My Grandparents

[jauble]

So the last two days I moved my grandparents into a community. These are all small houses not personal care places, but I have seen a major decline in my grandfather. He is slow to respond to a lot, but with his condition it is expected. After we moved them in we went out and we all had margaritas (so I know we are related). This whole experience has made me very appreciative of my time with my grandparents and I decided to make this thread in a forum where people can joke and hopefully talk about fun stories with those in their family before them. Before I get to my favorite memory I do have to say he gave me his old slide rule/case (he was an engineer) and my great grandfather's 35 mm camera. Both these items I would fight through a fire to save. One thing I will always remember is he is the first person that I ever heard say damnit in public when chocolate ice cream dripped on his shirt when we were at the zoo. I was 5 and he told me not to tell my mother that he said that and then we rode the elephant.


Sorry about the length its been an odd few days and its hard to see someone I love fade. Anyone else have any fun stories/memories?

[PapaBear]

You're lucky to have your grandparents at your age. I'm the youngest of 5, who's father is the youngest of 3. I was all out of grandparents by the age of 18. Sounds like you had a great time! Oh, and those communities can be great. They will probably quickly make many new friends who will watch out for them constantly.

As for my fraternal grandparents, they were a trip. Grandpa was classic curmudgeon when it comes to the outside world, but he loved his family. He became the man of the house at the age of 13 when his father was murdered in 1909. He never trusted banks, so he stashed his cash in the house. Every time I'd visit, he'd have me reach under the dresser for a wallet that was so full of cash, it wouldn't fold. He'd tell me to grab a 5 dollar bill. He never once sat behind the wheel of a car, and he didn't like to venture out into the neighborhood. To stay in shape, he walked 2 miles every morning in the attic. Grandma was the complete opposite of him. She loved and trusted EVERYONE. They were so much like Archie and Edith Bunker, that Grandpa refused to let us watch the show when we visited.

Grandma and Grandpa...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y229/snowmaninva66/gramagrandad_Karlinave.jpg

Fun lovin' Grandma in her youth. (The one in front of the group, and with a friend's car)...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y229/snowmaninva66/carrieandfriends.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y229/snowmaninva66/carrieandcarLarge-1.jpg

[jauble]

Thanks for the pictures pb those are great. I got to see a photo of the first jauble on my mother's side to move from the city of mooch to the states while packing everything.

[Coach]

I only had 2 grandparents that I remember. Grandfather on my mother's side, Grandmother on my father's.
Here are a few interesting things:
"Fadoo" (mom's Dad) Operated a family run Funeral home in Johnstown Pa. They filmed Slapshot there, a "young man" from my grandfather's description, approached him on the street and asked if he knew a good place for Italian Food. "Fadoo", being born an Irish gentleman, took him to dinner. It was Paul Newman.
I was best man at "Fadoo's" 2nd wedding.
"Grammy" (Dad's Mom), never cursed from all accounts..until my dad came home on leave from the army on his sister's birthday and brought his Alaskan army dog. Well, the family went to church and left the dog in the kitchen, where a roast beef was defrosting, and a birthday cake were sitting on the counter. Dog ate them. Her words: "I wanna kill that fucking dog!" Best part was every Christmas, after a few drinks, they would retell the story, and Grammy would repeat that line.
She took me to my first Chuck Norris Movie.

[LaBoob]

Hearing my grandmother curse is priceless. We try to get her to give the finger every once in a while, only because she refuses to, she'll give her pointer finger. We took a family portrait one day last year and one was serious, one was us being goofy, and one was us all giving the camera the finger, and my grandmother gave her pointer finger.

I have little memory of my other grandparents, though my grandfather lived with us for a little while so I remember him more. My dad's mother was gorgeous, like a movie star in the pictures I have of her. She was really feisty and I always loved that about her. My sister and I remember having a great conversation with her a few days before she died unexpectedly. We'd both left her house that day knowing a little bit more about her and appreciated that she's spent the time sitting us down and chatting, then we got the call she'd died. We're lucky to have had that one conversation.

[Gvac]

My grandfather is 95 years old and in remarkable physical and mental health. He sometimes needs a cane to help him walk (when his sciatica kicks in) but other than that there's nothing wrong with him. He's sharp as a tack and can remember names and dates better than I can.

The only problem is how lonely he is. My grandmother passed away on Christmas morning 6 years ago and he misses her terribly. They were married for 63 years, and she treated him like a king. All of his friends are gone, too. He says everyone is always telling him how lucky he is to be so healthy at his age but he says it's a curse and that he's lived too long.

For a guy who was always the life of the party, the only time my grandfather seems genuinely happy these days is when the entire family is together; all of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Aside from the holidays, that's not too often, unfortunately.

Hanging out with my grandfather really makes me realize it's quality, not quantity, of life that's important.