how many of us knew our great grandparents?

[Nimbostratus100]

following on from @waggytailswetnoses thread, which piqued my interest, but turned out to be sadly disappointing, here is the thread I was hoping for! Did you know your great grandparents? Or further back? WHat were they like?

I was lucky. I had a lovely relationship with two of my great-grandmothers.

One died when I was 11. We used to visit her in the school holidays as she lived miles away. She used to pick on my Grandad (she was Nana’s mother) and as a child I found it hilarious. She’d have said grass was blue if he said it was green. She had a very creepy stuffed wild cat on top of her wardrobe and she used to tell stories about it’s life before it died. I was fascinated and I was genuinely an adult before I clicked that they were all made up!! She had a tough life, most of which I didn’t know until long after she’d gone. She lived with the stigma of a husband who died young of loved cirrhosis and the assumption of people that he was a drinker, but many years later it was recognised that it was caused by chemicals in the factory. The payout would have been massive if it happened now - back then she got a “we’re very sorry” letter.

My other Gr-Gran lived around the corner from us. She was a cantankerous woman. She used to say “don’t bother with an invitation for me to your birthday/wedding/Christmas/whatever as I’ll be long gone by then!” - she lived until she was 96 and had apparently been saying that since about 50!! She did click very early that I preferred toy cars to dolls. Whenever anyone tried to add things to the small box of toys she had she would say “Nope. No spoiling children in my house. That’s the toys there is and that’s what she’ll make do with”. Others thought she was being mean (I was the youngest and most oft visitor) but she’d give me a wink and it was like our secret.

My kids are very lucky. DH’s Grandmother is still alive. She has great-great grandchildren and is currently miffed that she’s been classed as too old to babysit anymore. She genuinely complained to the home she’s in that they don’t allow it. She’s amazing.

I met 4 of my great grandparents. 2 great grandfathers only briefly and I have little memory of them. 1 great grandmother died when I was about 8, I remember her coming to us every Christmas and enjoying a sherry or three. One great grandmother I knew well, I was 13 when she died. I have a photo of toddler me with her and her husband, crazy to think they were both born in the Victorian era.

Knew my mums maternal grandmother who made is to 100 and my dads parternal grandmother. Just they lived so far away from me the visits weren't often enough at all. My children had 3 great grandparents before they all passed who they would often draw pictures for but my oldest dc only met my grandad once before his passing

No. None. Plus, All 4 of my grandparents died before my parents were 18 aswell, so I knew no one.

I knew my great grandfather. He was 99 when he died, I was 18. He was not a very nice man sadly. He came to ours every Sunday for diner, just sat by the fire and smoked a vile stinking pipe, while my nan (his youngest daughter that he had treated very badly in the past) fluttered round him serving his every need. He was judgemental and quite unpleasant.

It all depends on how young you have your kids. We were all late 20s so I didn't meet any great grandparents. I don't have any grandparents left or even my dad for that matter.

I did until I was about 10 maybe

My child has one still with us

I have a relative who was a great grandmother in her late 50's, I think at one stage there was a great great grandmother and maybe one more, I am curious so will find out now

I never knew any of mine but my dc were all born with 4 still alive. Dc1 was nearly born with 5 but she died 9 months before he was born. They are now aged between 16 and 8 and they have one great grandad left. He is amazing. He's 95 and still goes on bouncy castles. He is also the oldest person I know who can manage to use zoom!

I knew my dad’s paternal grandmother, she died when I was 13. She was fearsome and bed bound, but she made dolls and I still have some she made for me.

There’s a photo of me in the arms of my mum’s paternal grandmother, but she died when I was 1.

My 2 eldest DC knew DH’s maternal grandfather, DC1 remembers him. And they knew my maternal grandfather well, again DC1 remembers him. DH’s paternal grandmother was alive when DC1 was born, but they never met.

My maternal grandmother is still alive, so all three DCs know her very well. They are 12, 10 and 6.

No, even some of my grandparents were relatively old and probably old enough to be GGP. My eldest nephew was alive while my grandad was still alive but he passed away while he was still quite young so he won’t remember him, but it’s nice to have photos of them together. My grandpa would have loved them now they’re older 🥲

Not me, though when DS1 was born he had two great grandmas still alive.

One died when he was just over 1 year old but the other one is still going strong and he is nearly 7 now. She's got 3 great grand children now (I have two DC and my cousin has one)

My great grandmother died when I was a child, I don’t remember her. My great grandfather died aged 98 when I was 28. He was a great character. He fought in the war and had a Burma Star medal. He always told us how he was in the tank corps but they didn’t actually have a tank 🤔🤣 he was a proper East Londoner and the last thing he ate on his death bed was jellied eels. He was very well up until a month or so before his death and died very peacefully.

Am impressed with your story, OP, and yours, @WaggyTailsWetNoses .
I only ever knew 1 of my own GPs.
My paternal GM died in 1912.
My father's paternal GF (my GGF) was born in 1817.
My father's maternal GF lived to be 105, but had buried his first wife by 1800 and he died in 1855.
There are very long 'generations' in my father's line (eg in two of the previous generations, my line is descended from the youngest of 10 or 12 children) and currently we're happy if we can manage 3 generations alive at once.

All my great grandparents died well before I was born in the early 70s except one great grandma. By all accounts she was a formidable lady who emigrated to Australia in her 80s so sadly I didn't get to meet her. She died when she was 93.

Sadly not.

I barely even knew my grandparents :(

I know my Great Uncle. Great Great Uncle to my DC. That's about it really.

He's still with us.

I knew my great granny a little, I was 4 or 5 when she died. She was blinded by shrapnel in the war and had a lovely guide dog that my great grandad kept after she died.

I knew my great grandad much better- he lived til he was 99 and I was 13, so longer than both my grandfathers. He was a massive oak of a man and could pick me up and swing me round right up until his last couple of years. He was fluent in Polish and English and spoke quite good French as well. He wrote two books about his childhood and time in the Polish army, which sadly I’ve never been able to read as I don’t know Polish myself but I have google translated his Wikipedia page to get the gist.

He had what would probably be considered a terrible diet by todays standards- lots of alcohol, sausages and cream cakes from the local bakery- but was in pretty much perfect health until he got pneumonia at 98. He wrote endless letters and was a big part of the local Polish community, he was hugely proud of his heritage. He was also much softer than he sometimes let on- he fed all the local stray cats. I feel really privileged to have known him and I still miss him a lot.

If I ever come in to a large sum of money I’m paying to have his books translated!

No great GP. I only had one GP, my lovely grandad. My mum had lost both her parents by the age of 21, abd my paternal GM died when I was 2.

My dad's gran was born same year as my mom's mom...
G-gran was a very dignified lady, also warm & kind. She didn't die until I was 21.

Um no... they were born in the 1890's

I knew my maternal grandparents, and my paternal grandfather. No great-grandparents - except I remember meeting my dad's grandmother once, around 1959-1960.
Great-grandparents died in 1928, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1953,1955, (?) and 1961.

Sadly not, my mums parents would have been born in the 1870's! I'm in my 30's with no grandparents but these are fascinating to read!

My ex DSC had a great great grandma, thier mum was very young to have them, and her mum young also.

I knew two great grandmothers when I was a child in the 60s, old women in black. They were born in the 19th century. One of my great grandfathers fought in the Boer war and my dad saw his uniform.
I have photos of my great, great grandmother taken in 1880.
My grandfather was born in 1901 and was in the army in the early 1920s in the middle east. He used to tell me he was at the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamen but I think he might have been using poetic license 😁

Nope, one of my great grandmothers died 60 years before I was born!