Favorite memories of your grandparents

When we had to move in with my grandfather to take care of him I was in the 3rd grade. He had a garage that we used to swing from a tree off the top of the roof. We had so much fun living with him. Sadly he died of a heart attack doing what he loved, square dancing.He fell to the floor while dancing.in 1970. Miss him alot.

What is your favorite fond memories of your grandparents ?

Hehe, none, really. All of my grandparents were/are (one grandmother is still alive) true characters but none were ever the sort of people you'd have fond memories of. I have better memories of my grandpa's dog and my grandma's cats. And visiting their houses was fun, because one set of grandparents had an attic full of books and a basement full of weird odds and ends, and the other set of grandparents lived right on Narragansett Bay, near a salt marsh I'd go rowing in, and he would take us out in his sailboat. But them personally? Not so much :tongue2:. I don't believe I ever sat in their laps or got words of wisdom or gave/got any affection more than the obligatory greeting hugs. And neither of my grandmothers ever baked cookies!

Our mother left us when I was only three. I had two sisters, one older and one younger. My Dad's parents took us in to live on their farm. They were hard workers, and didn't have much. My Grandfather died when I was nine. I remember how he would cut watermelons for us kids, When it was gone, he would take his pocketknife and scrape the red. Then he would cut a V in the side and let us drink the juice. He also would hitch the mule to the cart, put the three of us in it with him and drive us out to the end of the road where my uncle ran a small store. Grandma was a precious woman. My best memory of her is that she intended for us to be in church on Sunday morning and we were. I followed her around in the kitchen. She taught me how to make corn meal dumplings and many other things that people don't eat now. I remember her washing clothes in a wash pot over a fire in the yard, and scrubbing them on a wash board. When Dad bought a wringer type washing machine, it was like heaven for her to have that. She worked hard and took care of us, a second family. She had already raised her own six children. I really don't know what would have become of us if it hadn't been for my grandparents. I loved my grandmother like a mother and to this day I appreciate all they did for us. Perhaps I remember these words of hers above all else. She always told us, "The best lesson you ever learn is one you learn the hard way, because you never forget it." She was right.

l remember my grandfather and all the time he spent with me. He bought me a pony when l was 8 and would take me trekking. He took me to gymkanas, to horse and cattle auctions, l'd go haying with him, and we'd hitch one of the horses to a cart and pick up something or other. He had a son, and a grandson, but neither of them had any interest in nature or the outdoors so l reaped the benefits of his time since l genuinely enjoyed it.

My paternal grandfather died when I was just 6, but I remember his smile and playing "You can't catch me". My paternal grandmother doted on me as I was her first granddaughter. She gave me a kitten she had found in her alley. I remember her cookie jar shaped like a peach and taught me the joys of a syrup and peanut butter sandwich. She was a quilter and I slept under several of her quilts. They were "used up" and did not survive the many washings. I do have a doll quilt she made.

My maternal grandmother died when Mom was a girl, but I had a great stepgrandmother. She gave up a successful nursing career (she had an apartment with maid service) to marry a widowed farmer with a pre-teen daughter in a house that only recently had electricity installed. (When asked why she left the city life, she'd say love makes you do strange things. :lol3: ) She helped us with two orphaned kittens by taking them in during the day when I was at school and Mom was at work. Maternal grandfather was a tall man, a farmer and minister and lived a short walk away. He taught me how to make a sandwich with molasses and butter.

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Oh so many to list. Here's a few..

My grandparents on my mom's side (RIP)

I used to love sitting around, listening to my grandfather talk about the war and his stories. I remember the way he'd say "Are you KIDding?!" when he doesn't believe what you say. 

My grandmother.. I seriously miss hearing her call me "Doll".. I miss listening to her play the piano (and complain that her fingers aren't the way they used to be!) The way she even shook her head when she disapproves of something..

My grandfather on my Dad's side (granny's still alive, 90 and kicking!)

I miss watching him pick up lint off the rug.. the way he'd exaggerate his stories. The toys and junk he'd find in trash cans and gives them to me and my sister.. his smile most of all. I believe he's my guardian angel still to this day, watching over me.

Never had a grandma, they both died before I was born, and my grandfathers died when I was a young child.

I have one memory of a grandfather. I don't remember which one it was but we were visiting when I was about 3-4 years old. We were outside and he was sitting in a chair and I was pretty shy, but went up to him to say hi. He suddenly made this mean face, and jumped up from the chair and threw his arms out towards me and shouted at me, and of course scared me really badly and I ran away. I remember being upset and crying. My sister Linda calmed me down and explained that he didn't like kids in general, that is wasn't just me.

That's my only memory of "grandparents". I hear that usually they are pretty neat, though.

I don't know where to start!    I spent a lot of time with my Grandparents as a kid and the summers as a teen after we moved out of state.  I guess with Gram it was baking in the kitchen.  Especially apple pies!  But Gram was an awesome cook period!  She is still with us; but in a nursing home with some advanced dementia.  With my Grandpa planting peas would be my favorite memory.  It was "my" job every spring.    Or maybe it was sitting with him in his big chair to read the comics before school.  Or sitting on the back porch eating frozen grapes and watching the birds.  Or playing in Grandpa's wood shop.  Sewing with Gram.  Raking leaves and jumping into them, running through the sprinkler with Grandpa.  Playing in the snow with either of them.  I have lots of great memories.  Grandpa and I now have long chats on the phone talking about gardening and my kids or just anything really.  Love him so much!!    I miss my long talks with Gram. 

I wasn't as close with my other Grandparents but I still have great memories.  With my Grandma it's sitting at her kitchen table eating her bran muffins and drinking tea.  Even as a kid.    And eating her soups she always made.  There is no written recipe for them and man I wish I'd learned to cook them with her!  She also has dementia and can't cook anymore.  For my Grandpa it was sitting and listening to his stories about World War 2 or photography.  He was very quiet (the opposite of my Grandma) unless it was one of those 2 subjects.  

I only really knew my maternal great-grandmother and I adored her. I used to spend all my time with Grandma; as soon as school left out at the beginning of June, I'd go live with her and I'd come back home the day before school started in the fall. All of my school holidays were spent with her, too. She was in her early 70s when I was born, so I don't remember her as ever being young. But when I was born (I was born in North Carolina, but we're from Pennsylvania), my grandmother came down by bus to stay with my parents and to take care of me.

Grandma was the best baker I ever knew. From sugar cookies to sticky buns to bread to pies to apple dumplings, that woman could bake anything. Bless her heart, she tried so hard to get me interested in cooking and baking, but I was stubborn and I wanted no part of it. I was going to be a lawyer and I was going to hire somebody to cook. Me, cook? Not in this lifetime!  I know.......   But I think she'd be proud of me now.

I used to awaken in her big old bed every morning and the smell of whatever she was baking would come up the stairs. It never took me long to get dressed and get down to the kitchen. She was always there in front of the kitchen table, kneading bread or cutting out cookies. I'd creep into the kitchen and give her a hug. And she'd always say, "Oh! You scared me! I wasn't paying attention and I didn't hear you!" Thinking back, I wonder.....I bet she heard me, but she knew how much I enjoyed giving her that morning hug.

At night, I'd fall asleep in the rocking chair in the living room while she was watching tv. She loved Peyton Place and Perry Mason. She'd carry me up to bed and we'd go to sleep. Oh, and she loved her "stories" in the afternoon, too....the afternoon soaps. She always read her newspaper from front to back and didn't miss an article. As she got older and had trouble seeing, she used a large magnifying glass to read her paper.

When I was a baby, she gave me a little white stuffed bunny. There are pictures of me with that rabbit and I never went anywhere without it. When I got married, the rabbit came with me. I lost that rabbit when Hurricane Agnes hit us in 1972. Losing that rabbit pretty much did me in. The things we get attached to.

I only knew my grandmother on my moms side, since their father took off when they were small. She passed away when I was 7 but I still have a few vivid memories of her. One was that she gave my brother and I a 2 dollar bill every time we saw her. I also remember her always giving me the skin off of her chicken. (She hated it). She was schizophrenic and was often hospitalized, so I missed out on a lot of time with her.

My stepfathers father passed away when my stepfather was a child but his mother lived just down the road from us. I remember her always having yummy treats when we went over or fresh rhubarb. 

My biological "fathers" parents were around somewhat when I was a kid but his mother didn't like me and favored my brother and cousin. My grandfather, however, was the kindest, sweetest soul in the world. His wife did her best to keep him away from me but every second I spent with him is a favorite memory.   He passed away in 1998. 

My fondest memories are of my paternal grandmother, we would stay over night sometimes and would play cards until late, rummy, go fish, etc. and some board games. My maternal grandmother had a huge garden and gave me this love, she also taught me how to can fruit and vegatables.