Nothing but a G Thing: The Things Our Grandparents Stuck to that Stuck With Us

It’s Grandparents Day, but we’re not here to talk about how much we love our grandparents. (That goes without saying.)We’re writing with RESPECT, because “back in the day,” they had to walk uphill BOTH WAYS with warm potatoes in their pockets to keep warm. Life was rough, you guys, and our grandparents were pretty hard core. They moved against the grain. They made waves for what they believed in. And, most importantly, they taught us to rally around the things that matter most.

Let’s raise a glass (of champagne, obviously) to celebrate our life-loving, family-caring, world-traveling, political-wielding grandparents, and the lessons they’ve left with us.

Jo Layne Skillman
Billy B. Skillman

Anyone that’s ever spoken with my grandfather (or Pops, as we call him) can tell immediately that he’s passionate about education. Not only was he a college professor for most of his life (as was his wife, Eupha), he has 10 different degrees. TEN. Two doctorates, five masters and an assortment of others. His certificates are in biology (he breeds irises and has an extensive vegetable garden), speech communications, Native American history (his name is on the wall at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian), Christian theology, psychology, art and the list goes on.

To this day, Pops paints pottery, gives tours at the historic Lubbock Lake Landmark, plays the guitar and clarinet, speaks French, travels the world doing mission work, is the president of the West Texas Native American Association, sits for portrait painting classes at the Lubbock Arboretum and guest lectures at both Lubbock Christian University and Texas Tech University on Native American history.

Adam Smith
Richard Smith

Gramps was a Flight Navigator on a B-Bomber in WWII. His plane, Pistol Packing Momma, was shot down over the Pacific Ocean and Gramps was the only survivor. He floated in the Pacific Ocean for two days with two broken knee caps that he had received while ejecting his flight seat. A boat approached on the second day and elation set in as he thought that this would be an American boat cruising to view the wreckage—but it wasn't. A Japanese patrol boat picked up my grandfather and he became a prisoner of war spending almost nine months in captivity.   

This experience obviously shaped the way he would live the rest of his life. Gramps didn't take life for granted. He lived fully, loved fully and practiced life with purpose. His love for my grandmother, Nanny, was his inspiration. He took pride in his children, their spouses and grandchildren. He was the perfect gentleman.

Kelsey Smith
Stephen Wells Smith

My Grandpa was a banker by trade, but a politician at heart. Born and bred in the windy city of Chicago, he moved to New Hampshire in the mid-50s to raise his family. In Plymouth, NH he worked at a local bank and got involved in politics slowly moving through the political ranks to state senator in the ‘60s. He had a big heart, a great sense of humor and he truly gave a damn about other people.

During a tour of a state mental hospital in the late ‘60s, my Grandpa came across a group of people who were desperately in need of help, but unable to fight for it themselves. The hospital, my dad remembers his father telling him, seemed to have progressed no further than the late 19th century—the walls were dirty, the rooms were cold and the patients were crammed 30 to a ward. Luckily, there was a national movement at the time that was pushing to create change when it came to long-stay psychiatric hospitals. My grandfather, with other politicians and executives, helped deinstitutionalize the state hospital, replacing it with less isolated community mental health services. So what did my Grandpa rally around? Supporting others through the possibilities of politics and perseverance.

Aimee Woodall
Al Woodall

As my Nonnie summarizes so well, my Papa “could fix anything and volunteered for everything.” He worked in the newspaper business his entire life, ending with a 33-year stint at the Houston Chronicle. Clearly, he was loyal. Beyond that, he was outgoing, big-hearted and, according to Nonnie, “knew everyone.” From cars to home maintenance to broken swingsets, he’d work until it—whatever it was—worked again and perhaps better than before. Whether volunteering for the Army on the first day America declared war or volunteering to maintain the community park up the street, he lived a life of constant service and always put others first. I love looking back, thinking about him and realizing that his best qualities are the two qualities I try to bring into the office every day. Let’s fix it, make it better and give back in everything we do!

Sarah Gabbart
Betty Humphrey

My grandmother was a journalist for 55 years, starting as the secretary to the publisher and retiring as Family Editor for her small-town paper. She's an institution in her town and a total badass: Sassy, funny and whip smart. She gave a damn about people and strived to tell their stories—she wrote everything from birth announcements to graduation notices to wedding stories to obituaries. She knew people for their literal whole lives. She knew her work mattered—that her pages hung on refrigerators proudly, that the recipes she printed were passed down between families and that the final thoughts on a person's life lived on far after the day their death was announced. Simply put: She was—and still is—a people person. No wonder we call her “Gabby.”

Laila Khalili
Esmail Khalili

My paternal grandfather was born in Tehran, Iran. I never met him, but based on family recollections, he was a truly selfless person. My dad told me the most valuable lesson he learned from his father is that we all have the opportunity and responsibility to help others. During his lifetime, my grandfather worked as both a teacher and a politician. Dedicated to his community, he established an educational help center and published two major daily newspapers, one of which is still in print called Ettela'at. According to my dad, he was actually exiled for seven years away from his work and family because of his views and writings. Clearly, being an activist is genetic.

Roslynn Velasquez
Robert Fitch

My Grandpa just recently watched his great grandson cross his high school graduation stage, becoming the sixth generation of Fitch’s to graduate from Avon High School. That alone speaks to what my grandfather is about— family. Like his dad and my dad, my grandpa grew up in Avon, and now many of his grandkids and great grandkids will grow up playing on the same farm and, quite literally, eating the fruits of his labor. The farm his father started, which my grandparents also cultivated (where my dad grew up), my uncles now run with my cousins. The Fitch’s Farmers market is about community as much as it is about sustaining and caring for your history and the future of your town.

Brittany Wegner
Howard Hicks

Growing up with two cattle ranches under his boots, my grandpa's most natural instincts were built taking care of family land. Today, he's partnered with the Texas Land Conservancy to preserve a part of his heritage dating back to the 1850s–the Pike Davis Ranch, my family ranch, seated in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Permanently protecting land is not a quick or easy process, and is the result of many years of careful preparation and thoughtfulness. The ranch is 1,415 acres located within the Llano Uplift in the Colorado River watershed and was once part of a much larger ranch purchased in 1854 by some of our ancestors and the original settlers. Over the years, smaller pieces have been sold off, but my family, lead by my grandpa, planted a Conservation Easement on the property as it stands now to ensure that the 1,415 acres can never be further broken apart. Our ranch is part of a large tract of Texas Hill Country history that is now permanently protected in the partnership.

Sarah Baker
Ruby Ann Baker

My sweet grandma, Ruby Ann, has passion for her children, her in-laws, her grandchildren, God and her country. To this day, she serves her community by loving others deeply and providing support when needed.

Jess Craft
Ted and Betty Bierman

On the Bierman-side, my grandparents were avid travelers. I asked my dad to send me a list of the places they traveled over the years and the list was exhaustive. China was one of my Grandma's favorites. Austria was my Grandpa's favorite. Internationally they travelled to Ireland, England, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Russia, The Baltic, Mexico, Québec and Tahiti. Domestically, they travelled to the major cities: San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Washington D.C., Hawaii and Alaska. I admire their sense of adventure and am determined to carry it on. Next stop: D.C.!

Jess Craft
James and Pat Mathews

My maternal grandparents, granny and papa cared about others deeply. They were both very involved with various charities through the local VFW in Cypress and Houston. They were inspiration and they showed me what it means to give back—to care for other people.

Whether you call them Grandma and Grandpa, PawPaw and Mee-maw or Papa and Grams, at the end of the day we have to thank our grandparents for being such inspiring people and instilling in us the desire to give a damn, to give many damns.

What have your grandparents stood for, rebelled against or passed down?