Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Our Grandparents

raeanna74 · 07-26-2006, 11:07 AM

Do you know what your grandparents did? What kinds of jobs they had, especially as youngster? When did they start going to work? Did they finish school? Did they go to war? What did they think of the war then? What did they think of the politics then and now if they're still around?

My Grandparents grew up during the depressions - I know very little about my Dad's parents. Partly cause Grandpa B died when I was 12 and he didn't talk about his parents much because he was adopted and from what I hear resented it. His mother was Cherokee Indian and Dad was French. Grandpa B's birth parents didn't want the criticism of raising a half-breed. Grandma B was born into a huge family, A middle child, poor, and she was neglected. She was a bitter woman because of that.

As for my mother's parents. Grandma S's Dad was a politician, boat builder, and owned realestate during the depression. The depression hit them hard but he didn't sell off and when things began to improve his family was able to prosper. Papa Bill as family members still call him, Headed the democratic party when it first formed in Wisconsin. Grandma followed in her father's footsteps in a lot of ways. She was active politically, graduated from business school in 1926, bought and sold land, bought a floral business and ran it for 40 years before she and grandpa sold it as a functioning business so that they could retire. She invested and saved a lot. When she was a teenager, during the depression, she took in laundry and did housekeeping for some people. She found a woman she was working for, took a fur coat that she thought was too worn, and buryed it. Grandma went, dug it up, and cleaned it. She patched it where she could and wore it because she'd outgrown her old coat and they didn't have the money to fix it. Her sisters (3 of them) were all older than her and pouted and whined and tried to fight over the coat but her Dad finally stepped in and declared that Grandma had found and repaired it and it was hers. She loved that coat.
Grandpa S packed sausages during the depression for a while. When he finally couldn't get work he would hop a train and was a hobo going from town to town looking for work. He was finally driving a semi truck across country before the war. and got beat up twice when going through Chicago - both times by gangs of blacks. He's a little prejudice against a black man till he proves himself. Though he does know a few that he'll have coffee with or play golf with now and then. They've proven themselves to be decent people though. He was driving over the Mountains out West when he heard on the radio in his truck that WWII had been declared. At his next stop he got in touch with a recuiter and signed up. He believed that he would be drafted if he didn't and if he signed up voluntarily he would get to choose where he went and what position he got. He was the communications man and cook for a PT boat in the Philippines during the whole war. He has told me about Kamikasi attacks on his boat, His superior office coming to mess one morning naked and Grandpa throwing him out. He lost a stripe for that - He'd have had three if it weren't for that. He tells about going ashore and the Philipino's communal bathrooms. He tells about his opinion of government then.

Today Grandpa S and Grandma B are the only ones surviving. Grandma doesn't care much about politics. Grandpa believes we should assist Isreal and end the war there with superior force. He remembers when Isreal first began fighting for land and to be left alone over there. It angers him that the US has been pussy footing around trying to please all these countries that keep harboring terrorists and breaking peace treaties.

I find it exciting and interesting to learn about those that have gone before and shaped our families values and our countries politics. Those that have played a part or been affected by major events in our relatively recent history. How much do you know about your forefathers? Share some of their opinions and experiences.

07-26-2006, 11:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	Our Grandparents - Do you know? Do you know what your grandparents did? What kinds of jobs they had, especially as youngster? When did they start going to work? Did they finish school? Did they go to war? What did they think of the war then? What did they think of the politics then and now if they're still around? My Grandparents grew up during the depressions - I know very little about my Dad's parents. Partly cause Grandpa B died when I was 12 and he didn't talk about his parents much because he was adopted and from what I hear resented it. His mother was Cherokee Indian and Dad was French. Grandpa B's birth parents didn't want the criticism of raising a half-breed. Grandma B was born into a huge family, A middle child, poor, and she was neglected. She was a bitter woman because of that. As for my mother's parents. Grandma S's Dad was a politician, boat builder, and owned realestate during the depression. The depression hit them hard but he didn't sell off and when things began to improve his family was able to prosper. Papa Bill as family members still call him, Headed the democratic party when it first formed in Wisconsin. Grandma followed in her father's footsteps in a lot of ways. She was active politically, graduated from business school in 1926, bought and sold land, bought a floral business and ran it for 40 years before she and grandpa sold it as a functioning business so that they could retire. She invested and saved a lot. When she was a teenager, during the depression, she took in laundry and did housekeeping for some people. She found a woman she was working for, took a fur coat that she thought was too worn, and buryed it. Grandma went, dug it up, and cleaned it. She patched it where she could and wore it because she'd outgrown her old coat and they didn't have the money to fix it. Her sisters (3 of them) were all older than her and pouted and whined and tried to fight over the coat but her Dad finally stepped in and declared that Grandma had found and repaired it and it was hers. She loved that coat. Grandpa S packed sausages during the depression for a while. When he finally couldn't get work he would hop a train and was a hobo going from town to town looking for work. He was finally driving a semi truck across country before the war. and got beat up twice when going through Chicago - both times by gangs of blacks. He's a little prejudice against a black man till he proves himself. Though he does know a few that he'll have coffee with or play golf with now and then. They've proven themselves to be decent people though. He was driving over the Mountains out West when he heard on the radio in his truck that WWII had been declared. At his next stop he got in touch with a recuiter and signed up. He believed that he would be drafted if he didn't and if he signed up voluntarily he would get to choose where he went and what position he got. He was the communications man and cook for a PT boat in the Philippines during the whole war. He has told me about Kamikasi attacks on his boat, His superior office coming to mess one morning naked and Grandpa throwing him out. He lost a stripe for that - He'd have had three if it weren't for that. He tells about going ashore and the Philipino's communal bathrooms. He tells about his opinion of government then. Today Grandpa S and Grandma B are the only ones surviving. Grandma doesn't care much about politics. Grandpa believes we should assist Isreal and end the war there with superior force. He remembers when Isreal first began fighting for land and to be left alone over there. It angers him that the US has been pussy footing around trying to please all these countries that keep harboring terrorists and breaking peace treaties. I find it exciting and interesting to learn about those that have gone before and shaped our families values and our countries politics. Those that have played a part or been affected by major events in our relatively recent history. How much do you know about your forefathers? Share some of their opinions and experiences. __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.