He grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa as one of ten kids. He would hunt rabbits with his brothers. He would ice skate to school. He once told me that the only fight he ever got in was with a guy who stole those ice skates. Great-Grandpa was a wrestler and on the track team, and he even took part in the junior play. He wrestled in the state tournament, and ran in the Drake Relays. I have his yearbook in storage, so all of this is from memory, but I think he was voted the second cutest boy in his class.
Great-Grandpa went to the University of Illinois where his nickname was "Toby". He was there on a wrestling scholarship and he would tell us about how he would come up to Chicago with his fraternity brothers. These were the late 20s-- the times of Al Capone. I would love it if he could see the Chicago of now-- the Chicago his Great-Grandson was born in.
This is easily one of my favorite things about my Sam being "Sam". Great-Grandpa Sam was born in 1909 and baby Sam was born in 2009. 100 years between them.
I had the unique experience of living with Great-Grandpa Sam for a summer when I was 19 and he was 90. It was challenging, interesting and a time I wouldn't trade for anything. I can only hope that I soaked up enough Sam-Trowbridge-essence to pass a bit of that on to Sam Fitz. I can't help but think he'd be better for it.
If you're reading this, and you knew and loved Great-Grandpa Sam (because to know him was to love him), leave a comment with your favorite memory or thought of him. We love you Great-Grandpa!!
Sam in Great-Grandpa's chair:
Great Grandpa Sam was a wonderful man. Once I commented that he must have gotten new shoes. He laughed and said his shoes were probably as old as I was and that he polished them every time he wore them. They were in perfect condition! He was proud of the things he had and respected them by caring for them. And he cared for those he loved with unswerving devotion. Lessons learned: Take care of what you have and those things will serve you well for a long time. Showing love and respect for those you love will earn their love and respect in return.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me teary to read and I love remembering Grandma and Grandpa. They are certainly smiling on our babies. :)
ReplyDeleteA memory that I treasure about Grandpa is one that, at the time, did not make me happy but as an adult I appreciate. I was somewhere around 5 or 6 years old and had two of my security blankets with me while visiting G & G. They were yellow and pink and I still have them. Grandpa saw that the silky edges on the pink one were fraying and falling off, so he took it upon himself to fix them. He took the blanket downstairs to the basement without saying a word to anyone and fixed it in a way only he could. He put three or four rows of stitching through the edges lengthwise on each side so that those silky edges would NEVER come loose again. They are still in tact. :)