A Trip to Rock Island

#17 – Visit my Grandparents. Learn Something new about them Complete!

This past weekend I traveled with my sister and nephew to Rock Island, IL to visit our grandparents.  My Grandpa was turning 96 years old on Friday (though he said all day he thought he was only 86).  My Grandma said those 10 years must have blown by too quickly for him. 

::My Grandpa and me on his 90th birthday

We had a quick visit which included some time hanging out with my Uncle Jim, Aunt Kim and cousin Julie at my grandparents apartment before heading to our hotel where a bunch of this happened:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My grandparents (John and Betty)  are amazing.  Each turning 96 this year, they still live on their own (with lots of visits, rides and checking in on from my Uncle Jim and his family), they still swim 3 days a week, take the bus and keep tabs on their enormous family.  Still we’re aware that each visit with them is a gift.  So I was determined to learn something new about them during this visit.  Here is what they told us:

• My Grandpa (John) got slapped by his teacher on his very first day of school for arriving late.  He lived 1/2 block from school
• My Grandma saw my grandpa for the first time across the hall at school when they were 15.  She thought he looked pretty good
• In their day people didn’t date so seriously when they were that young.  They might of liked each other best, but they both dated lots of other people

::Total dreamboats

• Still my grandma was pissed when my grandpa dropped her off at home first after a party when he still had 3 girls in the car (grandpa said she lived the furthest – it only made sense!)
• He used to visit her in Moline and race down 7th street to catch the last streetcar home at night
• Sometimes he’d sneak on the back when he didn’t have money to pay the fare. He never got busted
• When my grandpa moved to DC to attend Catholic Univ., My grandma dated, oh about 7 other boys
• His father died soon after and my grandpa came home to run the family business when his older brother Barney called to say he wasn’t interested in Insurance
• My grandpa only has 8 hours left to complete his Bachelor’s degree.  I tried to get him to think about going back – there’s still time!
• They got engaged soon after

I forgot to ask her how she broke the news to her 7 other boyfriends, but she did mention that everyone knew they liked each other best.

John & Betty Forever!  They’ve been married for 72 years (73 later this year)

I love them.

xo

Erin

Comments

[McKenna]

Awwww....I love this post!!! So sweet! Thank you Erin for sharing!

Love, Big Mac

[Tecia]

I love this post too! I learned so many new things about our grandparents! Thank you for asking the questions I never thought to ask! I'm glad that you had such a nice visit with them!
Love,
Tecia

[Barbara Moran]

Love the story Erin - I learned new things through your story too! (thought I'd heard it all-LOL). They are an amazing pair! Love Barb

[Maggie Robinson]

Your Grandpa leans into his pictures! My John always does that!

What a handsome couple! They are such lovely people too.

You all are sooo lucky to have them!

[Brendan Moran]

Thanks for sharing this, Erin. It's amazing. As long as we've all known grandma and grandpa, there's still so much we don't know about them. The slap on the first day of school is classic. Love the details - the first girl to be dropped off after the party, catching the last streetcar home at night... good stuff. Just makes me want to press them for more. Wish I could see them more often. Thank you.

[Rebecca B R]

What an amazing love story. Thanks for sharing. xo

[Erin Loughlin]

lets all take some more opportunities to find out some more stories!  They were totally happy to tell us about these things, but actually seemed a little surprised that I was asking so many questions.  They just kept wanting to know about us and about Emmett. 

Now I seem to recall a story about Grandpa and Uncle Bob collecting rent for their dad from the local brothel...anyone else heard this story?  lets find out more!

[Simona]

Beyond awesome.

[Jim Moran]

Yes , the brothel story . I have heard this in the past . Seems Rock Island was a busy place for "houses of ill repute" back in the late twenties and early thirties . Grandpa (James Moran) was a landlord .
Hear many stories of John Looney , the inspiration for the movie "Road to Perdition" that aired a few years ago . When my Dad was a young man , John Looney , (basically as gangster who controlled the booze and prostitution in the QC area)ran over Dad's bike with his vehicle . Mr Looney got out of the car and said he was sorry . Dad likes to tell that story as Mr looney was a very infamous person here in the old QC .

[Susan]

Erin I love this! You are so lucky to have them- what a beautiful post.