Your Grandparents

Both my grandfathers are dead.
Both my grandmothers are alive.

Their lives were/are hardly interesting.

I had the opportunity to meet my grandfather in Budapest in 1966, again in 1967 and in 1969. He was a former artillery general in the Royal Hungarian army, a playful, disciplined man but a total rebel. He taught me about many things when I was still a young teen, such as pouring cold water on the wrists to wake up in the morning (it works!) and that one should always respect persons who are older and expect respect from those who are younger. He also explained to me what a gentleman needs to be, at all times.

As for my grandmother I met her only once in 1966, having committed suicide a few months later (some say the Communist authorities turned on the gas). She remains famous in my mind for an incident that occurred during WW2 , when the villa she was living in was being used by retreating Waffen SS troops and an SS major asked the SS commander what to do with the family who were present  as they withdrew. He answered “Who cares what happens to Gypsies!”, to which my countess grand-mother promptly replied by administering a terrific slap across the SS officer’s face, stating in perfect German “Watch your tongue, you scoundrel”.  The SS man immediately begged for forgiveness, kissed her hand in apparent apology and walked out , humiliated. 

Edited by tszirmay - August 08 2012 at 15:35

Well, 3/4 of mine are gone and the remaining isn't doing so hot. I'd imagine not more than a couple of years and hate to be so morbid but...may not be a bad thing? Really is pretty much miserable, all day every day. We all do what we can but after losing your spouse of 60 years + becoming pretty much locked to the house, well IDK its just very sad to see.
Not that you want to see a family member go.


Anyway,  passed when I was very young, have little memory. Other 2 I had a fine relationship with but found out later there was quite a strained history between my mother and them and some very very low things have been said.
Erm, yeah. 
?


Edited by JJLehto - August 08 2012 at 17:14

My dad's dad severed overseas at the end of WW2 (Pacific).  Didn't see combat.  Visited interesting people but didn't kill them.  Also cool personal factoid.  Both my granddads were masons. 

My maternal grandmother is 89 and still lives on her own a few miles from my parents in Kansas. My maternal grandfather died in WWII. I never knew the paternal grandparents but as far as I know they're still alive and living in Alabama. My step-grandmother died in her 80s in the same Montana town of 2,000 people that she lived in all her life. Her first husband (my step-father's father) served 33 years in the Army, fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam and committed suicide shortly after he retired. My step-grandfather died an alcoholic when I was a teenager. He ran a bar in Montana and was a lifelong friend of Evil Knievel, who I met a few times at the bar as a kid.

Pretty boring otherwise.

I envy your photos Jim.  I have a few from long ago, and the only people who know who anybody is in them is 80 or older.

Epignosis wrote: I envy your photos Jim.  I have a few from long ago, and the only people who know who anybody is in them is 80 or older.

I have quite a lot of them, I could bore you guys for a long time!

I did a lot of research figuring out who was who, and solved many of the mysteries.  But I so regret that i didn't start 20 years sooner when I had my grandparents around.  With their input it would have been so much better.  My parents just didn't have all the info I needed. 

Edited by Dayvenkirq - November 18 2012 at 00:34