Yes, that is a true statement.
My Father's side of the family is pretty normal from what I know. Some cool history, relatives that emmigrated from Belgium, Dad was born 8 days after the bombing at Pearl Harbor, in Pearl Harbor. Family in Michigan, all pretty normal. Dad lives in North Carolina, retired, happy, normal.
Then there is my Mom's side of the family. My Mom passed away in 1992, she had a younger sister that passed away a few years before her and an older brother who lives in CO. For whatever reason we don't talk. I sent xmas cards for a while after my Mom died, never got one back, so I quit sending them. I have my theories, but frankly, the situation isn't important enough to dissect. Their Dad (my Grandfather) lived in El Cajon until he was a widower and then he moved to assisted living. OK so here is where it gets a bit complicated. Mom's sister has a son, Dustin. He is like 36 now I think. I haven't had contact for about 10 years....we stink at keeping in touch. Probably because we have nothing in common expect severly dysfunctional relatives. Mom's brother has 2 kids, I recently found them on Facebook. Cool, but I think they would agree, a family reunion isn't in the works.
About 12 years ago I got back in touch with my cousin Dustin, Mom's nephew. He was dating a woman named Melica and her Mom drove an ice cream truck. I had never met the Mom, but I knew she drove the truck I saw once in a while in our neighborhood. We had lost touch again, Dustin and I. One day I saw the truck in our neighborhood. I was in the front yard when our kids lost their mind and ran screaming to anyone with money about the ice cream truck. I decided to be nice and get the kids some ice cream. I happened to mention to the driver that I was a relative of Dustin. Once my kids walked away, she said, so did you hear your Grandfather died? I said nope. She explained my maternal grandfather had died back in January.
So, the ice cream lady told me my grandpa died....no lie.
So I started a family tree on Ancestry.com a few months back. Lots of "hints" for my husband's family, a few for my Father's side of the family. As it turns out, no one is looking for that other side of the family...no "hints" Go figure.
Papa Charlie died Christmas morning in '03. He was living in my dad's (your uncle's) living room in a hospice bed for his last couple of months. I believe it was from cancer, but I know he had extremely blocked arteries in his legs from all of the years of smoking.
ReplyDeleteOur family is very dysfuntional, and it is sad, but true. I am glad that we reunited on Facebook and I hope we can see each other face to face (my brother included) very soon.
Great title - liked it!
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad when I think about all the things I could have known about our family if I'd only taken the time to ask questions. Guess I just never had the interest to find out. HOW SAD IS THAT??? Dad told me once that he thought his grandfather came from Kentucky but he wasn't sure. Guess I came by my attitude honestly, he didn't seem to know much about his family either.
ReplyDeleteGram's family was sorta dysfunctional too. She was about 5 when her mother died and nobody wanted her, especially after her father remarried. Findley her sister and brother-in-law, Helen & Nick, took her and moved to CA. I guess they were more her parents than anyone.
Dad
PS. It was 7 days after Pearl Harbor, not 8.
Correction, evidently I don't know my birthday, it was 9 days after Pearl Harbor
ReplyDeleteDad
PS. I am old you know!!