My Grandparents both died this past summer. On a previous blog I had posted a couple of stories that my Papa told me many times. I always vowed to take a vidio recorder to keep his stories alive and to never forget what a great story teller he was...but now he is gone and I never did it! Im copying the stories here....
I was thinking of 2 stories papa has told me in the past...but I was missing some pieces...he is such a great story teller and I really want to take my video camera there and record some of the tales.
One of the stories is really how I always (and forever) envision my papa...He is very kind and non judgmental, always sees the bright side and has a very dry sence of humour which is my favorite.
He talks of a old lady that used to live in Frankford...apparently she was well educated, both her and her dh, but when he dh died, she became a recluse, sort of an eccentric. She looked like a rough, homeless person that didnt bathe...altho she did have a house, it was romoured that it was stacked full of newspapers, floor to ceiling with only a pathway thru the place.
When I was a kid, I remember seeing her in parades, pulling behind her a wagon with her dog in it. My grandfather said that she was kind and smart but rarely talked to people. One time she was walking in a parade behind my grandfather who was in a buggy being pulled by one of his horses (before I was born). This womans name was Annie. Papa said kids were yelling at her, calling her names etc... and Annie was calling back to them yelling at them to be quiet lol...the parade had stopped so papa stopped..Annie who ahd been busy yelling at the kids didnt realize the parade had stopped and walked right into the back of papa' s buggy. Papa said she was soooo mad at him (it wasnt his fault lol). Ok in writting this story, I can see that the story is really in my papa telling it lol...Oh well..this blogg is really for me and I can picture him telling it lol! Another time, Annie had told my grandfather that she had a bale of hay for him...it had apparently fallen off a truck going over the bridge (she lived at one end of Frankford, and my grandparents at another) SO she took her wagon and got it and brought it home...the next day the bale of hay was at my grandfathers house.....I just think its so funny how people connect and that I think some people are more open to other people, than others are. One time my grandparents and papas parents were at an auction in their town. Papa turned around and couldnt find his dad anywhere....and sure enough, there he was, talking and laughing with Annie.. so I can see where my grandfather gets it from!
My grandfather was working at a factory in Frankford when he got a call that nan was in the hospital in Oshawa (my papa says Orshawa). She had been staying at her parents for a couple of weeks waiting to go into labour. Some babies at Belleville hospital had died of diareah and her Dr. had suggested since she had parents in Oshawa, that she go there. Papa's car was in the shop...and he already missed the only bus so he thought he might take the train from Trenton but it wasnt till way later and he wanted to get there asap! His friend had a motorcycle that he said he could borrow anytime. Pap asked him if he thinks he'd be able to ride it to Oshawa, never having riden before. The guy said yes and showed him a few of the tricks..the first being that it didnt have any ignition switch so you had to run with it to start it, pop the clutch and go....go slow around corners cuz if you stall it, it's hard to start again. Papas only warm clothes were his reserve army militia uniform so he wore that. He got on the bike and took it around the block to make sure he could manage it..It went perfectly. He made it to Trenton, turned a corner and it stalled!! For the next 4 hours papa ran with the bike trying to start it...he was covered with sweat and grease from the bike. He went to a house and asked if he could leave his bike there, it wasnt his and he had to get to Oshawa. Papa figures that becuz he was wearing a uniform, the lady at the house said yes. So a short walk to the train station since by now it was late enough to take the train...He didnt get a ticket since from the trenton station you buy it on the train. The conductor came by and papa said ticket to Oshawa please..the conductor said "oh im so sorry we dont stop in Oshawa on this run" Papa explained the situation and the conductor said "just leave it with me". They were about thru Bowmanville when he came back and explained that they would get in trouble if they made the stop in Oshawa but they would slow the train down so he could jump off!!!! He said not to worry and explained how to do it...sort of like running in the air so when you land , you land on your feet. Papa felt there was nothing else he could do. So when they got to Oshawa, they slowed right down since they couldn't technichley stop, and he reminded him how to run to get off. Papa was really nervous but the conductor said "ok ready, go" and papa did it jsut as he was told. He landed on his feet:) He then had to walk all the way up to the hospital and when he walked in, the first thing nan said was "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN" Papa was filthy and nan said you couldnt even see his face!! And to make this story more special....nan was giving birth to my mother!
One of the stories is really how I always (and forever) envision my papa...He is very kind and non judgmental, always sees the bright side and has a very dry sence of humour which is my favorite.
He talks of a old lady that used to live in Frankford...apparently she was well educated, both her and her dh, but when he dh died, she became a recluse, sort of an eccentric. She looked like a rough, homeless person that didnt bathe...altho she did have a house, it was romoured that it was stacked full of newspapers, floor to ceiling with only a pathway thru the place.
When I was a kid, I remember seeing her in parades, pulling behind her a wagon with her dog in it. My grandfather said that she was kind and smart but rarely talked to people. One time she was walking in a parade behind my grandfather who was in a buggy being pulled by one of his horses (before I was born). This womans name was Annie. Papa said kids were yelling at her, calling her names etc... and Annie was calling back to them yelling at them to be quiet lol...the parade had stopped so papa stopped..Annie who ahd been busy yelling at the kids didnt realize the parade had stopped and walked right into the back of papa' s buggy. Papa said she was soooo mad at him (it wasnt his fault lol). Ok in writting this story, I can see that the story is really in my papa telling it lol...Oh well..this blogg is really for me and I can picture him telling it lol! Another time, Annie had told my grandfather that she had a bale of hay for him...it had apparently fallen off a truck going over the bridge (she lived at one end of Frankford, and my grandparents at another) SO she took her wagon and got it and brought it home...the next day the bale of hay was at my grandfathers house.....I just think its so funny how people connect and that I think some people are more open to other people, than others are. One time my grandparents and papas parents were at an auction in their town. Papa turned around and couldnt find his dad anywhere....and sure enough, there he was, talking and laughing with Annie.. so I can see where my grandfather gets it from!
My grandfather was working at a factory in Frankford when he got a call that nan was in the hospital in Oshawa (my papa says Orshawa). She had been staying at her parents for a couple of weeks waiting to go into labour. Some babies at Belleville hospital had died of diareah and her Dr. had suggested since she had parents in Oshawa, that she go there. Papa's car was in the shop...and he already missed the only bus so he thought he might take the train from Trenton but it wasnt till way later and he wanted to get there asap! His friend had a motorcycle that he said he could borrow anytime. Pap asked him if he thinks he'd be able to ride it to Oshawa, never having riden before. The guy said yes and showed him a few of the tricks..the first being that it didnt have any ignition switch so you had to run with it to start it, pop the clutch and go....go slow around corners cuz if you stall it, it's hard to start again. Papas only warm clothes were his reserve army militia uniform so he wore that. He got on the bike and took it around the block to make sure he could manage it..It went perfectly. He made it to Trenton, turned a corner and it stalled!! For the next 4 hours papa ran with the bike trying to start it...he was covered with sweat and grease from the bike. He went to a house and asked if he could leave his bike there, it wasnt his and he had to get to Oshawa. Papa figures that becuz he was wearing a uniform, the lady at the house said yes. So a short walk to the train station since by now it was late enough to take the train...He didnt get a ticket since from the trenton station you buy it on the train. The conductor came by and papa said ticket to Oshawa please..the conductor said "oh im so sorry we dont stop in Oshawa on this run" Papa explained the situation and the conductor said "just leave it with me". They were about thru Bowmanville when he came back and explained that they would get in trouble if they made the stop in Oshawa but they would slow the train down so he could jump off!!!! He said not to worry and explained how to do it...sort of like running in the air so when you land , you land on your feet. Papa felt there was nothing else he could do. So when they got to Oshawa, they slowed right down since they couldn't technichley stop, and he reminded him how to run to get off. Papa was really nervous but the conductor said "ok ready, go" and papa did it jsut as he was told. He landed on his feet:) He then had to walk all the way up to the hospital and when he walked in, the first thing nan said was "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN" Papa was filthy and nan said you couldnt even see his face!! And to make this story more special....nan was giving birth to my mother!
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