We all start out having had 4 grandparents, whether they are dead or alive. Our mother’s parents and our father’s parents. Common sense! Well, yes and no. Sometimes some families don’t know their parent’s, let alone their grandparents.
I was fortunate to know both my grandmother’s, however, I never got to meet either of my grandfather’s. My maternal grandfather, James Harold Herbert, died 9 July 1943 at just 58 years of age. Grandpop was a clerk in the railways and was secretary for many years with the Geraldton Bowling Club.
My paternal grandfather, Thomas Charles Cripps, died 7 July 1958 at the age of 75. I was just 3 years old, and do not remember him at all. Tom was only 12 years old when he started taking over running of “Mumby” farm, while his father went back to being a teamster in the Murchison area.
I knew both my grandmother’s really well. I have blogged about Nanna Herbert several times, including this post and here, Nanna was the grandmother I had the most to do with when we were younger. Maybe that was because my mother was her only daughter who was still living nearby, whereas the older boys were living in the city. It was a sad day when she died, Boxing Day 1966, when I was just 11 years old.
Nanna Cripps had eight of her ten children still living in the area, so she had a lot of grandchildren coming and going all the time. I remember her making dolls clothes, jams, pickles and whatever else she could think of, for the fetes at either Nazareth House, or St Francis Xavier. Nanna Cripps was 95 when she died 21 July 1989. I blogged about Nanna Cripps here.
Jenealogy Scrapbook 
Grandparents gone before i arrived. I envied friends with close relations. My mothers’ mother ( nee Cargeeg) died when she was about 15. Grandfather ( Walker) died early in the year i was born.
I was luck to know three of my Grandparents, and my mum’s step mother. Mum lost her birth mother, an English War Bride in 1947, when mum was age 14 & her younger sister 7, so Grandad re-married in 1951. Enjoy reading your blogs too Jenny
Thank you Carol. We all have a different story to tell, unique because it’s your family. I hope my blogs inspire you and others to record your memories.
You were so lucky to have known your Grandmothers. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents had died before I was born or were on the other side of the world and died shortly after my birth. However, I got to “know” both sets of Grandparents through researching via genealogy – even if it was only through written records. I did learn both sets of Grandparents names and things about their lives. Through researching, I was able to obtain one photo of my maternal grandmother, but I still have not got a photo of my maternal grandfather. I have two photos of my paternal grandparents! I used to envy my friends who had a living Grandparent. However, I was very lucky as I had a Great Aunt who stepped in as a “Grandmother” and she was wonderful – Aunt Sarah Boater! Love reading your blogs Jenny.
Maybe it is a trend – 50% of grandparents get to stay. I knew my paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather very well but they both lost their partners, my grandparents, early in their lives.