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I am interested to hear about EA member's grandparents. My grandfather (on my mother's side) was of Scottish decent. He helped me (at a very young age) discover the joy of Scotch whisky combined with the taste of cheese:

"Have a sip of Scotch... okay now, take a bite of the cheese... isn't that a delight?"

Of course, this was a bizarre taste sensation for a young child. But it was quite a treat. He would tell me stories about running a corner store in New York and being harassed by mafia. They made him put a pinball machine in his store. They then told him how to 'adjust' the machine so it would bring in more change from customers. They would get a cut, of course.

All my grandparents were from Cleveland.

My grandmother on my mom's side is 96 years old. she lived in danvers mass for most of her life. in the same bedroom for 85 years. she is totally bad ass. still drinks and tells dirty jokes. i love talking to her about her childhood on the farm. she moved here about 3 years ago and it has been really nice to be able to see her more. she has the most amazing stories. her husband, my grandfather, died in world war 2. apparently i look like him.

My grandfather on my dads side was fairly well known in some science and education circles. after college he was john lomax's engineer on field recordings for the library of congress. he then became chief engineer at the library of congress studio.he worked on the Manhattan project (my dad was born in Los alamos) then went on to be Kennedys science advisor. he then went to MIT where he became president. i lived with him and my grandmother for a while when i was a teenager and they were both great. he was diabetic and always sneaking kit kat bars.

elisha wiesner wrote: after college he was john lomax's engineer on field recordings for the library of congress.

That's fantastic.

Counting steps, in-laws, and greats, I have 12 living grandparents and memories of 4 who died during my lifetime. That feels like a lot!

All of them -- NC.

ETA: Oops, this is in General Discussion, not C/NC. Um. I still don't have anything more specific to say right now...

My Father's Father got smashed to death between two streetcars in Montreal sometime in the '30s. He was a boxer and worked as a conductor I guess.

My Mother's Father came to Chicago from Poland and had great success as a barber on Fullerton Ave. near Lavergne. I think the building was a storefront church last time I saw it, it's still there though. He shaved John Dillinger one time, my Mom saw it happen.

Oops! That's Ohio, USA. Sorry!

My other grandfather (my father's father) got left here by his parents to be raised by his sister. Their parents went back to 'the old country' -- the problem is, none of us really knows where the old country was (Austria-Hungary is one guess) -- Grandpa was always kind of bitter about being left here... a hard worker, he smoked 2 packs of filterless Paul Malls a day and lived to be 84.

grandfather, mom's side - train conductor/engineer - died when i was 4, was never close to him but i do have a great photo of me sitting on his lap when i was +/- 2 years old, him giving me sips of his pbr

grandmother, mom's side - dead before i was born, cancer

grandfather, dad's side - helicopter test pilot. flew with chuck yeager, did all sorts of crazy shit. beta-tested the cheyenne & the apache. died in '83 testing a helicopter for hiller aircraft... i liked him a lot.

grandmother, dad's side - still alive, barely. moderate dementia. talked with her on my birthday back in '05 and it was the saddest conversation that i've ever had...

Mine are dead as well.

However, my GREAT aunt has outlived them and she is the most darling little polish munchkin that ever was.

Me, me dad and me grandad all had the same name. Grandad was part northumbria, part irish settler. My dad's mother died when he was young. I don't know much about her, come to think of it; all the stories are about his stepmother. My mam's mam's came over from Ireland shunned by her family for falling in love and marrying a non-catholic. Mam's dad came from the gypsies.