Oral History

Just returned from Hilton Head this afternoon. My Gram looks great and goes like hell in her wheelchair. She left me in the dust a couple of times this afternoon and yesterday. She still requires care to change clothes and such but she is doing much better than when I saw her in December.

While I was down there, I asked lots of questions about her life and my Dad and my late Pap Pap. I learned that she was 13 when her mother died of a massive stroke. I learned that her mother was strict and always assumed you were guilty before proven innocent. I learned that her father adored my late grandfather. I learned that my Pap Pap didn't propose to my Gramma. His family bought a house in Brentwood and there was no room in it for him so he and my Gram came to the decision that they would marry. They were married for about 4 years before my Dad came along. Here's a pic of my Dad.

Gram said that he was a happy baby and smiled a lot. He was born around midnight. She said my Uncle was very nervous around people and would get sick to his stomach.

Learned also that there wasn't much time for fun and stuff while she and my Pap were growing up. My Pap was drafted for WWII out of high school so when he returned, he went back to high school and then got a job. When he wasn't working, he went to school at night to study electronics. Gram says her favorite memories are in all the trips they took together. And my Dad's family travelled a lot when he was a child.

I asked her what she did most of the time since she was in a skilled nursing facility and she said that she keeps busy by giving knitting lessons, and by visiting with friends and other residents. So I'd say she's doing pretty darn well considering she wasn't sure how much longer she wanted to be around back in December.