A. How old are you?
B. Are any of your grandparents alive? (if so, which?)
C. If they’re not, how old were you when they died?
a. 46
b. no
c. Maternal grandfather died before I was born, maternal grandmother died when I was 31, paternal grandmother and grandfather died when I was 44.
I became a grandmother at 42 and we managed to get a five generation photo with me the grandaughter and grandmother.
a. I’m 25
b. 3/4 are still alive. Paternal grandmother is 90, maternal grandfather is 85, maternal grandmother is 82.
c. My paternal grandfather died about 12 years before I was born (when my father was 19 or so.)
A. 29
B. Yes, my maternal grandmother.
C. Pop died when I was 12, Grandma died when I was 21, Grandfather died when I was 28 (3 months ago).
Mr Cazzle’s answers
A. 29
B. Yes, my maternal grandmother and my paternal (step) grandmother
C. Paternal (bio) grandmother died 11 years before he was born, maternal grandfather died approx. 4 years before he was born, paternal grandfather died when he was 20/21.
I was thinking the other day about how it’s weird that the death of our grandfather leaves several of my cousins with no living grandparents, yet at least three of my other cousins still have a living great grandmother. I guess it’s all just chance and influenced by longevity, but even more by how early our grandparents had kids (my paternal grandparents were mid to late 30s when my dad was born, pushing 60 when I came along).
A. 51
B. no
C. Paternal grandfather died when I was 10.
Paternal grandmother died when I was 18.
Maternal grandmother - when I was 41.
Maternal grandfather - when I was 42.
I’m 27, and until this April I could say the same thing. My paternal grandfather died at the age of… (hang on, lemme call my mom)… 84. He was my youngest grandparent, too. Okay, he wasn’t quite in full possession of his faculties, but he wasn’t too bad off.
My paternal grandmother is 85, my maternal grandfather is 87, and my maternal grandmother is 88. Her health is starting to fail, though, which is scary because she’s my favorite grandparent.
bonus: When I was born, 3 of my great-grandparents were still alive (all on my mom’s side). My mom’s maternal grandfather died when I was 8 or 9, my mom’s paternal grandmother died when I was nearly 17, and my mom’s maternal grandmother is still alive. I probably would’ve had some on my dad’s side, except his paternal grandfather didn’t start having kids until he was in his 40s and his maternal grandfather died in an accident.
It helps that my ancestors are long-lived, that my parents and grandparents started having children relatively young, and that my parents and grandparents are either the oldest or second-oldest in their families.