- He was born January 15, 1907
- He traveled to Germany and Sweden for a couple of years just after he was born
- He married Dorothea Margaret Colter in 1932 in Los Angeles, California
- He was a grocer for the majority of his life
- He owned his own grocery store for a while in Altadena, California
- He died December 23, 1993 in Huntington Beach, California
Ralph was my grandpa, but I always referred to him as "Poppy". I was able to spend many a christmas and summer vacation with Poppy. I remember that he loved to play gin-rummy, I am sure that is where I learned to play and have a love for cards. He would visit the grocery store almost every day, and I remember taking trips with him and my dad there. Poppy was an honest man, he would often correct any change that was incorrectly given to him at the cash register. Swimming in the community pool and taking the three wheel bicycle out when we would come to visit, were always highlights of the trip to California.
ReplyDeleteDad or "Poppy" the last 25 years.
ReplyDeleteThis is the hard one of these reflections for me. I loved my Dad. Dad was always kind, forgiving, tolerant and up to the very end generous. He did not want what happened to his family during his childhood to happen to his family. He felt cheated that his Father did retain a relationship with wife and children. “That is not going to happen to my kids!” he would often say.
During my youth, Dad would often give up his want and interests to help, support and be with me. He was a scout master for Troop #4. He let me drive his car, often needing me to drop him at work so I could have the car. If a little money was needed to get something, Dad always came through. Dad had a sense of humor that always kept him pleasant and nice to be around.
Cards! He was a master at remember every card planned in Gin-Rummy. Bridge was easy for him, again because of not only his card sense, but his great memory. Arithmetic was so easy for him. He never got past the 8th grade, maybe even lower. He needed to help support the family after his Dad left the family. All his 3 brothers contributed in the household and family expenses. However, even without the formal education, his writing, handwriting and math skills were sharp!
Dad, I really miss you! Love, Billy
more later...
Poppi, Ralph, was a gentle man.
ReplyDeleteWhen I entered the family he was close to retirement. Their youngest, Bill, my husband, had been out of the house for years. They still lived in Pasadena, he was a delivery man for a pet supply co. One of his hobbies was beekeeping. Bill told me about accompanying him to the beehives. Bill fondly remembers a truck he loved.
Poppi did most of the cooking. I can’t remember anything special he cooked it was all good. He looked so forward to retiring, both he and Mimi and moving to the beach. Mimi loved her work with the public schools but relented and they moved to Huntington Beach. They loved to travel. They had a truck camper. They sometimes traveled with his brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Virginia. They lived in Pasadena too.
I remember Poppi and Mimi usually were with us at Christmas time. They enjoyed the time with the grandkids and my family. He was not handy, like Bill, but often helped us put things together on Christmas Eve.
Poppi always kept his pantry neat, like his grocery store he used to have. He was very active in the church and when they moved to Rancho Del Rey, he was always active. He was a very social person and played cards, gin, bridge etc. I rarely won. They really enjoyed their retirement. They took cruises, to Alaska and the Orient. He contacted some ailment on one of the cruises and was given a multi colored capsule, that they gave the astronauts.
Poppi had one famous customer at his store, Albert Einstein, he supplied him with artichokes or avocados, by way of the housekeeper who shopped at Poppi’s store.
After Mimi’s death, Poppi came out to Lock Haven University, where Bill taught an aviation class to teachers.
They were married just before the depression. I can remember the story about them making arrangements to payment for some cookware to be paid off slowly. Mimi’s parents lived nearby and helped whenever they could.
I remember Poppi getting a dog, a poodle, right after he retired. Mimi was still working. The dog didn’t last long. It seems he resented Poppi leaving without him and soiled his bed when he did.
Our family always enjoyed visiting Mimi and Poppi. We visited yearly in California for about a month, part of our summer vacation.
He was a great father-in-law.
Sandy