Was your grandfather still alive when you were an adult? - Page 5

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Was your grandfather still alive when you were an adult? (Page 5 of 5)

Posted: 5/28/2024 11:02:28 AM EDT

[#1]

I was the youngest child, and my parents were both the youngest children.
Lost one grandfather when I was a baby and the other when I was 4 or 5.

I have a couple fuzzy memories of him but not much.

Posted: 5/28/2024 11:03:07 AM EDT

[#2]

One died when I was pretty young, and the other died when I was in high school.

Just the other day, one of my colleagues mentioned that his grandfather just died. He is about 50 years old. I was stunned that someone at that age still had a living grandparent.

I guess if both your parents and grandparents started having kids at a relatively young age - like when 18-20 years old - then it's not really that weird.

Posted: 5/28/2024 11:07:24 AM EDT

[#3]

No. I didn’t get meet either of my granddads and I feel bad after hearing their stories.

Both were pilots during WW2.

Mom’s dad was a full bird colonel by the time WW2 kicked off and trained bomber pilots how to fly in Texas. He never saw action himself but after the war he retired from the air corp and went to work at the newly created NTSB as a plane crash investigator.

Dad’s dad first flew in the Marines, getting shot down over Guadalcanal. He survived that. After the war, he went into the navy so he could fly helicopters, becoming the 21st helicopter pilot in the entire military.

My dad tells stories of Mr. Igor Sikorsky himself stopping by at Christmas time with gifts for him and siblings and he would talk shop with granddad.

They drank and smoked themselves to death before I came along.

Posted: 5/28/2024 11:10:40 AM EDT

[#4]

Nope all dead and I don't remember them.

Same as all my Dads brothers were all dead in their 40s.

Dad escaped a bunch of Poors and moonshine runners disaster of a family

Posted: 5/28/2024 11:26:16 AM EDT

[#5]

No,

my great grand father and grandfather both died naked, frozen to death in a prison camp somewhere either in Siberia or in Hungary after the failed revolution in 1956 Hungary.

Attached File

My grandfather with my dad before the revolution along with my grandmother

My great grandfather with his 3 cousins.

Attached File

My mom's dad was a Manila Philippines police detective and he was killed in the line of duty in 1964 from a drunk driver that hit his police vehicle.

Posted: 5/28/2024 11:27:18 AM EDT

[#6]

Yes. Lost my first grandfather when I was 24, the second when I was 40. Miss them both.

Posted: 5/28/2024 11:40:43 AM EDT

[#7]

Unfortunately both of my grandfather's were gone by the time I was 3...

Posted: 5/28/2024 11:49:25 AM EDT

[#8]

No. Paternal Grandpa died when I was 10. Maternal Grandpa died when I was 14 - sadly, he was only 64. I'd spend a couple weeks each summer w/ them when I was younger, he and my Grandma were amazing people. Never had much money, but survived the depression and WW2. They always had a great garden, raised turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and raised a cow each year. The good years were when Grandpa shot a deer. They never complained, just worked hard, both always had a couple jobs. I inherited a lot of books from my Grandma and I often find handwritten notes and papers from the depression, like food ration cards. They had 9 kids, 35 grandkids and close to 100 great grandkids when my Grandma died at 83.

Posted: 5/28/2024 11:58:16 AM EDT

[#9]

No, they both died before I was born.

I didn't really have a relationship with either of my grandmothers, either.

Posted: 5/28/2024 10:42:30 PM EDT

[#10]

Met my dads dad for the 1st and only time when I was about 10. He was a big man 6 ft plus and over 300 lbs.
My moms dad died about when I turned 20.
An early story about him when I was 13. He was visiting and wanted to take dad me and a brother shooting. He had brought one of his pistols and a rifle. While dad was at the car he wanted me to shoot his rifle. So he loaded it with 2 rounds told me to pull 1 of the triggers.
Told me to brace myself and fire so I did. Next thing I know is I’m on my back felt like my arm had been ripped off. Freely admit I started to cry. My grandpa is laughing his head off till my dad came over. Turned out it was an elephant gun. I had a black and blue mark the size of a soccer ball on my upper chest. My dad told my mom what had happened and was so pissed she told my grandpa to go home.
All in all though I learned a lot from him. He definitely enjoyed life.

Posted: 5/28/2024 10:48:00 PM EDT

[#11]

Yep, both grandparents. Met my great grandparents when I was a wee child.

Posted: 5/28/2024 10:48:37 PM EDT

[#12]

Paternal grandfather lived to 95, not only was I an adult, I was in my 40s. He’s at Arlington. Maternal grandfather lived to early 80, survived Monte Casino and Normandy, i was in my mid 20s. Both were pretty great.

Posted: 5/29/2024 11:11:54 AM EDT

[#13]

One died the day I graduated from 8th grade. (I was at a school I absolutely HATED and looked forward to that day for eight years.)

The other died during my freshman year winter break at college. So I was an adult then.

Posted: 5/29/2024 11:14:59 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Lost my mom's dad in 2020
He made me the man I am today as both my parents worked full time

Just lost my dad's dad two days ago

I'm now with no grandpas for the first time in my 35 years

What a strange feeling

View Quote

So sorry for your loss.

Posted: 5/29/2024 11:33:48 AM EDT

[#15]

My paternal grandfather died when I was 22. I knew him growing up but not very well. My parents had a bitter divorce so I only saw him during holidays. I’m the only cousin that never lived with my grandparents so all my cousins had a special bond with him. He even became legal guardian to five of my cousins when their mother and father died within a year of each other. He was a good man. He was dying from cancer when I came home on block leave from the Army. I spent the entire month with him. I finally got to know him. He talked a lot about WWII and gave me his medals and pictures from the war (fought in the Philippines). He passed away my last day home so got leave extended for the wake/funeral.

My mother’s father was a POS. I only met him a couple of times but remember he had a big head of orange hair. He abused his kids, beat my grandmother, raped my mother, disowned my uncle when he found out he was gay, and abandoned the family. The last time I saw him I was about 7 at my great-grandmother’s house. His new wife was a bitch. They moved to NC. About 20 years ago I found his name in the Social Security Death index. I told my grandmother and mother and aunts and their only reaction was, “Good riddance”.

Posted: 5/29/2024 11:47:58 AM EDT

[#16]

My father's father died a year before I was born.
My mother's father died when I was sixteen.

Posted: 5/29/2024 11:57:38 AM EDT

[#17]

Neither. My Mom's dad died when she was 10 years old, 1895-1948. My Dad's dad died before I was born, 1911-1968.

I had a great uncle who didn't have any children and he was like a grandfather to me. I was his only nephew that lived in the area. We visited him every Friday, shot guns with him and took numerous one day trips, mostly to Civil War battlefields and state parks.

Posted: 5/29/2024 11:57:44 AM EDT

[#18]

My paternal grandfather died when I was 14. He was probably my best friend at the time and the only relative I thought actually cared about me. I only saw him once or maybe twice a year for a couple days, but we would talk on the phone and were regular pen pals.

Of course the rest are still living, at least I think.

Posted: 5/29/2024 12:03:58 PM EDT

[#19]

Yes, my Grandfather (dad's dad) is still going strong at 97, just visited him this weekend.

He has outlived his wife and 2 of his children (including my father, his oldest) at this point.

Lost a daughter in '72
Lost his wife in '98
Lost a son in '01

So he's prepared to go and has been for a long time but until then he enjoys time spent outdoors and with all of his numerous grandchildren and great-grand-children. When you live as long as him you really see the branches spread out.

Posted: 5/29/2024 12:30:05 PM EDT

[#20]

Both grandfathers died before I turned 16 years old. Both men were very interesting.

Maternal grandfather: Master tool and die maker who had a complete machine shop in his basement. Using his machine shop, he built a small scale (about 4 feet long) live steam engine that was strong enough to pull ten men around the little live steam track near Vancouver BC. He made every wheel, bar, screw, the boiler, and part in his basement. The locomotive now resides in a museum in near Vancouver BC.

Paternal grandfather: was really good at growing things. He had a pear, apple, cherry, plum tree in his back yard, but he had grafted different fruits onto each tree so that each tree produced four varieties of the same fruit. (4 kinds of apples, 4 kinds of pears, etc). We used to get to pick which fruits we wanted when we went to his house.

Posted: 5/29/2024 12:33:30 PM EDT

[#21]

I'm very fortunate and grateful to still have 3 of them around. Lost my maternal Gpa 4 years ago when I turned 38. He was the best man I've ever known.

I'll be travelling to MN this weekend to celebrate my maternal Gmas 90th!

Posted: 5/29/2024 12:35:09 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Both grandfathers died before I turned 16 years old. Both men were very interesting.

Maternal grandfather: Master tool and die maker who had a complete machine shop in his basement. Using his machine shop, he built a small scale (about 4 feet long) live steam engine that was strong enough to pull ten men around the little live steam track near Vancouver BC. He made every wheel, bar, screw, the boiler, and part in his basement. The locomotive now resides in a museum in near Vancouver BC.

Paternal grandfather: was really good at growing things. He had a pear, apple, cherry, plum tree in his back yard, but he had grafted different fruits onto each tree so that each tree produced four varieties of the same fruit. (4 kinds of apples, 4 kinds of pears, etc). We used to get to pick which fruits we wanted when we went to his house.

View Quote

I wonder if it was the era. My paternal grandfather was known for grafting fruit trees in the 30s & 40s as a hobby. He developed the farm into a neighborhood in the 50s...

Posted: 5/29/2024 12:38:09 PM EDT

[#23]

My paternal grandfather died three years before I was born. My maternal grandmother died in 2009 at age 89. I was never close to her, since we lived far away and didn't have the money to visit that often.

My maternal grandfather died in 1995. I miss him to this day. He was a kind and gentle soul, and very wise. The perfect grandfather. My maternal grandmother died in 1997. She was too much like my mom to get to know well.

Posted: 5/29/2024 12:38:50 PM EDT

[#24]

Lost my maternal grandfather when I was 5; paternal grandfather when I was 10. I have no memory of them because they lived in Ireland and they only met me as an infant. My father's mother died in childbirth with him and my mother's mother died when I was 17. I had memories of her as a baby.

I never had the benefit of grandparents like most people do but it has made me play a bigger role in the lives of my own grandchildren.

Posted: 5/29/2024 12:40:12 PM EDT

[#25]

My dad's father died in '80 when I was 18 and in OSUT.

He taught me to fish, hunt, chew tobacco and drink beer.

I miss him.

Posted: 5/29/2024 12:40:25 PM EDT

[#26]

My dad's dad was gone 6 years before I was born. My mom's dad is still alive, just turned 87 yesterday (I'm 37). He's my favorite human aside from my daughter.

Posted: 5/29/2024 1:36:57 PM EDT

[#27]

One was the other was not.

Posted: 5/29/2024 1:55:17 PM EDT

[#28]

Mom’s dad died in ‘19. He wasn’t much of a family guy and we didn’t really know each other despite living about 5 miles apart most of my life. He only cared about his stock portfolio.

Dad’s dad lives next door. He’s showing signs of dementia and had a small stroke on Mother’s Day. He may not be long for this world so I’m spending all the time I can with him and listening to all the stories. He was tasked with starting the maintenance program for the B-1 while it was still classified. Pretty cool to hear about the black money and all the secrecy he was a part of. He has accomplished a lot and he’s just now starting to brag about it at 85. Fun to relive it with him.

Posted: 5/29/2024 2:33:30 PM EDT

[#29]

No, they were not.
My paternal grandpa died when I was 3, but I remember him. They lived 80 miles away, so I saw him infrequently.
My maternal grandpa died when I was 8. They lived a couple blocks away and I was there nearly every day; loading coal into the Stokermatic, filling the wood-box for the trash burner, watching TV with grandpa, who was physically idled by a stroke. He was born in 1885 and was a window into the past.

Posted: 5/29/2024 2:38:19 PM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:
No, they were not.
My paternal grandpa died when I was 3, but I remember him. They lived 80 miles away, so I saw him infrequently.
My maternal grandpa died when I was 8. They lived a couple blocks away and I was there nearly every day; loading coal into the Stokermatic, filling the wood-box for the trash burner, watching TV with grandpa, who was physically idled by a stroke. He was born in 1885 and was a window into the past.

View Quote

I thought you were born in 1885.