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Had an interesting conversation with my Mum last night. My Grandad remarried when my Dad was in his teens, and his second wife died a few weeks ago. We didn't know each other that well, but I had been to visit her when I was younger (my Grandad died in 1983 and my Dad had only got in touch with him again a couple of years before, so the relationship with his second wife was quite new when he died, I think Dad wanted to feel like there was some sort of relationship to his Dad's side of the family still there). Recently we'd been in touch again, when I was researching my family tree. She couldn't help me much since she didn't know a great deal about my Grandad's family, but we sent letters a few times and generally kept in touch. I was trying to arrange another trip to see her when she died. Anyway, Mum called last night to tell me she'd spoken to her son in law who was executor of her will, and I've been left something in her will. It's an odd feeling. Especially when she was someone I didn't really know all that well. Apparently she regarded my brother and I as just as much her grandchildren as her own daughters' children. When my Grandad died, all his money and belongings went to his wife, so I guess she felt it was only right that some of it found its way back to his descendants. Anyway, the main thing, from my perspective, is that a lot of my Grandad's documents will shortly be coming my way, in addition to whatever money she left me (I have no idea what it is, it might only be 50 quid or something, but even that is unexpected and I'm deeply touched and grateful). The documents will of course be priceless as far as I'm concerned. They will be a reinforcement of my link to a man I suspect I'm more like than some of my family are comfortable with. People tell me I'm definitely my father's son, but knowing what I know about him, I think I'm much more my grandfather's grandson. My Dad is very organised, regimented even, in some cases. He's meticulous in everything he does, providing he considers it remotely important. Anyone who knows me knows that's not the case with me. My Grandad, by contrast, was an absent-minded, somewhat childlike tinkerer. He was fascinated by all sorts of things, and would often embark on strange new hobbies or odd little schemes. In the fifties he was fascinated by radios, for instance, and would build them from scratch just because he felt like it. I like to think that's the genetic source of most of my own mad whims. Hopefully I'll find out some more later. It will definitely be interesting to see just how much information there is. At the very least there should be his military service records from the Navy, which will be fascinating.
Aug. 15th, 2007
Had an interesting conversation with my Mum last night. My Grandad remarried when my Dad was in his teens, and his second wife died a few weeks ago. We didn't know each other that well, but I had been to visit her when I was younger (my Grandad died in 1983 and my Dad had only got in touch with him again a couple of years before, so the relationship with his second wife was quite new when he died, I think Dad wanted to feel like there was some sort of relationship to his Dad's side of the family still there). Recently we'd been in touch again, when I was researching my family tree. She couldn't help me much since she didn't know a great deal about my Grandad's family, but we sent letters a few times and generally kept in touch. I was trying to arrange another trip to see her when she died. Anyway, Mum called last night to tell me she'd spoken to her son in law who was executor of her will, and I've been left something in her will. It's an odd feeling. Especially when she was someone I didn't really know all that well. Apparently she regarded my brother and I as just as much her grandchildren as her own daughters' children. When my Grandad died, all his money and belongings went to his wife, so I guess she felt it was only right that some of it found its way back to his descendants. Anyway, the main thing, from my perspective, is that a lot of my Grandad's documents will shortly be coming my way, in addition to whatever money she left me (I have no idea what it is, it might only be 50 quid or something, but even that is unexpected and I'm deeply touched and grateful). The documents will of course be priceless as far as I'm concerned. They will be a reinforcement of my link to a man I suspect I'm more like than some of my family are comfortable with. People tell me I'm definitely my father's son, but knowing what I know about him, I think I'm much more my grandfather's grandson. My Dad is very organised, regimented even, in some cases. He's meticulous in everything he does, providing he considers it remotely important. Anyone who knows me knows that's not the case with me. My Grandad, by contrast, was an absent-minded, somewhat childlike tinkerer. He was fascinated by all sorts of things, and would often embark on strange new hobbies or odd little schemes. In the fifties he was fascinated by radios, for instance, and would build them from scratch just because he felt like it. I like to think that's the genetic source of most of my own mad whims. Hopefully I'll find out some more later. It will definitely be interesting to see just how much information there is. At the very least there should be his military service records from the Navy, which will be fascinating.