I've written before that when I was growing up my closest friend was my grandfather. Living in the country I had no friends my age anywhere near me.... so every day, morning til night, my best friend and playmate was my grandfather - who did not speak English. :laughing I did not know, at the time, I was speaking Italian with my grandfather. To me it was just how you spoke to your grandparents. :laughing I wish I had thought to ask him more about his life - because - My grandfather was 3 months old when this happened: [attachment 13930 CH.jpg] And he was 4 years old when this happened: [attachment 13931 OKCorral.jpg] Surely my grandfather did not remember those two events - BUT - think of what he did live to see and remember ..... he was 26 years old when Orville and Wilbur Wright flew! 29 years old when radio started broadcasting. My grandfather first came to America in 1903. Was processed at Ellis Island then took a train across the USA to San Francisco. That had to be one amazing trip! Amazing stuff... and not just for me. There were people alive when Orville and Wilbur first flew when players in the NFL today were born. History is not all that old. - JamesJMhttps://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?4,1171161,1171161#msg-1171161Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:53:05 -0400 Phorum 5.2.18 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?4,1171161,1171197#msg-1171197 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?4,1171161,1171197#msg-1171197The other one took me mushroom hunting & seemed to know every plant in the woods.
All his stories were wonderful. Of course before I was born I gues he was quite a athletic, 2 year years in a row he was county corn shucking champ & he fought Golden Gloves, his claim to fame in boxing he fought a guy to a draw (double KO) that went the distance with Joe Louis.( but lost) The guy beat the hell out my grandpa & right before he went down the guy dropped his gloves & grandpa swung a haymaker as he was going down, they both hit the mat at the same time.]]> ScRAM Bucky's PubFri, 06 Jun 2025 19:33:36 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?4,1171161,1171179#msg-1171179 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?4,1171161,1171179#msg-1171179
He got run over by a train… we have the coins that were in his pocket… flattened but the date still mostly legible. They were collected by the police and given to my great grandmother. It seems like so long ago but to hold one of the coins just blows my mind. The connection and the idea that it was just a few generations back.

In this photo you can see that one coin was pressed into the other.


[attachment 13932 Subject.png]]]> Atlantic Ram Bucky's PubFri, 06 Jun 2025 17:13:23 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?4,1171161,1171173#msg-1171173 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?4,1171161,1171173#msg-1171173 SeattleRam Bucky's PubFri, 06 Jun 2025 15:15:51 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?4,1171161,1171161#msg-1171161 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?4,1171161,1171161#msg-1171161
[attachment 13930 CH.jpg]

And he was 4 years old when this happened:

[attachment 13931 OKCorral.jpg]

Surely my grandfather did not remember those two events - BUT - think of what he did live to see and remember ..... he was 26 years old when Orville and Wilbur Wright flew! 29 years old when radio started broadcasting.

My grandfather first came to America in 1903. Was processed at Ellis Island then took a train across the USA to San Francisco. That had to be one amazing trip!

Amazing stuff... and not just for me. There were people alive when Orville and Wilbur first flew when players in the NFL today were born.

History is not all that old. - JamesJM]]> JamesJM Bucky's PubFri, 06 Jun 2025 13:44:47 -0400