Posted on 12/27/2004 10:58:42 AM PST by Frapster
The last of my grandparents just passed away. We had been keeping a vigil over my grandmother for the last couple of weeks knowing that her time was near. About 2 months ago she fell and broke her hip and leg as well as fracturing several vertebrae in her back. Since that time she had progressively deteriorated to the point we knew her death was inevitable.
Interestingly enough - apparently this morning my uncle was sitting with my Grandmother and she sat up and asked him 'why won't you let me die?' He responded with 'mother, if that's what you need to do then go ahead.' She died within 10 minutes.
She was the last of my grandparents - her husband (my grandfather) died about several years ago. Together they represent a part of America that has completely disappeared from the modern experience in America. As a child my grandfather migrated from Texas to New Mexico in a covered wagon with his parents. In the era of the Great Depression they survived off the land by hunting/trapping rabbits and deer in the Mountains around Capitan, New Mexico. My Grandmother was a native of Roswell, New Mexico and her family were ranchers, cabinet makers and general laborers. My grandfather built cabinets for her family for a while, harvested various crops and then formed his own construction business. His crews participated in the building of the airbase at Alamagordo, New Mexico as well as many buildings at Los Alamos (the birthplace of the Nuclear bomb).
In the 1930's my grandfather rode 9 days on horseback from New Mexico into West Texas where he traded his horse as part of the purchase of a new car. He then drove back home to New Mexico in 9 hours. My grandparents were hardy stock. They lived fairly rugged all of their lives - particularly in their retirement. Every summer they would ascend into the White Mountains in Lincoln National forest, set up camp serving as honorary park rangers and hosts to visitors. While they had an RV I assure you this was not some glitzy home on wheels. It was a 'beater' tattered and worn by the weather. Both of my grandparents spent their last summer in those mountains, sitting by the campfire.
As a kid my mother's family were the first in their neighborhood to have a television. My grandfather was the first in his community to buy an air conditioned vehicle. Oddly enough he took some copper tubing, coiled around the condenser of the A/C with both ends of the tube sticking into the cab through the dash board. He would pour water into one end and the water would come out the other - chilled by the condenser. That was typical of him - always resourceful.
My grandfather always owned horses. Even after he bought his car. Any time we went to visit him we knew that our visit would include long horseback rides or wagon rides. My older brother got to ride on the wagon train with my Grandfather in the Sesquicentennial celebration of Texas back in the mid 80's. They travelled, on horseback and wagon, through most of Texas not missing a single day of the 'trail drive'. My grandfather's team was voted most authentic in many towns as he was pulling his small wagon with a missouri mule and horse team. I envy my brother that trip.
My grandparents were gruff, often times impatient, but at the same time amazing people to be around. There are so many stories that they could tell about life on the land. Hard winters, hot summers, times of famine and times of just enough. Their many dogs and horses, the farm in Missouri, the many family reunions in New Mexico. The wagon rides through the orchards of south Texas. Hurricane Allen and hundreds of rabbits on his rabbit farm - man that was obnoxious.
I'll stop now - I keep thinking of more to say. lol
What wonderful, interesting people they must have been!! Please, tell us more!! And post the pics here, too.
I think we're seeing the very last of the people who built this country and made it great. Right now, I can't think of one truly rugged individualist (along the lines of your grandparents) under the age of 65...can you?
Thanks for reminiscing and may they RIP.
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bah - that should have read "VANITY - Vanishing Americana". Not that it makes much difference - I'm a terrible writer and I was simply trying to convey in the title how my grandparents represent so much that no longer exists in America. Anyway...
>>I'll stop now - I keep thinking of more to say. lol
Sounds like you have an interesting tale to tell. For the sake of your grandchildren, who will look upon you as you look upon your grandparents, write it down and tell the story.
Ben Franklin once said... (paraphrased) "If you would be remembered when you're dead and gone, write something worth the reading, or say something worth the writing." And I think that in the case of your grandparents, one could add... "or do something worth the telling."
Nice story!
Your post brought back memories. My last grandparent died in 1968. I now treasure the pictures of the family camping trips made all the more special because my Grandfather lost a leg in WWI. They were hearty people for sure!
I'm snowed in here and have really enjoyed reading about your grandparents.....Would like for you to write more when you can....(Then save it for your family)
Hi Hoosiermama! I'm in Noblesville, Indiana - want I should send a snow plow your way? :-)
I'm thinking of building a small website that talks about my grandparents on both my father and mother's side. They were all amazing yet humble people. I have family on both sides that have done some amazing work in capturing our family history and I have some photos on disk. It will take me a while but I'll try to remember to post a link when at some point along the way.
Thanks MarineBrat!
Thank you!
That would be great. My Fathers side of the family has been extensively researched. My Moms side of the family has not. I can find names of a few names, but know nothing more than one generation back. Do your research with your grandchildren in mind.
People always write best when it's current, and from the heart. The catharsis is amazing. and the fact that all of us in the "40's" can truly identify.
I remember my great grandmother. She was about 4'10" tall and raised 14 kids in a house not as big as today's average garage. A precious treasure of America, that has not been well documented, and is fast fading away.
When we forget, or fail to preserve the past, we're doomed to lose the wisdom that got us to where we are now.
Hale and hearty folks! Keep me on the list to be notified when you get that website up and running. Thanks for posting, kiddo.
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Oh please do.....Have been in since the 21st..."Six days and counting"..CLick on "hoosiermama" and you'll get an idea of what we're dealing with....Just imagine it with 2-3 FEET of snow on top...Need to stop freeping and go back to shoveling.....Haven't been able to get hold of any one with a tractor....Even the four wheel drive are having trouble......
SHovel then, another log on the fire and another cup of soup.....
I was born in 1956 in a logging/ranching community of Southern Utah. Our summertime ranch house had two rooms and a path (the path lead to the outhouse, for those of you born in more fortunate areas of the country). In only 48 years the industry, people, community in my small town have all changed, directly related to libs and here is how.....
...We were killing their national forests with our logging (not!), they stopped us. They stopped us from getting lazy, filty rich from ranging our cattle on their national range land (I've never seen a rich cattleman in my neck of the woods!) We lived near their National Parks and so they decided that we could provide ourselves a living by being their servants, waiters, bus-boys and guides whenever they chose to visit our homeland for their commune with nature. I've watched proud and hard-working old loggers and cattlemen become angry,self-debasing slaves to the idiot nature-worshipping commie/libs.
I'm sad to see a way of life in the west vanish. Some are still fighting - and thanks to conservatives and FReepers and such, we still have a fighting chance!
Wow! That's an amazing find. That truly is a great present.
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