52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 34

 Week 34:

The theme for Week 34 is “Play Time.” (This should be fun!) Who in your family tree had a playful demeanor? Anyone play a sport or an instrument? How about someone who was in a school play?

Clair Edwin Gross 

Born: 17 July 1929 Newberry, York, Pennsylvania, USA

Died: 21 March 2009 The Carolyn Croxton Slane Residence, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA

Although I've already covered my grandpa in previous posts, he's the perfect person for this theme.

My grandfather was born, raised, and died in Newberrytown (his death occurred at a hospice facility after only having been moved there a few hours prior). He was a world-class athlete who dominated on the baseball diamond and the golf course. But his athleticism didn't stop there—he also excelled at roller skating, bowling, and ice skating. Beyond his physical prowess, he was one of the most playful people I've ever known, always ready with a joke he'd meticulously memorized. Every evening after dinner, he'd come to our house for a game of pinochle, showcasing his skill and passion for card games of all kinds.

To know my pap was to love him. I've never heard someone say an unkind word about him. He was friends with everyone and always had a smile on his face. I was one hundred percent a Pappy's girl. He was my person and I'd like to think that I was his. 

It took a long time for me to be able to talk about my pap after he died. He had pancreatic cancer, and only lasted a few months after his diagnosis. He lived a full and happy life, but at 14, I was mad at the world for taking my best friend. 

At 31, I find myself talking about him daily. I'm always bringing up a memory I have of him or telling someone about him. I often visit his grave at Paddletown Cemetery and I made sure there arw always flowers and decorations. As a Catholic, I believe that my pap is in heaven, and I find myself talking to him, believing that he can hear me and see what I'm doing in my life. 

If you didn't have the pleasure of meeting Clair during his lifetime, I hope that I'm doing a good job of keeping his memories alive and that my stories make you feel like he would've been someone you would have liked to know. 













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