Grandparents......wish to share your story?

I just got this idea from a question I asked Michelle/Noni. I loved and miss my grandmother so much, I would love to hear about your grandparents.......

I really didn't know my maternal grandparents. My grandmother Elizabeth died way before I was born. My grandfather John was an odd man, and Mom tended to keep her and us away from him. He passed when I was 16. I'm sure there's a story there, but Mom keeps it to herself.
Now Dad's parents I did know. They were your typical sweet, cookie baking grandparents. Granddad Elmer, liked to take us for ice cream and have a snort when Gram wasn't looking. He worked his whole life in steel mills. Grandma Vivian, was a real pistol with the best sense of humor that I've ever known. She was a homemaker. She was the kind of woman that would try and tell you a joke, but end up taking forever because she was laughing so hard and smacking her knee. She had a temper though. I never saw it, but Granddad did when she caught him taking those snorts! Granddad died in 93 and my gram in 97. She lived to be 92. I will miss and love her forever, but I don't dwell on the missing part. I rejoice in the time that I did have with them!

you are a very lucky woman to have enjoyed that time with your grandparents.
My fathers parents died before he turned 18
My mothers father died a year i was born and my final granmother died in 2003, but with us moving around so much i never knew her. Instead when i was in australia i adopted my neighbours and my best friends grandparents as my own.
I still think about them and wonder how they are now, as they are over 75.

Yes Fwan, I was very lucky.......and adopted grandparents are just as wonderful!!

Thankfully, I still have all 4 of my grandparents. I grew up with Grammy and Grampy living right behind us. Their house is about 500ft. away from mom and dads.

My grandfather was a farmer his entire life and so was his father and my father followed along in his path. He's now retired, but still putts around on the tractors and helps the guys out in the crops. My Grampy isn't much of a talker and when he does, you can hardly understand him because he either has a cigar in his mouth or he's mumbling beyond comprehension. He's a stubborn old man who hates to go to the doctors. His health is failing him now, he has prostate cancer, he's had a couple of anierisms and walking is becoming even more difficult. Over all that though, he's done a lot for my sister, brother and me. He spends his time now in his new wood shop making little nik-nacks and playing cards with one of his buddies every day. But if I ever need him, he's on his way. When the time comes, I'll hate to see him go, but I have all the memories of riding in the tractors and sneaking snacks before dinner with him.

My Grammy, she's a stubborn old fart. Absolutly hates to go to the doctors and always complains about it. I've done so much with my grandmother, from just visiting and reading magazines out on the back porch in the summer with iced tea or sodas to rescuing her when she ran out of gas. She's in the early stages of alsthimers now and is losing her short term memory. There are days when she'll tell us the same thing maybe 4 times. I feel too bad to say "grammy you just told me that," so I just act like it's new news to me. Grammy and I were the active ones, we'd go cross country skiing in the winter, walk through the trails on our land, and slide down the barn roofs in the winter time. She's still pretty energetic today, if she gets her nap in after lunch.

My moms parents, Nannie and Papa. They divorced when my mom was young. My Papa is a frenchman who smokes pipes and drinks beer like it's going out of style. He'll have his morning coffee, then around 11 a.m. he'll start on beer for the rest of the day. Let's just say my Papa looks pregnant! He lives in Conneticut so we don't see him as often as we'd like, but he comes up for a month in the summer and stays at our camp on the lake, then he comes up for hunting season and Thanksgiving, so we do see him quite a bit throughout the year. My most favorite thing about my Papa is the smell of his pipe and his accent.

Nannie, it's hard to belive but she's 70 years old. She looks like she's in her early 60's! I hope I look like her when I get old! Nannie used to always take time in the summer to do something with all of us grandkids in groups. She'd take the older boys out, then the older girls, then she'd take all of us younger kids (only 4 of us) out for a little trip. We'd go hiking, skiing, swimming, camping, anything that our group liked to do. Every year she took us younger kids to the Enchanted Forest. It's this small forest in York County, Maine (also in some other states). It's hard to explain, but it was always the highlight of our time spent together.

Wow, I'm really going to miss all of them someday.

Hmmmm, grandparents...
Maternal grandfather, I never knew him, 'cause he and grandma divorced when my mom was about 9 years old (can't say that I blame him)

Maternal grandmother, nice enough to folks who are not in her immediate family, but to family members she is a class "A" bi**h! She kept me a lot when I was little, but I haven't seen her since 1992 (at a funeral). As a matter of fact, we have been married for almost 15 years and Charlie has never met her! That really sounds bad, I know, but about the time I turned 18, she and my mom and moms sister and brothers all had a big uproar that g-ma started to turn each of the kids against each other, said a lot of hurtful things to my mom I know, now none of us grandkids have much to do with her, and the kids don't either.

My maternal step-grandfather passed away in '83, he was the sweetest man, played checkers , dominos and such with me as a child, put puzzles together with me too. He had a deep love for reading, and I found out several years ago that my mom taught him to read from her schoolbooks after he married my grandma, because he didn't know how !

My paternal grandma was a wonderful Christian lady. She really didn't have any hobbies that I know of except talking on the phone all the livelong day! The thing that I remember most about her is the fact that she sat in one specific seat in our church for as long as I can remember back in time........I now occupy that seat, 'cause grandma passed away in '88.

My paternal grandpa is a riot. He is now 96 years old and resides in a nursing home because my dad and uncle aren't physically able to care for him like he needs to be taken care of. He's still got a pretty sound mind (some days are better than others), drives his wheelchair anywhere he wants to go in the home or at his house when dad and my uncle bring him home, and pinches the nurses on the butt with his pickup thingy! Funny as that is, its really sad too, because its something that 10 years ago you'd never have caught him doing, so in places like that, you can see where he's slipping some.

Both my grandmother's are still alive - my dad's mum is 80... and suffers from diabetes. She's got one hell of a dirty senseof humour on her (she was told last time she was in hospital, by a neighbour, that she was to get better quickly because he missed her sexy smile. She told him to go look in the kitchen window because half of it was still in a glass on top of the microwave!) My mum's mum is a stubborn old bat. Always has been, always will be. But she's had a really tough life and that's where it all comes from. We love her to bits jsut the same!

My great-great grandparents are fascinating people. My g.g. Grandpa was a Swedish Seaman (from Malmö) in the merchant Navy in 1861. He married a Liverpudlian woman called Elizzabeth. When he died, he was buried in London... but she went back to Sweden and is buried there somewhere. We still have all my g.g. grandpa's seamans logbooks complete with stamps form countries he'd visited, his discharge slip, and two ship-in-bottle ornaments that he made when he was at sea. Mum has one, and her brother has the other one. One blue one, one pink one. My uncle also has all sorts of papers relating to his life and death all stashed away somewhere... It'll be great to go back and look it all up in Malmö in the records. It's the pulls of the blood that sends me back to Scandinavia, I'm sure!

Originally Posted by LilleKat

Both my grandmother's are still alive - my dad's mum is 80... and suffers from diabetes. She's got one hell of a dirty senseof humour on her (she was told last time she was in hospital, by a neighbour, that she was to get better quickly because he missed her sexy smile. She told him to go look in the kitchen window because half of it was still in a glass on top of the microwave!) My mum's mum is a stubborn old bat. Always has been, always will be. But she's had a really tough life and that's where it all comes from. We love her to bits jsut the same!

My great-great grandparents are fascinating people. My g.g. Grandpa was a Swedish Seaman (from Malmö) in the merchant Navy in 1861. He married a Liverpudlian woman called Elizzabeth. When he died, he was buried in London... but she went back to Sweden and is buried there somewhere. We still have all my g.g. grandpa's seamans logbooks complete with stamps form countries he'd visited, his discharge slip, and two ship-in-bottle ornaments that he made when he was at sea. Mum has one, and her brother has the other one. One blue one, one pink one. My uncle also has all sorts of papers relating to his life and death all stashed away somewhere... It'll be great to go back and look it all up in Malmö in the records. It's the pulls of the blood that sends me back to Scandinavia, I'm sure!

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OH Emma, that is so cool to have things like that from your great great grandfather! Wish I could see that stuff! Treasure it always!

All of my grandparents passed on before I was born.

So sorry to hear that Jenny! If you ever get the chance, go volunteer some time at a nursing home and adopt some grandparents there. Those people always need some sunshine in their lives!

my grandparents-

my mums mum lives in New Plymouth, NZ with her BF Peter and there horses my Nana is a retired racehorse trainer and now she just has a few miniture horses. She lives about 6 hours drive away so I only see her once or twice a year.

my mums dad lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife Margaret and Grandads two teenage daughters. I've showed you their beautiful home before! they love animals very much, just like me.

my mums grandparents(my great grandparents) live in Napier, NZ(about 6 hours drive also) I haven't seen them for a few years and I miss them very much. They are intheir early 80's and are doing well. I feel so privaleged to have great grandparents.

my dads dad passed away in November 2004, he was one of my closest family members and I miss him very much. my dads mum, lives in Whitby, NZ - a ten minute walk from my house. My Nana is(and grandad was) international cat judges.

my dads grandmother(my great grandmother) passed away in 97, she spoilt me very much and I miss her too!

My mums EX boyfriends parents are just like my grandparents, my grandad is very sick and is living in a home and my Nana is doing very well for her age.

Originally Posted by kittylover4ever

So sorry to hear that Jenny! If you ever get the chance, go volunteer some time at a nursing home and adopt some grandparents there. Those people always need some sunshine in their lives!

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Yes, its very unfortanate.. That sounds like a good idea.

I lived most of my life with my Dad's parents -- Nan & Pop -- who were like parents to me.

My Pop was in the Navy during WWII and worked at PSE&G all his life. He could fix anything and always had an answer to my questions. I used to love going down to his workshop in the basement and watching him work. And the smell of sawdust still reminds me of him. He was normally a very reserved person but I guess I brought out his goofy/fun side. Unfortunately, he died back in August 2002. He was a wonderful man and I miss him terribly.

My Nan was a stay at home mom and always seemed to know how to make me feel better. I used to love curling up in bed and watching old movies with her. Some of my favorites were "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "State Fair". I also loved to listen to her read to me. She is a great cook and is trying to teach me all of her yummy dishes.

They both are such caring people and would give you the shirt of their backs. I don't know where I would be without them today.

I hope they know how much I love them.

My story:

My maternal grandparents:
My grandfather I don't remember, he passed away when I was 2, I believe. I think he never got to meet my brother. He used to sit outside the doorway whenever I took a nap, ready to rush in to pick me up when I woke up since I would cling to whoever was the first to see me when I woke up.

My grandmother lives in Peru. She doesn't speak English and I can't speak Spanish well (but I understand most everything I hear). She used to live with us for a while but now she doesn't and I haven't seen her in many years, I think since 2000. We're not very close.

My paternal grandparents:
Both passed away, my grandfather died when I was 13, my grandmother the year before. The summer before my grandmother passed away, we went to visit them (they lived in England) and spent every day with them... my grandmother taught me how to make jewelry, my grandfather played card games with us. I'm so grateful we had that summer. My grandfather came to visit us shortly before he died but he wasn't the same after the death of his wife... I believe he died either on the anniversary of her death or their wedding anniversary.

Originally Posted by kittylover4ever

So sorry to hear that Jenny! If you ever get the chance, go volunteer some time at a nursing home and adopt some grandparents there. Those people always need some sunshine in their lives!

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Very good advice! I know my Dad has a whole bunch of surrogate grandkids, and the volunteers play a particulaly important role for residents who don't get many family visits.

My grandparents? I have dim recollections of my Mum's parents, who both died when I was very small. I never knew my Dad's father. I think he and my grandmother parted company at some point, but he had already passed away by the time I was born. My Dad was never close to him. That leaves Dad's Mum, known to all as Nin.

She was a product of the Victorian age in many ways and, as a somewhat sickly child, had been pampered and spoiled, and continued to expect that a lot of the time as an adult. She, on the one hand, was very "proper", and on the other, lots of fun -- she had a wicked sense of humour , and in the right company, was quite a flirt -- emphasis on "right company", though, it was never inappropriate -- God forbid! She was also very stubborn -- my Dad and I come by it honestly.

When I was small, she had given up a permanent residence, in favour of spending several months with one of her children and then moving on to the next, and doing a little other travelling in between those visits. I was about 5 when I first met her. She had been with my Uncle and Aunt in England for a while, and I remember that "Daddy's Mummy" was coming to live with us for a time -- I think it was for about 6 or 8 months. I remember going for walks with her, and learning quickly that "old" people (she was in her early 60s at that point) don't move very fast -- all things are relative .

After that sojourn, she moved on to Dad's other brother, and then to his sister, and then decided she wanted her own place again. I didn't see too much of her during those years since we weren't in the same city. Then it became too much for her, and she gave up the apartment and came back to live with us.

There were fun times, but she was not aging gracefully, and so there were not-so-fun times, too, when her querulous tendencies rose to the surface.When she finally went into a nursing home, Dad's brother (the one who had always been sort of her favourite) said he didn't know how Dad had stood her for so long -- he wouldn't have taken her when she gave up her apartment. [sigh]

We weren't really close, but I'm glad I knew at least one of my grandparents.

Originally Posted by rapunzel47

Very good advice!

I know my Dad has a whole bunch of surrogate grandkids, and the volunteers play a particulaly important role for residents who don't get many family visits.

My grandparents? I have dim recollections of my Mum's parents, who both died when I was very small. I never knew my Dad's father. I think he and my grandmother parted company at some point, but he had already passed away by the time I was born. My Dad was never close to him. That leaves Dad's Mum, known to all as Nin.

She was a product of the Victorian age in many ways and, as a somewhat sickly child, had been pampered and spoiled, and continued to expect that a lot of the time as an adult. She, on the one hand, was very "proper", and on the other, lots of fun -- she had a wicked sense of humour

, and in the right company, was quite a flirt -- emphasis on "right company", though, it was never inappropriate -- God forbid! She was also very stubborn -- my Dad and I come by it honestly.

When I was small, she had given up a permanent residence, in favour of spending several months with one of her children and then moving on to the next, and doing a little other travelling in between those visits. I was about 5 when I first met her. She had been with my Uncle and Aunt in England for a while, and I remember that "Daddy's Mummy" was coming to live with us for a time -- I think it was for about 6 or 8 months. I remember going for walks with her, and learning quickly that "old" people (she was in her early 60s at that point) don't move very fast -- all things are relative

.

After that sojourn, she moved on to Dad's other brother, and then to his sister, and then decided she wanted her own place again. I didn't see too much of her during those years since we weren't in the same city. Then it became too much for her, and she gave up the apartment and came back to live with us.

There were fun times, but she was not aging gracefully, and so there were not-so-fun times, too, when her querulous tendencies rose to the surface.When she finally went into a nursing home, Dad's brother (the one who had always been sort of her favourite) said he didn't know how Dad had stood her for so long -- he wouldn't have taken her when she gave up her apartment. [sigh]

We weren't really close, but I'm glad I knew at least one of my grandparents.

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Frannie, Nin sounds like someone I would have loved to have known......

First, I just want to say how much I am enjoying reading about everyones grandparents and great grandparents. It really warms my heart.

About my grandparents...


My maternal grampa (whom I called Bompa), passed away when I was 6, almost 21 years ago. I feel the need to emphasize here that although I do not remember much about him, I know that we were EXTREMELY close! His name was Robert, and everyone called him Bob. He and my Gramma were (at that time) missionaries in the Phillipines, and would come home for a few months at a time. Bompa and I used to sit at his kitchen table (with me on his lap) and eat pickled fish and cheerios (I would NEVER eat this today! He was very special to me. The things I remember most are his hands and his laugh (he had this wheezy type of laugh that once you heard it, you were laughing along with him). He was a big ole goof too, and was always being funny... doing things like pulling his teeth out and turning them upside down in his mouth and chasing you like that. LOL LOL In fact, just yesterday, My gramma gave me a plate that I had made for him when I was 4. I dont remember making it, but when I saw it, it made me bawl like a baby. I miss him so very much!!!

My Gramma is 72 and her name is Mardelle, and is the HONEY OF MY LIFE!! I adore her. There isnt much that I can say about her except that she is the softest, kindest, sweetest lady. She makes the best Goulash on the planet, and on holidays, when we are all having pie, she always asks for 'just a sliver', because she doesnt think she should eat a big peice of pie. It's become a family joke.

My Paternal grandfather passed when I was 13. I didnt spend alot of time with him, although I remember that he made the most beautiful saddles that I have ever seen, and had a ton of peacocks on his property. He also had a spitoon that grossed me out every time I saw it.

I dont remember my paternal grandmother at all. In fact, now that I think of it, I believe that she passed away before I was born.

Ok cool thread

My Nanna she was so cool

she passed away when I was 14

but wile I had her she taught me alsorts of cool stuff she taught me to crochay , Knit and bake biscuits how to make cornish pastys she was Eniglish she came from cornwell as a young woman and had a very special way of makeing me feel I was the most loved person in the world I hope I do half as good a job with my grandkids.

My Pop he was a very quiet man but he spoiled me rotten

He passed away 2 years before my Nan

I was his football buddy he was a big Norwood suporter and I went to all the games with him I went every where with him

I was his side kick his tonto so to speake

he was Scottish and came over here when he was 7 years old.

Great stories Nancy and Dinah!!