a remarkable recovery. He turned the tractor over on himself (drove too close to a drop-off) at 95 and broke his pelvis - didn't keep him down long at all.

Your grandma sounds like she has the same mettle.

 

[pdsavage]

My maternal grandmother Died when I was an infant,my mother told me everytime she took us kids over there my Grandma would just sit and rock me.
My maternal grandfather was and old drunk who would make fake license plate made out of carboard and everytime would get pulled over by the local lawinforcment.
He lost one job working on the river barges cause he was drunk and fell off.

My paternal grandmother was one hell of a woman married before she was 18 to my grandfather durring the great depression,she went on to become first a social worker when they lived in the city and later when they homesteaded she was for awhile a preacher.She raised rabbits and chickens and would fish as often as she could.
She died a few years ago.

My paternal grandfather was a golden gloves boxer,and died when I was very young.

 

[Rollerman]

I never knew but one grandparent. That was my dad's mom. She was a mean,bitter old lady is what I remember of her. Of course my opion may have ben influenced a little by my mother as they did not get along at all!lol. I wish I had know my moms parents. They were the country folk liemk me and I am sure I would have fit right in with them. But what we liked in grandparents was made up for with parents .They were great. Raised 12 kids or rather had 12 kids. A couple died as children of different things. They are gone now and most of the brothers and two sisters. Only five of left. And its hard to keep in touch with each other and keep good feelings amongst them all!

 

[PaulaSB12]

My maternal grandparents where born in 1893 and 1894. My grandfather was a keir hardie socialist who served in the first world war with his brother. After a road accident my grandmother had to become the main breadwinner for the family my grandmother was supposed to be called Dorothy Helen but my great grandfather got it wrong and wrote down Dorothy Ellen, strange thing though my grandfather had a twin sister called Dorothy. They both died in the 60's so I don't remember them. My father's parents where born in 1900 and 1899. My grandmother was super premature being born 2 months after her parents married

(while it sounds funny at that time you could end up in a lunatic hospital for having a baby outside marriage). They had twin boys one of whom was still born the other was my father. My grandmother was called Minnie and unfortunatly was diagnosed with breast cancer just after the start of the second world war this is the reason that she committed suicide just before my father's 8th birthday. His father died in 1955 so I don't remember him but his second wife promptly eloped to Bradford of all places.

 

[Sherry]

My mother's parents...one of my favorite stories is perfect for BYC.

They were married for over 50 years, and I have never known another couple that had a love like theirs. My grandfather, Pap, was a coal miner, always very active, hunted, fished. Loved his hunting dogs and chickens. My grandmother, Mam, was a school cook.

Due to arthritis of the spine, Pap spent the last 12-15 years of his life paralyzed from the waist down, with limited use of his hands and arms. Mam cared and waited on him until he died. Since he was unable to be up and care for his chickens, every spring when the little peeps hatched, Mam would go to the coop, get a bushel basket full of the little chicks and bring them to Pap. She let them run around on him/his bed so he could see them.

She also, every fall, would go out and gather the most perfect and beautifully colored leaves, that had fallen from the trees and scatter them on the bed so he could feel them.

My dad's parents...also married over 50 years.

Granny was a democrat and Papaw was a republican, and as you know, back in "those days" you voted straight ticket, even if the devil himself was your party, you voted for him. The only time they argued was on election day because they cancelled each others vote. LOL
I was Papaw's favorite, being the youngest of the grandchildren and I thought the sun rose and sat on that man. He made me promise, as a very small child (he died when I was 8) that I would register republican when I was old enough to vote. And every spring he and I went to The Corner Store and he bought me anything and everything I wanted...candy, pop, ice cream and we had a "republican party" and we always shared with Granny and Aunt Vera...the democrats.

Oh, and I did keep my promise and registered republican (even though I vote for who I want). Granny wouldn't have had it any other way and until the day she died she referred to me as "that left handed republican" but always with a twinkle in her eye.

 

[Kaitie09]

My father's side:

My grandmother was an amazing cook. She died when I was ten. She had breast and lung cancer, but had just gone into remission when the pills she had made her dizzy, and she fell down the stairs.

I really never got to know my grandfather much. He was in WW2 in the navy and received a purple heart. He died 3yrs ago at age 90. He had to have a pacemaker put in a few years before, and I know we said goodby to him at least 5 times before he really went. No one was surprised and I think we were all glad he was not suffering anymore. He died in his home on the same day and same time as my grandmother. My uncle was there and said near the end, he was talking to my grandmother saying that she was there to take him. At the last moment, my uncle fell asleep for no more than 2 minutes, but when he woke up, my grandfather had passed. In his will, he left me a huge hand-stitched mink blanket that he brought over from Japan when he was in the war. I can barley lift it.


My mother's side:

My grandfather was the nicest man you would even know. He had his opinions on everything, and you always did what he said. He loved pigeons and raised them his entire life. He worked at a steel mill and retired twice. The first time, he was gone for a couple months, and they called him back saying that they needed him to show the newbies how to really do it. He went back to work, but eventually had a hot steel beam fall on his feet. He crushed and burned both feet, and had to have a skin graph. He also died 3 yrs ago of Lung cancer and Mesothelioma. He did not tell any of us that something was wrong. One day he had to be admitted to the hospital and that is when everyone (including his wife) found out. They gave him 3 months, but he died a week after being admitted. It turns out that he had known, and already signed up in the lawsuit against his old steel mill. There were over 100 cars that showed up for his funeral procession, and two towns had to call in their fire and police departments to escort us. The funeral director said it was the biggest procession he had ever seen in all his time. All the grandchildren released a homing pigeon at the grave.

My grandmother is very sweet. She is nice to everyone, and treats everybody like her family. She is a very religious woman too. The first Christmas my boyfriend came with us, she had a present waiting for him even though she had never met him. She actually has a pretty dramatic story. She had originally been dating my grandfather's brother. When he went off to war, she hung out with my grandfather. She eventually got pregnant at 16 with her first, and they were married without my grandfather's brother knowing. He came back from the war with her name tattooed on her arm, only to discover she was married. Now, he does not care, and they are still very close. My grandmother had 5 children in 6 yrs, and then another one 5 yrs later.

 

[ShelterGirl]

I don't know much about my grandfathers but I know I love my Grandma! She just turned 83 about two weeks ago.

Ever since I was little, I've been told she has the ability to look at an egg and tell you if it is going to be a hen or a rooster. She also could look at a chick and tell you if it was a male or female. I've learned old family remedies for chickens, and learned to take my shoes off before coming in or "you'll track chicken..." you know....manure on the floor...