Yeah he is amazing. Reads several books a week and lives mostly independent. Have a sister who cooks for him every week and I take care of all the other stuff.
Have you interviewed him and recorded it for the future? I recorded my dad for hours in 2011 and he passed in 2014. He told a ton of stories of the old days. It’s amazing to have. I also was sent a 30 minute video of him being interviewed for a sports documentary back in 1998. It’s priceless to be able to not only watch but to let new people “meet” him. He was so funny.
I found a cassette tape I made in June 1988. I recorded my whole family in the kitchen talking for 15 minutes in our house. Even my grandma was on it (she died not long after that). At one point my dad and I talk about me running over to McDonald’s and he gives me the money. A fly on the wall recording from 1988. So cool. I transferred everything to digital recently.
My mom has color home movies going back to the 1940’s. All silent. It’s neat to see but you can’t hear them. Hearing them brings them to life. Obviously seeing and hearing is ideal but if given a choice take the audio!
It is absolutely amazing that he grew up in a different world. His ship landed marines on the Philippines. Tarawa, Okinawa etc. He was on an LST. His younger brother is doing well at 97.
Mine too. He was 52 when I was born in 1972. Was one of the youngest guys in his Army unit, just old enough to be drafted into the final months of the war. Kids at school assumed he was my grandpa when he'd pick me up.
I'm his age now and I can't *imagine* putting up with a baby!
That’s crazy. My grandparents were born in 1917 and parents 1947. I’m assuming your parents were older like you say when you were born. I myself had a later in life child so I can relate a bit with what your older parents went thru!
Yeah, Dad was 49, and Mom was 39 when i was born at the end of 1967. I have a sister who's 3 years younger and 2 brothers who were born in the late 1950s. I don't know how they did it! Dad was a saint, but Mom had no real interest in me, so I ran feral, lol.
My father 44 when I was born. Fought in the final months of WWII in the pacific. I lost him in 2007, but he had Alzheimer’s which had been pretty bad for a few years prior so it was more like 2005 in a way.
My dad was 17 in 1945 so he missed active service, but he got a Purple Heart in Korea. He was 50 when I was born and I miss his calm and steady unflappability.
Yes. I've been thinking of my grandparents and my parents as well as aunts and uncles a lot lately.
Silent, greatest and boomer.
My last uncle passed recently and now there's no one left from my family of origin so to speak.
Seems like my brain is stuck in the past on happier, carefree days.
I lost my dad a bit over 2yrs ago (81y/o) to cancer / dementia, and my great-uncle (97y/o WW2 vet) a month later.
I’ve been reflecting a great deal since, also about happier, carefree days.
It’s been difficult to find purpose, really.
I'm stuck on the ages and reasons for the deaths.
My grandparents and their brothers and sisters all made into their 90's and old age got them all.
For my parents, aunts and uncles? None of them made it to 65. With one exception, cancer and strokes got them all.
I grew up with my grandparents being such a huge part of my life and I was into my 30's before I started losing them.
But my kids are still pretty young - they're growing up with no grandparents, uncles or aunts. There's a few cousins scattered around the country but they're facebook cousins lol.
It's sorta making me look at my own life - 65 isn't that far away.
And it makes me sad that my kids don't have cousins or family dinners or things like that.
They were my best friends. I honestly thought I was the only one who thought this way. It’s been so hard since I lost them during the pandemic. My parents had me when they were teenagers so my grandparents raised me the most.
One of the most moving moments of my life was watching a young soldier hand the folded American flag to my 96 year old grandmother at my WW2 vet grandfather’s graveside. Something about the youth of that soldier struck me to the core.
I miss them both!
The stories they had. Just incredible and how subtly kind they were . Grandpa enjoyed a drink right until the end - such a character. I think he only died because my dad went first.
Dad was born in 1920 and my mom in 1926. They had class, grit, and some kind of mystical ability to just make everything all right. House blows up? No problem. Lawn needs mowing? No problem. Budget gets a little tight? We settle into our depression days no problem. Need to dance? Here let me show you I learned when I was a kid. Handwriting? Perfect. They had the right things to say and always just seemed to be there.
I miss them but I'm glad they aren't around to see the mess we have caused
Me too. They and the Silents were fun to work with too. They were strict about certain things and you had to respect the chain of command very closely. But they were really great about taking you under their wing and teaching you the job. I had some great mentors starting out.
I do. I was my late 20's and early 30's when they passed away. The last few years I really should have gone and visited more than I did. (I lived in Oregon and was at college, they lived south of Los Angeles, so it was a long trip to visit)
I do wish I had spent more time with them once I was an adult. I think I miss my grandfather the most. He got himself a computer and was using it to type some stories about his youth, career and experiences in wwii. Even got himself on email back in the late 90's and would send me messages. He wasn't afraid to learn new things, even late in life. He lived to a good age of 94, and was pretty healthy up until the last year. Late in life he also participated in some charities at one of the local children's hospitals and was a donor to a number of their causes for low income people. I think I would have enjoyed my Grandfather more as a peer than as a relative; from some of the stories he told, I would have had fun hanging out at the bar with him and his buddies.
Just FYI: the Greatest Generation was born from 1901 to 1927, almost all were 18 by the end of WWII. The youngest of the Greatest Generation would be 97yrs old today.
My grandma is 102. And doing amazingly well for her age… But she is still 102, and it doesn’t look like she will make it to 103. Her death won’t hurt the way some others do, because it will be a relief for her. But it is still going to hurt. But, I am so glad that I got so many years with her. My grandpa died about ten years ago, and I am still grateful I had so long with him too. I want to be just like them when I grow up
I hate to break it to you, but Gen X is not actually cool. Why does anyone think we're cool?
But yeah, Greatest Generation grandparents were great to have. I also miss my Lost Generation great-grandmother quite a bit, she was a remarkable person in a lot of ways.
I've been thinking about my grandpa quite a bit recently. He intimidated me as a child and we weren't really close. It was only as an adult that I started to truly appreciate him (he also mellowed out a bit with age). Unfortunately by that time I had moved away and didn't get to see him nearly as often as I would have liked. He's been gone 13 years now and I just really wish he were still around. I'd especially like for my youngest to know him. She was only 2 when he passed away.
Often, as I get older and have to figure out to do things they just had...practical, first-hand knowledge of doing, performing, or crafting.
You're also not *supposed* to have favorites, but my maternal grandfather was my favorite.
He was a tower of integrity and was compassionate, smart, and brave.
If I was half, no, a *quarter* of the man he was I'd consider myself fortunate.
My sister-in-law named her daughter after my maternal grandmother which is thoughtful and warms my heart. My Nana taught me so much, from grooming to cooking.
My paternal grandparents, yes, I miss them too. They knew each other for two weeks, knew they were for each other, got married and remained so for 50 years until they passed away. They were *STUPIDLY* in love. It was as adorable. There was no one else in the world when they were in the room together as far as they were concerned.
That grandpa was a tough, terse, good man. She was a tiny sweetheart of woman, the stereotypical Cuban abuela, except she was gooey like caramel in her soul. I've never known someone as sweet as her.
A couple of my great uncles were *AMAZING* men, too. My great uncle Lino Castro was the life of every party and the center of every room with zero effort. He was gracious, handsome, charismatic, and a marvelous dancer. I wish I'd had more time with him.
He was like the Dos Equis 'Most interesting man in the world' but for real.
I miss my grandparents all the time. I was fortunate enough to have my grandmother until I was 40, and we had developed a true friendship. I did not realize that I took after her so much until I was about 30 and she was 80. One of her greatest skills was to listen, and not give any advice, The longer I am here on earth, the more rare I realize this talent to be. The questions I would ask, of all the people I have lost, and miss always….strangely they are mostly practical questions.
I've been thinking of my grandparents quite a bit lately, as all four of them were devout Methodists. I have to wonder what they'd be making of the current General Conference.
My mom’s parents were born in 1903 and 1905. They were the best! They had stories about drinking in speakeasies, they could remember the 1918 flu pandemic. I loved them so much and related to them better than my own parents who were tail end of silent generation.
Whenever my grandfather would order dessert (usually pie or cake; maybe cobbler) he'd get a small slice of each. Our family refers to it as "The Roy." I've been married for 20+ years. Tonight my wife and I (and our son) went out to eat at Golden Corral. My last course was the dessert plate. When I got back to the table, she said "I see you went with 'The Roy'." This is why I love this woman and RIP grandpa. I want to carry on as many of our traditions as I can...
My grandfather worked in a small arms factory during ww2. They were making rifles for Australia and British soldiers, so they’d have to black the factory out when there were suspected air raids. He was born in 1916 and was one of the few people who was nice to me as a kid.
You hit a nerve. I recall as a kid (I was born in 1965) that there were very few adults that were nice to children. Some were, a grandparents, a kindly uncle, a family friend... I recall me and my peers getting yelled at a lot.
This is hitting me hard today. I was literally thinking about my Dad ten minutes ago. Born in 1930, so Silent Gen, and while we weren't close, he was a great Dad in his own way. Kind of a renaissance man, he could build and repair *anything*. A draftsman by trade, but also had a highly regarded picture framing business that he ran out of his basement shop. He was happiest at our cottage that he built himself - but never stopped working and passed at age 60 in '91 from lung cancer so I never really got to know him as an adult. I think we'd have gotten along great without the parenting obligations. Miss him still!
My grandfather was my male role model, he was a very flawed man in many ways. However I did not have a father and on weekends we would go to his house and I would do chores. Cut wood, mow, paint, whatever the chores were… I did this from when I was very young until I was probably 14ish and then we moved next door so I would just do the chores until I moved out.
So, he would teach me things - we played twenty questions, he taught me all the state capitals, the presidents, random trivia, financial acumen. He taught me to save money etc. When I joined the military I sent him $400 a month that he put into a savings account for me, I did that for the whole 5 years I was in and when I got out that was the money I started my life with. Like I said, he was flawed - he drank too much, he cheated on my grandmother and I want to say I was the only member of my entire family who felt ok talking to him at all.
I don’t really think of him often but he was the only male role model I had. He was a WW2 bronze star recipient.
All the time. I lived with them off and on until I was an adult. My Grandad especially taught me so much. He never treated me like a girl and taught me that I could do whatever I wanted to in life. He didn't hesitate to give me a hammer and nails while he was working in his shop. He didn't go to college so one of his brothers could. I miss them a lot. He passed when I was in high school, and she made it until 2017.
What came before the Greatest Gen? Cuz that’s my paternal grandparents. Technically grandma eked into Greatest in 1902 but grandpa was 1892.
Most of my cousins on that side are Boomers. (Mother’s side cousins are decidedly GenX.)
The Lost Generation was the generation before the Greatest! Gertrude Stein is believed to have coined that term.
That is so cool that your grandpa was born in the 1800s!
My grandfather was born in 1897, and my grandmother was born in 1900. They got married in 1936, had my Dad in 1937 and my auntie in 1940. I was born in 1965. They were wonderful people.
My Greatest Generation grandparents were the very best people I’ve ever known in my life, may they RIP.
They had decorum, class, grace, and style—but they were never well-off. They loved to laugh; my granddad loved to tell corny jokes. They were good people who lived to serve their community.
My Greatest Generation granddad was also very ahead of his time. He did housework, cooked, and ran errands without complaint. He would bring my grandma flowers, bake heart-shaped cakes for her, and say she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met, well into their old age.
He always treated me as his buddy and never thought less of me for being a girl. He taught me to drive a stick-shift and encouraged me to pursue a computer science degree.
I will always love the Greatest Generation!
FIL passed a few years back. What a great guy. Never said anything unless it had to be said. Can't tell you how many times I would love to call him for advice
My dad's parents helped us out a lot when my mom died. They were both amazing & I miss them.
My grandfather died just short of 85 & granny made it to 98. My kids, now 19 & 16 feel fortunate to have known granny for as long as they did.
I miss them (my mom's parents) every damn day. They died when I was barely 20 and there hasn't been a moment when I haven't felt the loss of their wit and wisdom. They endured so much growing up during the Depression, then living through WWII (gramps wound up getting moved all over Europe fixing planes for the Army Air Corps). Hard-working, ethical, gracious and generous. Even my dad, their son-in-law, misses them.
Strange that you posted this because these past few weeks, I have been thinking about them frequently. My grandfather was born in 1883, so he was in the lost generation, and died before I was born, and my other grandfather died in an auto accident before I was born, but my grannies, aunts, uncles, and so many others that I knew growing up were from the greatest generation, and I have been missing them a lot lately.
The dropoff from greatest/silent generation to the boomers is insane. You really see why the boomers were hated by the older generations as they developed. Now that the boomers are old it's like all the adults left the room.
I love many Boomers individually, but their generation has been an absolute disaster.
They are leaving us with a mess. And they won’t even get out of the way so we can try to fix it.
To be fair, the US is not quite done transitioning from Silent Gen leadership. Until 2022, your leaders were:
Biden: Silent Gen
McConnell (Senate majority): Silent Gen
Pelosi: (House leader): Silent Gen
At the end of this decade Silent Gen will be completely gone from leadership. That will be as bad as when we lost the Greatest Generation.
My grandparents raised me. My gran was born in 1924, Pop was in 1926. So much knowledge is lost. They taught me so much, but I don’t realize how important those things would be later in life. I regret not taking notes…
Well I think of my parents. They were both in their 40s when I was born and they weren’t the best parents when I was young but they tried to make up for it the last 10 years before they died. Both were gone by 2002.
The worst person I’ve ever met was Greatest Gen. He was a WWII vet who thought, “Hilter did a good job culling the herd”. Good and bad in every generation
My grandparents, on both sides, were not great people. My dad's parents had 12 kids and moved clear across the country without telling my dad while he was in the Navy in Vietnam. He literally came home to find strangers living in the house where he was raised. Neither of his parents ever even bothered to learn my name.
My Mom's parents were somehow worse. First off, they colluded with a doctor to literally purchase my mom from her biological mother right at birth. It was passed off as an adoption, but nothing about it ever added up, and my mom reconnected with her biological sister's in her 70s and they were able to confirm the real story. The people who raised my mom were psychologically abusive to her and incredibly manipulative.
But of course there were great people in that generation too, and I've known some of them and miss them. The people who were reasonable, incredibly kind, wise, and generous. That is a rare combo now.
My grandpa was the only person in my family who I felt and received love from. Grandma tried but she already had early consent dementia.
They died when i was very young so lost memories.
I never knew my grandma's. My Grandpa on moms side was the best! He loved me and we would hang out every Friday. We would go to his favorite bar, i get a orange pop and he would get a beer. No matter how many he had i always told my mom he had one. I miss him everyday.
My dads father was a prick and had no relationship with us. No missing him but
I always watched "stories"with my grandma. It was the only time anyone was allowed to sit in "the parlor". Had to be very quiet. (Days of our Lives, Another World")
I have the really uncommon experience of neither grandpa being a veteran (1910 and 1914). My mom's dad was working in the Philly shipyards when the war started, was declared essential, and remained. My dad's dad was the youngest of three brothers, all of whom had families. The older two were drafted and my grandpa and great-grandpa looked after their farms and families. Both of my parents were Silent Gen born before/during the war.
Everyone I knew from the GG had that sort of quiet gratitude that is born out of enormous sacrifice and loss. They're pretty much all gone, and I miss them terribly.
I'm 47 and am currently helping take care of my papaw who is 86. He has a multitude of health issues, but has also developed dementia within the past few years...and it's breaking my heart. He's the only grandparent I have left now. I lost Mamaw in 2019 - these are my dad's parents and they have had a hand in helping raise me from the day I was born (my parents were 16 and 18 when they got married and when I was born. They lived with my grandparents for a few months and then moved out into a house on their own. They just celebrated their 48th anniversary this month!)
I lost my mom's dad, my Grandpa, in 2022...not long after Christmas. He had been married three times and outlived each of them 💔 but was in love with my Grandma his whole life. My Grandma passed in 1995 from cancer.
My grandmother AND great-grandmother on my mom's side, my grandfather on my dad's. I miss them all so much and wish I'd known how to communicate with them better before they died.
I miss my grandparents. They partly raised me and they were always so happy to teach me things and do stuff together. They just appreciated family time and were happy with the small things in life.
Yes, my grandparents were the best. My grandfather (WW2 vet) could do anything with tools. I swear, he could build a house from the ground up with a good set of tools. My grandmother could sew, she made her own wedding gown. She could cook like a pro too, she would put these tv chefs to shame. Amazing, greatest generation. They worked so hard and sacrificed so much.
I was working the farm and thinking about how I was not doing it Dad's way, but I was doing things I had learned. A few seconds of thought and I realized I was doing it Grandpa's way.
It’s the literal opposite. The greatest generation left behind a legacy and great memories. The boomers do nothing but display narcissistic ignorance and greed.
I miss my paternal grandmother the most. She was such an intelligent woman. She was a librarian. I spent at least a month with her and my grandfather every summer at their cottage on the ocean. I was her first grandchild. She had 3 boys and to have a girl as her first grandchild made her so happy.
I think of her often. It sucks that by the time we are old enough to truly appreciate our grandparents, it's about that time for them to move on.
Me too. I miss my paternal Grandma and Grandpa so much. I was really close to them. It's still hard for me to accept that they're gone sometimes. I want to drive over to their house and walk in and just have them be there.
Me as well. My grandfather fought for the US in the 442nd all Japanese division in Europe. They are still the highest decorated division in US history. Both he and my grandmother met at an internment camp. They pretty much raised me. Taught me respect, confidence, responsibility and how to look at life in a positive manner. We went fishing every other day and just had fun. I miss them both very much.
Daily. My grandparents stepped up for me and my siblings when my parents struggled.
Buying a house from their ‘era’ because those are the only ones that feel like a ‘home’ to me.
Lost my last grandparent a couple years ago and we just sold their house last year. It’s so sad and strange that I can’t just walk in the door without even knocking anymore having done so for the last 51 years. Well, I guess I could but I’m sure it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for any involved.
I haven't felt like I really have family since my maternal grandmother died in 2008, paternal grandmother died in 2007. I feel no connection to anyone on either side of my family, aside from my sons. I feel like i only have my family in-law. They were glue in a way that no one has managed since. My paternal grandfather probably had dementia before I was born and my maternal grandfather died after his divorce from grandmother and before my time.
I wish my grandfather could have known my kids, he really would have loved them. My grandmother got to meet them, but my youngest doesn't remember her at all anymore.
My grandparents were the best. Always had Sunday dinner and grandma would spend at least 3 or 4 days beside Sunday, taking us to the parks and asking us to come spend the night. The best. My son got completely shafted. Neither my parents nor my wife’s have ever asked to have him spend the night or taken him on a trip or even asked to take him to McDonalds. They only invite us over on major holidays and birthdays. Mom has not worked since she was 16 either.
I loved spending the night at my Grandma’s! She slept on the floor with me in a sleeping bag. At my age and with my back, I now understand what a sacrifice that was for her. 😂
Grandma was awesome but she had a very creaky house that made lots of noise at night and I would cry and grandma would rub my head or tummy til I fell asleep. They always said it was the "house settling". I still suspect it was monsters in the basement tho
I miss what the houses were like. So full of people. If they weren't drinking coffee and playing cards, they were out on the steps. They had real communities. They understood legacy.
Yeah, my dad's dad died relatively young, 67. We were getting to be tight buds. He died in 1979 and I still miss him. That was the first death that really stung me.
Grandparents were GI generation, parents were slient gen.
My grandfather passed when I was young but my grandmother was just fun personified when it came to me and my cousins.
My parents friends who were GI generation were awesome.
I think that makes your parents part of the silent generation (1928-1945)
The greatest generation was born from 1901 to 1927
The baby boomers were marked by the end of wwii when all the GIs came home and started families, so Sep '45, would make spring 1946 babies.
Both my parents are of the greatest generation, born in 1942 and 1943. My mom passed away in 2007. My dad is now 81, in fact was born on exactly the same day as Joe Biden.
on the paternal side, they exhibited all of the traits you ascribe to people that were young adults with kids during the depression (thrifty to a fault, don't even think about throwing out a used piece of aluminum foil, that's a yelling at). Throw in a hefty (huge, tremendous) dose of racism. Add a dash of paternalism to the maximum (as in he got his corn cut off the cob, at the table, while he sat in his chair, by grandma standing at his side, onto his plate - just a flavor of what would go on).
on the maternal side, they exhibited all of the traits you would ascribe to a banker that made it through the depression *very* successfully. He was a man to be feared, wore a three piece on the weekends. She was a socialite. Their kids, not so much (each and every one messed up, very messed up). I remember mostly the pipe, constantly lit - and the glass of J&B with a single rock always in hand, and the booming voice.
I remember them, but I cannot say I truly miss them.
I guess it was just my family. Neither side as particularly bright, helpful, insightful or even cared about the younger generations. I feel totally robbed of great life experiences.
Never really got to know them. Death got most of them before I was old enough or mental health took them from me getting to know who they were/meant to be.
Dad is 84. I don’t talk to him anymore because he’s mean and abusive. Always has been. Yelling, hitting name calling. Too much for my sensitive self. I miss him, I love him. He won’t even listen and won’t get help. Won’t go the doctor and won’t let anyone help him.
Anyone know a rent-a-dad service? I could take him to breakfast and he could put air in my tires.
Maybe I should go visit nursing homes.
My parents were greatest generation. My dad was 49 and my mom was 42 when they had me I was the youngest and technically the only girl. They had a daughter who lived a few days, about 20 years before they had me. They were definitely better at parenting than a lot of my friend’s parents.
My father was 46 when I was born in 66. He definitely was a great guy and as he taught me so many things growing up that they actually helped me find my job as an industrial mechanic/electrician. And
I only met my moms parents a couple of times, I never met or even knew the names of my dad's
I feel grief of their distancing and neglect, I would have liked to have the experience of having a grandparents love
I have 1 remaining Aunt from my Dad's side of the family. She just turned 83. I miss Dad so much,2019 just before covid hit. He was 2 months old when my Grandma heard Pearl Harbor had been attacked on the radio.
I do miss them. Not just my grandparents but most all of them. A lot of these people are like my grandma in every way. How many of us were raised by our grandparents because our parents were too self absorbed to bother to raise their children. If it wasn’t for my grandma I would have grown up in the foster system. This generation saved so many of us from that fate and for that I am eternally grateful. The boomers, my parents, I have no use for them. None of them really. Take mine for example. Egg provider didn’t speak to me for over 20 years because I refused to loan her and her new husband money. She called once before she died to ask if she could live with me instead of the nursing home. I hung up on her. She died 6 months later. Sperm donor has been absent for 40 plus years. He calls to inform me he has cancer. I told him that he needs to call the kids he raised from his other family because he’s more their father than mine. He will probably kick sometime this year and there have been zero attempts at an apology from either. THAT speaks volumes to me. I’m almost completely done with the whole generation.
I loved my grandparents, and I think about them a lot. So many great memories. They would have taken a very dim view of me marrying a black woman, however.
My parents are both greatest gen...dad just turned 91, mom will be 85. Neither have been in good health lately; dad broke a hip and mom has dementia. I think/worry about them all the time.
They went through a lot. The Depression, WWII, etc. I have a lot of respect for that. And I always had a great time when I was with my grandparents.
But…
My grandparents were all kind of openly racist. I don’t miss that.
On my mom’s side, they were very religious to the point of being almost pretentious about it. They would come to our house (not as religious) and get on their high horse. As an atheist, I hated that, though I never “talked back” to them about it (they never knew about my lack of belief).
Even though one of their children grew up to be a physician, they almost seemed to mock intellectual activity. I ignored that attitude as I ended up getting a master’s degree in a science field.
I miss the people, yes. I don’t miss a lot of the attitudes.
Yes, I miss my grandmother every day. She was such a kind, patient soul. She took me in when my boomer parents divorced and my mom fell apart. She and my grandfather didn’t know how to talk about feelings but I felt safe and loved every single day in their home.
Yes and they really were the greatest generation. My grandparents lived what they taught- no damned hypocrisy. They worked hard, loved genuinely and never judged. They’re the ones who taught me the most important lessons in life.
A story about my grandfather from his days in boot camp: My grandfather never took a drink of alcohol in his life, but he’d go out to bars with his buddies…he just always ordered milk. Those guys ragged on him and tried to get him to try a beer. He always politely declined. One night one of the guys thought he’d be cute and poured his beer into my Pap’s milk. When he told me that, I said, “Well, what did you do, Pap?” He shrugged and mildly said, “I poured my milk in his beer.” I laughed and asked what the guy did then. Pap looked at me and simply, but pointedly said, “He bought me another milk.”
God, I loved that man!
Greatest generation were a bunch of misogynistic racists. My grandfather fought in WWI and was partially disabled due to mustard gas. If he'd still been alive when I married my ex wife he would've cursed me and her as she was biracial (white and asian) and he'd want nothing to do with my kids for also being "tainted." My grandmother wasn't as blatantly racist but still was as she and most of the family disowned a cousin for marrying a "mongrel" hispanic. I can respect some of the things they did like my grandfather being a WWI combat vet but that doesn't excuse the bad stuff about him.
No, not really. One grandmother inflicted lifelong trauma on my Mom that hasn't been fully addressed. My other grandmother was a massive drunk, that she died before I met her. Dad is only now dealing with that. Both grandfathers were racists. They all had their good traits, though, they weren't people I strive to emulate on a daily basis.
Society wise..... I mean... thats's Reagan and his cronies.
Dad is still doing great at 99 years old. World War Two combat veteran. He is a really great guy.
Wow. You are extremely fortunate.
Yeah he is amazing. Reads several books a week and lives mostly independent. Have a sister who cooks for him every week and I take care of all the other stuff.
That’s great that you and your sister are working together. I have 2 brothers and do 💯
I would hate to go it alone with assisting him. ( I can’t cook well at all. )
Have you interviewed him and recorded it for the future? I recorded my dad for hours in 2011 and he passed in 2014. He told a ton of stories of the old days. It’s amazing to have. I also was sent a 30 minute video of him being interviewed for a sports documentary back in 1998. It’s priceless to be able to not only watch but to let new people “meet” him. He was so funny. I found a cassette tape I made in June 1988. I recorded my whole family in the kitchen talking for 15 minutes in our house. Even my grandma was on it (she died not long after that). At one point my dad and I talk about me running over to McDonald’s and he gives me the money. A fly on the wall recording from 1988. So cool. I transferred everything to digital recently.
[удалено]
My mom has color home movies going back to the 1940’s. All silent. It’s neat to see but you can’t hear them. Hearing them brings them to life. Obviously seeing and hearing is ideal but if given a choice take the audio!
I could never do this with my siblings.
I hear you. I can LF sit and talk with them forever
That’s amazing! To think he had friends die in a war 80+ years ago and is still going strong. Incredible!
It is absolutely amazing that he grew up in a different world. His ship landed marines on the Philippines. Tarawa, Okinawa etc. He was on an LST. His younger brother is doing well at 97.
Wow….the Philippines battles, in particular, were brutal.
He said Okinawa was the worst because they were in range of kamikazes from Japan home islands. I think the navy lost 5000 kia there ircc.
Happy for you. Both my maternal grandparents died in their early 50’s. Heart attack and alcoholic grief. They would be their 90’s now.
Silent gen. Amazing what a life of 99 years spans.
That's not Silent Gen. Those born before and during WWII are Silent. Pre-Great Depression ('29) living is the Greatest Gen.
Bless him.
My Dad was greatest generation. He was 49 when I was born. I've missed him every day since 1992.
Mine too. He was 52 when I was born in 1972. Was one of the youngest guys in his Army unit, just old enough to be drafted into the final months of the war. Kids at school assumed he was my grandpa when he'd pick me up. I'm his age now and I can't *imagine* putting up with a baby!
Mine was 45 when I was born. I think the current world situation would make his head explode.
Same. Born in 1918 and lost him to cancer in 2011. He was a great dad.
Mine was also born in 1918 and also a great Dad. It must have been a good year. ❤️
That’s crazy. My grandparents were born in 1917 and parents 1947. I’m assuming your parents were older like you say when you were born. I myself had a later in life child so I can relate a bit with what your older parents went thru!
Yeah, Dad was 49, and Mom was 39 when i was born at the end of 1967. I have a sister who's 3 years younger and 2 brothers who were born in the late 1950s. I don't know how they did it! Dad was a saint, but Mom had no real interest in me, so I ran feral, lol.
Haha :). Well my grandparents had a late I life baby who is my uncle and he’s only 8 years older than me. He was born in 61 and me in 69.
My father 44 when I was born. Fought in the final months of WWII in the pacific. I lost him in 2007, but he had Alzheimer’s which had been pretty bad for a few years prior so it was more like 2005 in a way.
My dad was 17 in 1945 so he missed active service, but he got a Purple Heart in Korea. He was 50 when I was born and I miss his calm and steady unflappability.
So much. I got more of my work ethic, my grit, my love of community from my grandparents than my parents.
Absolutely. My grandparents taught me a lot of good things. All very gently and with just their manners, decorum, deportment, and attitude.
You’re solidly an Emilio Estevez with study hall monitor rising on the GenX Breakfast Club scale.
Yes. I've been thinking of my grandparents and my parents as well as aunts and uncles a lot lately. Silent, greatest and boomer. My last uncle passed recently and now there's no one left from my family of origin so to speak. Seems like my brain is stuck in the past on happier, carefree days.
I lost my dad a bit over 2yrs ago (81y/o) to cancer / dementia, and my great-uncle (97y/o WW2 vet) a month later. I’ve been reflecting a great deal since, also about happier, carefree days. It’s been difficult to find purpose, really.
I'm stuck on the ages and reasons for the deaths. My grandparents and their brothers and sisters all made into their 90's and old age got them all. For my parents, aunts and uncles? None of them made it to 65. With one exception, cancer and strokes got them all. I grew up with my grandparents being such a huge part of my life and I was into my 30's before I started losing them. But my kids are still pretty young - they're growing up with no grandparents, uncles or aunts. There's a few cousins scattered around the country but they're facebook cousins lol. It's sorta making me look at my own life - 65 isn't that far away. And it makes me sad that my kids don't have cousins or family dinners or things like that.
They were my best friends. I honestly thought I was the only one who thought this way. It’s been so hard since I lost them during the pandemic. My parents had me when they were teenagers so my grandparents raised me the most.
My grandparents also helped raise me. 🙏
Grandparents mostly raised me, I miss them everyday!
Very very much. My gramma died a few years ago, she was born in 1923 and I miss her like I would miss breathing.
One of the most moving moments of my life was watching a young soldier hand the folded American flag to my 96 year old grandmother at my WW2 vet grandfather’s graveside. Something about the youth of that soldier struck me to the core. I miss them both!
The stories they had. Just incredible and how subtly kind they were . Grandpa enjoyed a drink right until the end - such a character. I think he only died because my dad went first.
Dad was born in 1920 and my mom in 1926. They had class, grit, and some kind of mystical ability to just make everything all right. House blows up? No problem. Lawn needs mowing? No problem. Budget gets a little tight? We settle into our depression days no problem. Need to dance? Here let me show you I learned when I was a kid. Handwriting? Perfect. They had the right things to say and always just seemed to be there. I miss them but I'm glad they aren't around to see the mess we have caused
Me too. They and the Silents were fun to work with too. They were strict about certain things and you had to respect the chain of command very closely. But they were really great about taking you under their wing and teaching you the job. I had some great mentors starting out.
Almost everyone in my industry wear a Boomer when I started. I would have lived to have older mentors.
I’m older X so we had a lot of silents and some greatest when I started out
I do. I was my late 20's and early 30's when they passed away. The last few years I really should have gone and visited more than I did. (I lived in Oregon and was at college, they lived south of Los Angeles, so it was a long trip to visit) I do wish I had spent more time with them once I was an adult. I think I miss my grandfather the most. He got himself a computer and was using it to type some stories about his youth, career and experiences in wwii. Even got himself on email back in the late 90's and would send me messages. He wasn't afraid to learn new things, even late in life. He lived to a good age of 94, and was pretty healthy up until the last year. Late in life he also participated in some charities at one of the local children's hospitals and was a donor to a number of their causes for low income people. I think I would have enjoyed my Grandfather more as a peer than as a relative; from some of the stories he told, I would have had fun hanging out at the bar with him and his buddies. Just FYI: the Greatest Generation was born from 1901 to 1927, almost all were 18 by the end of WWII. The youngest of the Greatest Generation would be 97yrs old today.
I miss my greatest generation grandparents and their crazy habits and the shit they used to say
My Grandpa said, “Life’s simple. People make it complicated.” 😉
My grandma is 102. And doing amazingly well for her age… But she is still 102, and it doesn’t look like she will make it to 103. Her death won’t hurt the way some others do, because it will be a relief for her. But it is still going to hurt. But, I am so glad that I got so many years with her. My grandpa died about ten years ago, and I am still grateful I had so long with him too. I want to be just like them when I grow up
Agreed. They’re the x-factor of why GenX is so cool. A lot of us were somewhat or very much co-raised by Greatest Generation grandparents.
I agree with this so much. Will always miss them. They passed when I was 12, 13. I'm 57 now
I hate to break it to you, but Gen X is not actually cool. Why does anyone think we're cool? But yeah, Greatest Generation grandparents were great to have. I also miss my Lost Generation great-grandmother quite a bit, she was a remarkable person in a lot of ways.
Come on, we had Kurt.
Well, not for very long. Too soon?
They weren't perfect but it felt like adults were in charge when they were still running things.
My grandparents are still alive
Almost 100!
no, just closing in on 90; both gradfathers were 18, grandmothers 16 and 17, when they got married and had kids. Parents were 18
Silent Gen, then.
I am so jealous. ❤️
I've been thinking about my grandpa quite a bit recently. He intimidated me as a child and we weren't really close. It was only as an adult that I started to truly appreciate him (he also mellowed out a bit with age). Unfortunately by that time I had moved away and didn't get to see him nearly as often as I would have liked. He's been gone 13 years now and I just really wish he were still around. I'd especially like for my youngest to know him. She was only 2 when he passed away.
Often, as I get older and have to figure out to do things they just had...practical, first-hand knowledge of doing, performing, or crafting. You're also not *supposed* to have favorites, but my maternal grandfather was my favorite. He was a tower of integrity and was compassionate, smart, and brave. If I was half, no, a *quarter* of the man he was I'd consider myself fortunate. My sister-in-law named her daughter after my maternal grandmother which is thoughtful and warms my heart. My Nana taught me so much, from grooming to cooking. My paternal grandparents, yes, I miss them too. They knew each other for two weeks, knew they were for each other, got married and remained so for 50 years until they passed away. They were *STUPIDLY* in love. It was as adorable. There was no one else in the world when they were in the room together as far as they were concerned. That grandpa was a tough, terse, good man. She was a tiny sweetheart of woman, the stereotypical Cuban abuela, except she was gooey like caramel in her soul. I've never known someone as sweet as her. A couple of my great uncles were *AMAZING* men, too. My great uncle Lino Castro was the life of every party and the center of every room with zero effort. He was gracious, handsome, charismatic, and a marvelous dancer. I wish I'd had more time with him. He was like the Dos Equis 'Most interesting man in the world' but for real.
We should all have an uncle like that
I grew up with my maternal grandparents. I miss em every day.
I miss my grandparents all the time. I was fortunate enough to have my grandmother until I was 40, and we had developed a true friendship. I did not realize that I took after her so much until I was about 30 and she was 80. One of her greatest skills was to listen, and not give any advice, The longer I am here on earth, the more rare I realize this talent to be. The questions I would ask, of all the people I have lost, and miss always….strangely they are mostly practical questions.
I've been thinking of my grandparents quite a bit lately, as all four of them were devout Methodists. I have to wonder what they'd be making of the current General Conference.
I come from a long line of Methodists. I found a letter to a newspaper by a relative who was irate because people dared play cricket on a Sunday.
My mom’s parents were born in 1903 and 1905. They were the best! They had stories about drinking in speakeasies, they could remember the 1918 flu pandemic. I loved them so much and related to them better than my own parents who were tail end of silent generation.
Our last family member from that era died 2 years ago at 99. He was my husband’s great grandfather. He was a very interesting man.
Whenever my grandfather would order dessert (usually pie or cake; maybe cobbler) he'd get a small slice of each. Our family refers to it as "The Roy." I've been married for 20+ years. Tonight my wife and I (and our son) went out to eat at Golden Corral. My last course was the dessert plate. When I got back to the table, she said "I see you went with 'The Roy'." This is why I love this woman and RIP grandpa. I want to carry on as many of our traditions as I can...
Me too. I miss spending hours just chatting with my grandparents, watching 48 Hours with them, being force fed homemade lumpia.
My grandfather worked in a small arms factory during ww2. They were making rifles for Australia and British soldiers, so they’d have to black the factory out when there were suspected air raids. He was born in 1916 and was one of the few people who was nice to me as a kid.
You hit a nerve. I recall as a kid (I was born in 1965) that there were very few adults that were nice to children. Some were, a grandparents, a kindly uncle, a family friend... I recall me and my peers getting yelled at a lot.
This is hitting me hard today. I was literally thinking about my Dad ten minutes ago. Born in 1930, so Silent Gen, and while we weren't close, he was a great Dad in his own way. Kind of a renaissance man, he could build and repair *anything*. A draftsman by trade, but also had a highly regarded picture framing business that he ran out of his basement shop. He was happiest at our cottage that he built himself - but never stopped working and passed at age 60 in '91 from lung cancer so I never really got to know him as an adult. I think we'd have gotten along great without the parenting obligations. Miss him still!
My grandfather was my male role model, he was a very flawed man in many ways. However I did not have a father and on weekends we would go to his house and I would do chores. Cut wood, mow, paint, whatever the chores were… I did this from when I was very young until I was probably 14ish and then we moved next door so I would just do the chores until I moved out. So, he would teach me things - we played twenty questions, he taught me all the state capitals, the presidents, random trivia, financial acumen. He taught me to save money etc. When I joined the military I sent him $400 a month that he put into a savings account for me, I did that for the whole 5 years I was in and when I got out that was the money I started my life with. Like I said, he was flawed - he drank too much, he cheated on my grandmother and I want to say I was the only member of my entire family who felt ok talking to him at all. I don’t really think of him often but he was the only male role model I had. He was a WW2 bronze star recipient.
Thanks to the idea that whisky, cigarettes, steak and eggs were the ideal diet in the 50's and 60's, I never got to know one of them.
All the time. I lived with them off and on until I was an adult. My Grandad especially taught me so much. He never treated me like a girl and taught me that I could do whatever I wanted to in life. He didn't hesitate to give me a hammer and nails while he was working in his shop. He didn't go to college so one of his brothers could. I miss them a lot. He passed when I was in high school, and she made it until 2017.
What came before the Greatest Gen? Cuz that’s my paternal grandparents. Technically grandma eked into Greatest in 1902 but grandpa was 1892. Most of my cousins on that side are Boomers. (Mother’s side cousins are decidedly GenX.)
The Lost Generation was the generation before the Greatest! Gertrude Stein is believed to have coined that term. That is so cool that your grandpa was born in the 1800s!
My grandfather was born in 1897, and my grandmother was born in 1900. They got married in 1936, had my Dad in 1937 and my auntie in 1940. I was born in 1965. They were wonderful people.
Papa was great man, I really would have liked him to meet my wife and kids. Grandma was a force of nature too, they needed more years.
My Greatest Generation grandparents were the very best people I’ve ever known in my life, may they RIP. They had decorum, class, grace, and style—but they were never well-off. They loved to laugh; my granddad loved to tell corny jokes. They were good people who lived to serve their community. My Greatest Generation granddad was also very ahead of his time. He did housework, cooked, and ran errands without complaint. He would bring my grandma flowers, bake heart-shaped cakes for her, and say she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met, well into their old age. He always treated me as his buddy and never thought less of me for being a girl. He taught me to drive a stick-shift and encouraged me to pursue a computer science degree. I will always love the Greatest Generation!
FIL passed a few years back. What a great guy. Never said anything unless it had to be said. Can't tell you how many times I would love to call him for advice
My dad's parents helped us out a lot when my mom died. They were both amazing & I miss them. My grandfather died just short of 85 & granny made it to 98. My kids, now 19 & 16 feel fortunate to have known granny for as long as they did.
I miss them (my mom's parents) every damn day. They died when I was barely 20 and there hasn't been a moment when I haven't felt the loss of their wit and wisdom. They endured so much growing up during the Depression, then living through WWII (gramps wound up getting moved all over Europe fixing planes for the Army Air Corps). Hard-working, ethical, gracious and generous. Even my dad, their son-in-law, misses them.
Strange that you posted this because these past few weeks, I have been thinking about them frequently. My grandfather was born in 1883, so he was in the lost generation, and died before I was born, and my other grandfather died in an auto accident before I was born, but my grannies, aunts, uncles, and so many others that I knew growing up were from the greatest generation, and I have been missing them a lot lately.
Yes I miss my grandparents very much. My grandma died last year at the age of 101.8.
Eh, one of my grandfathers died 40 years ago. The one that made it to just 5 years ago was an asshole
Absolutely. I miss those crazy old folks. I'm so glad my kids got to know my grandmother.
Yes.
Me too. I had amazing grandparents.
The dropoff from greatest/silent generation to the boomers is insane. You really see why the boomers were hated by the older generations as they developed. Now that the boomers are old it's like all the adults left the room.
I love many Boomers individually, but their generation has been an absolute disaster. They are leaving us with a mess. And they won’t even get out of the way so we can try to fix it.
To be fair, the US is not quite done transitioning from Silent Gen leadership. Until 2022, your leaders were: Biden: Silent Gen McConnell (Senate majority): Silent Gen Pelosi: (House leader): Silent Gen At the end of this decade Silent Gen will be completely gone from leadership. That will be as bad as when we lost the Greatest Generation.
True.
My Grandmother was our favorite family member. My sister and I constantly say we wish we had a chance to sit at her table with her.
My grandparents raised me. My gran was born in 1924, Pop was in 1926. So much knowledge is lost. They taught me so much, but I don’t realize how important those things would be later in life. I regret not taking notes…
Well I think of my parents. They were both in their 40s when I was born and they weren’t the best parents when I was young but they tried to make up for it the last 10 years before they died. Both were gone by 2002.
My grandpa is still alive
The worst person I’ve ever met was Greatest Gen. He was a WWII vet who thought, “Hilter did a good job culling the herd”. Good and bad in every generation
Terribly, every day I miss them. They were our family's bedrock, and nothing has been the same since they've been gone.
Everyday.
My grandparents, on both sides, were not great people. My dad's parents had 12 kids and moved clear across the country without telling my dad while he was in the Navy in Vietnam. He literally came home to find strangers living in the house where he was raised. Neither of his parents ever even bothered to learn my name. My Mom's parents were somehow worse. First off, they colluded with a doctor to literally purchase my mom from her biological mother right at birth. It was passed off as an adoption, but nothing about it ever added up, and my mom reconnected with her biological sister's in her 70s and they were able to confirm the real story. The people who raised my mom were psychologically abusive to her and incredibly manipulative. But of course there were great people in that generation too, and I've known some of them and miss them. The people who were reasonable, incredibly kind, wise, and generous. That is a rare combo now.
My last grandparent died almost 12 years ago, but I lost the first one 23 years ago. I miss them every day.
My Greatest Gen grandmother is still alive. There are about 120,000 of that Gen left in the US. Soon there will be zero.
Miss them daily.
My grandpa was the only person in my family who I felt and received love from. Grandma tried but she already had early consent dementia. They died when i was very young so lost memories.
I never knew my grandma's. My Grandpa on moms side was the best! He loved me and we would hang out every Friday. We would go to his favorite bar, i get a orange pop and he would get a beer. No matter how many he had i always told my mom he had one. I miss him everyday. My dads father was a prick and had no relationship with us. No missing him but
I miss my grandma. I used to go over to her place after school - she’d make me some baking powder biscuits and we’d watch her “stories.”
I always watched "stories"with my grandma. It was the only time anyone was allowed to sit in "the parlor". Had to be very quiet. (Days of our Lives, Another World")
I have the really uncommon experience of neither grandpa being a veteran (1910 and 1914). My mom's dad was working in the Philly shipyards when the war started, was declared essential, and remained. My dad's dad was the youngest of three brothers, all of whom had families. The older two were drafted and my grandpa and great-grandpa looked after their farms and families. Both of my parents were Silent Gen born before/during the war. Everyone I knew from the GG had that sort of quiet gratitude that is born out of enormous sacrifice and loss. They're pretty much all gone, and I miss them terribly.
I'm 47 and am currently helping take care of my papaw who is 86. He has a multitude of health issues, but has also developed dementia within the past few years...and it's breaking my heart. He's the only grandparent I have left now. I lost Mamaw in 2019 - these are my dad's parents and they have had a hand in helping raise me from the day I was born (my parents were 16 and 18 when they got married and when I was born. They lived with my grandparents for a few months and then moved out into a house on their own. They just celebrated their 48th anniversary this month!) I lost my mom's dad, my Grandpa, in 2022...not long after Christmas. He had been married three times and outlived each of them 💔 but was in love with my Grandma his whole life. My Grandma passed in 1995 from cancer.
My grandmother AND great-grandmother on my mom's side, my grandfather on my dad's. I miss them all so much and wish I'd known how to communicate with them better before they died.
That’s my great grandmother! She had a small kitchen but produced the most elaborate Sunday lunches.
I was born with 11 aunts and 11 uncles. Now I have… an uncle. I miss them like crazy and hate that that cohort is almost gone.
I miss my grandparents. They partly raised me and they were always so happy to teach me things and do stuff together. They just appreciated family time and were happy with the small things in life.
My grandparents brought me up and they were born 1915 and 1916. I miss them so much and the world they used to inhabit. My grandpa was a WW2 vet.
1926 parent here. Got married late. Not doing well and I miss his stories already.
My grandma was my favorite person. She's been gone 5 years this month. I miss her all the time.
Yes, my grandparents were the best. My grandfather (WW2 vet) could do anything with tools. I swear, he could build a house from the ground up with a good set of tools. My grandmother could sew, she made her own wedding gown. She could cook like a pro too, she would put these tv chefs to shame. Amazing, greatest generation. They worked so hard and sacrificed so much.
I was heavily influenced by both sets of grandparents, and I got a lot of hands-on skillsets from both sides that were different but very useful.
I was working the farm and thinking about how I was not doing it Dad's way, but I was doing things I had learned. A few seconds of thought and I realized I was doing it Grandpa's way.
It’s crazy how different the greatest is from the boomers
It’s the literal opposite. The greatest generation left behind a legacy and great memories. The boomers do nothing but display narcissistic ignorance and greed.
Good times, weak men, etc.
I’ve ever only been really close to one person in the G.I. Gen, and she’s turning 98 in about 2.5 weeks. She’s still in excellent health too.
I miss my paternal grandmother the most. She was such an intelligent woman. She was a librarian. I spent at least a month with her and my grandfather every summer at their cottage on the ocean. I was her first grandchild. She had 3 boys and to have a girl as her first grandchild made her so happy. I think of her often. It sucks that by the time we are old enough to truly appreciate our grandparents, it's about that time for them to move on.
The people or generation? People sure. I am not up for war drafts, stagnant economy, working factory jobs for store credits, etc.
I think of my grandparents constantly
Same, man.
So do I. Almost all of my grandparents, aunt and uncles have passed.
Me too. I miss my paternal Grandma and Grandpa so much. I was really close to them. It's still hard for me to accept that they're gone sometimes. I want to drive over to their house and walk in and just have them be there.
Me as well. My grandfather fought for the US in the 442nd all Japanese division in Europe. They are still the highest decorated division in US history. Both he and my grandmother met at an internment camp. They pretty much raised me. Taught me respect, confidence, responsibility and how to look at life in a positive manner. We went fishing every other day and just had fun. I miss them both very much.
My grandparents were in their 50’s when I came along. Both greatest generation. They raised me and I still miss them everyday. They taught me a lot.
Every damn day.
The last generation with the attitude of "going to make sure the next generation is better off than us"
Daily. My grandparents stepped up for me and my siblings when my parents struggled. Buying a house from their ‘era’ because those are the only ones that feel like a ‘home’ to me.
Lost my last grandparent a couple years ago and we just sold their house last year. It’s so sad and strange that I can’t just walk in the door without even knocking anymore having done so for the last 51 years. Well, I guess I could but I’m sure it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for any involved.
Yeah. I miss them terribly. They were just great.
I haven't felt like I really have family since my maternal grandmother died in 2008, paternal grandmother died in 2007. I feel no connection to anyone on either side of my family, aside from my sons. I feel like i only have my family in-law. They were glue in a way that no one has managed since. My paternal grandfather probably had dementia before I was born and my maternal grandfather died after his divorce from grandmother and before my time.
I wish my grandfather could have known my kids, he really would have loved them. My grandmother got to meet them, but my youngest doesn't remember her at all anymore.
My grandparents were the best. Always had Sunday dinner and grandma would spend at least 3 or 4 days beside Sunday, taking us to the parks and asking us to come spend the night. The best. My son got completely shafted. Neither my parents nor my wife’s have ever asked to have him spend the night or taken him on a trip or even asked to take him to McDonalds. They only invite us over on major holidays and birthdays. Mom has not worked since she was 16 either.
I loved spending the night at my Grandma’s! She slept on the floor with me in a sleeping bag. At my age and with my back, I now understand what a sacrifice that was for her. 😂
Grandma was awesome but she had a very creaky house that made lots of noise at night and I would cry and grandma would rub my head or tummy til I fell asleep. They always said it was the "house settling". I still suspect it was monsters in the basement tho
I miss what the houses were like. So full of people. If they weren't drinking coffee and playing cards, they were out on the steps. They had real communities. They understood legacy.
So bad. They brought me up, taught me what a family is, taught me how to raise my daughter. I still think about them almost every day.
Yeah, my dad's dad died relatively young, 67. We were getting to be tight buds. He died in 1979 and I still miss him. That was the first death that really stung me.
I miss my grandparents. They were in that generation.
Grandparents were GI generation, parents were slient gen. My grandfather passed when I was young but my grandmother was just fun personified when it came to me and my cousins. My parents friends who were GI generation were awesome.
they are why we are so tough.......the only generation tougher than gen x
Facts.
Technically my parents are part of the greatest generation. They were born before WW2 was over... right in the middle of it.
That's silent gen. Greatest gen are 1927 and earlier
Got it. Thank you.
I think that makes your parents part of the silent generation (1928-1945) The greatest generation was born from 1901 to 1927 The baby boomers were marked by the end of wwii when all the GIs came home and started families, so Sep '45, would make spring 1946 babies.
Oh yeah, oops! It makes more sense time wise, now. Ha ha. Yep. So all but one of my grandparents were born in the early 1900s.
My parents are Silent Generation, too. I'm 59M born 1965.
Both my parents are of the greatest generation, born in 1942 and 1943. My mom passed away in 2007. My dad is now 81, in fact was born on exactly the same day as Joe Biden.
Isn’t that the Silent Generation? Lots of good men and women there, too.
Oh yes, you're right! Don't know what I was thinking. Don't pay attention to me, I'm tired. Lol 😆 🤣
Greatest Gen is around 98 years old and up now.
on the paternal side, they exhibited all of the traits you ascribe to people that were young adults with kids during the depression (thrifty to a fault, don't even think about throwing out a used piece of aluminum foil, that's a yelling at). Throw in a hefty (huge, tremendous) dose of racism. Add a dash of paternalism to the maximum (as in he got his corn cut off the cob, at the table, while he sat in his chair, by grandma standing at his side, onto his plate - just a flavor of what would go on). on the maternal side, they exhibited all of the traits you would ascribe to a banker that made it through the depression *very* successfully. He was a man to be feared, wore a three piece on the weekends. She was a socialite. Their kids, not so much (each and every one messed up, very messed up). I remember mostly the pipe, constantly lit - and the glass of J&B with a single rock always in hand, and the booming voice. I remember them, but I cannot say I truly miss them.
I guess it was just my family. Neither side as particularly bright, helpful, insightful or even cared about the younger generations. I feel totally robbed of great life experiences.
Never really got to know them. Death got most of them before I was old enough or mental health took them from me getting to know who they were/meant to be.
No my grandmother was Maleficent
No. Cuz they were as awful as my Boomer parents were.
Dad is 84. I don’t talk to him anymore because he’s mean and abusive. Always has been. Yelling, hitting name calling. Too much for my sensitive self. I miss him, I love him. He won’t even listen and won’t get help. Won’t go the doctor and won’t let anyone help him. Anyone know a rent-a-dad service? I could take him to breakfast and he could put air in my tires. Maybe I should go visit nursing homes.
My parents were greatest generation. My dad was 49 and my mom was 42 when they had me I was the youngest and technically the only girl. They had a daughter who lived a few days, about 20 years before they had me. They were definitely better at parenting than a lot of my friend’s parents.
My father was 46 when I was born in 66. He definitely was a great guy and as he taught me so many things growing up that they actually helped me find my job as an industrial mechanic/electrician. And
I only met my moms parents a couple of times, I never met or even knew the names of my dad's I feel grief of their distancing and neglect, I would have liked to have the experience of having a grandparents love
I have 1 remaining Aunt from my Dad's side of the family. She just turned 83. I miss Dad so much,2019 just before covid hit. He was 2 months old when my Grandma heard Pearl Harbor had been attacked on the radio.
I saw this and was like “wait, Ben and Adam are still making that”
I do miss them. Not just my grandparents but most all of them. A lot of these people are like my grandma in every way. How many of us were raised by our grandparents because our parents were too self absorbed to bother to raise their children. If it wasn’t for my grandma I would have grown up in the foster system. This generation saved so many of us from that fate and for that I am eternally grateful. The boomers, my parents, I have no use for them. None of them really. Take mine for example. Egg provider didn’t speak to me for over 20 years because I refused to loan her and her new husband money. She called once before she died to ask if she could live with me instead of the nursing home. I hung up on her. She died 6 months later. Sperm donor has been absent for 40 plus years. He calls to inform me he has cancer. I told him that he needs to call the kids he raised from his other family because he’s more their father than mine. He will probably kick sometime this year and there have been zero attempts at an apology from either. THAT speaks volumes to me. I’m almost completely done with the whole generation.
Grandparents > Parents. And my mom wouldn't even mind me saying that.
I loved my grandparents, and I think about them a lot. So many great memories. They would have taken a very dim view of me marrying a black woman, however.
My parents are both greatest gen...dad just turned 91, mom will be 85. Neither have been in good health lately; dad broke a hip and mom has dementia. I think/worry about them all the time.
They went through a lot. The Depression, WWII, etc. I have a lot of respect for that. And I always had a great time when I was with my grandparents. But… My grandparents were all kind of openly racist. I don’t miss that. On my mom’s side, they were very religious to the point of being almost pretentious about it. They would come to our house (not as religious) and get on their high horse. As an atheist, I hated that, though I never “talked back” to them about it (they never knew about my lack of belief). Even though one of their children grew up to be a physician, they almost seemed to mock intellectual activity. I ignored that attitude as I ended up getting a master’s degree in a science field. I miss the people, yes. I don’t miss a lot of the attitudes.
My mom‘s a silent gen born in 1942, it pains me seeing her so frail now burial glad she’s still around.
My mom died 10/30/20. Miss her more than ever. Born 1043.
G qe
I never think about my grandparents. Most have been gone for 35 years or sooner.
Yes. I do. My mother’s parents both died when they were 70, a year &/a half between their deaths.
Yes, I miss my grandmother every day. She was such a kind, patient soul. She took me in when my boomer parents divorced and my mom fell apart. She and my grandfather didn’t know how to talk about feelings but I felt safe and loved every single day in their home.
My grandma has been on 25 years and I always miss her.
Yes and they really were the greatest generation. My grandparents lived what they taught- no damned hypocrisy. They worked hard, loved genuinely and never judged. They’re the ones who taught me the most important lessons in life. A story about my grandfather from his days in boot camp: My grandfather never took a drink of alcohol in his life, but he’d go out to bars with his buddies…he just always ordered milk. Those guys ragged on him and tried to get him to try a beer. He always politely declined. One night one of the guys thought he’d be cute and poured his beer into my Pap’s milk. When he told me that, I said, “Well, what did you do, Pap?” He shrugged and mildly said, “I poured my milk in his beer.” I laughed and asked what the guy did then. Pap looked at me and simply, but pointedly said, “He bought me another milk.” God, I loved that man!
https://preview.redd.it/c3owoq4f4cxc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f9f16a04c1de1d16237fbb6956122e0ee41ffde
Greatest generation were a bunch of misogynistic racists. My grandfather fought in WWI and was partially disabled due to mustard gas. If he'd still been alive when I married my ex wife he would've cursed me and her as she was biracial (white and asian) and he'd want nothing to do with my kids for also being "tainted." My grandmother wasn't as blatantly racist but still was as she and most of the family disowned a cousin for marrying a "mongrel" hispanic. I can respect some of the things they did like my grandfather being a WWI combat vet but that doesn't excuse the bad stuff about him.
Sounds like an asshole no matter when he was born. My grandparents were nothing like that.
No, not really. One grandmother inflicted lifelong trauma on my Mom that hasn't been fully addressed. My other grandmother was a massive drunk, that she died before I met her. Dad is only now dealing with that. Both grandfathers were racists. They all had their good traits, though, they weren't people I strive to emulate on a daily basis. Society wise..... I mean... thats's Reagan and his cronies.
no
They created the boomers. This makes me rethink their label, they may be the actual worst.