The grave of my ancestors...

When we were young, together with father and mother we went to father's parents' cemetery. Grandfather died in 1955 after a short illness. Grandmother, although 19 years younger, died 3 months later. The large age difference was due to the fact that this was a second marriage.

In 1975 when I was in my senior year at school, the secretary came into organic chemistry class one chilly, foggy Friday and said my father had died in his sleep. He had already died during the night but I could not be reached at the school's peda. A fellow student carried me home. A homecoming like this was anything but fun. Father had been so looking forward to my final exams the following summer. 54 years old, far too young and he could still teach us so much....

The funeral was on an equally chilly foggy day. For the pastor on duty, it was the first funeral in the church after his appointment the Sunday before. The next day I went back to school because father would have wished the same way said mother and an aunt who stayed with her for the first few days.

When we went to the cemetery the next weekend we saw that father was buried where we always stood when visiting his parents' cemetery. We could not choose the plate in the cemetery and they filled in at different places in the cemetery. A greater coincidence could not be this after 20 years precisely that last resting place was chosen. Mother said we should put a flat stone so that the view of his parents' grave remains visible from the walkway.

In our male line, grandfather was a kind of unknown.

The grandfather of my children (eldest ° 1995) died already in 1975.

My grandfather (himself ° 1954) died already in 1955.

My father (b. 1921) his grandfather died already in 1908.

My grandfather (b. 1873) his father died already in 1876.

My great-grandfather (b. 1837) his father died already in 1842.

Further on it was not much better in this line as far as grandfathers were concerned. Common also was that most of them lost their first or second wife and kept on going with a new partner who was sometimes much younger....