Pieces of Grandparents
(Another paper written in college) Growing up, I remember being agitated with relatives as they would go on and on about dates and names of people I did not know and did not care about. Many of our family vacations were spent visiting places where my grandparents had grown up. We would travel around and take pictures of plots of land. Meaningless to me, precious memories to them. With all of my grandparents having passed on, those moments have gained meaning to me as I treasure the great people who came before me.
GRANDPA COOMBS
I remember Grandpa C. the least because he died of an abdominal aneurysm when I was little. John Aaron Coombs was born July 20, 1913 in Hardinsburg, Indiana. His father died when John was 2, and so his mother and his two unmarried aunts raised him. Grandpa’s mother came from the Cravens line, which had many famous and rich people. His two aunts were related to the Hardens (form whom the town was named after) and the Lanier’s of Madison, and also related to President Benjamin Harrison and William Henry Harrison. My (four greats) grandfather served under Lincoln in congress. I am not sure when they came to the US, but it was quite awhile ago, as they were closely involved with the government for so long.
I do not know very much about Grandpa’s father’s side of the family. He did not ever know his father, and I know that was hard on him. He was Scottish, and there is a castle known as the “McCombs” castle that could be in the family line.
Grandpa did not pass down many traditions or customs except for a great love of knowledge. He was a fact machine, and I remember as a little girl not wanting to “turn on” the flow of facts or I would be stuck to hear the end of it. Grandpa did not have a father figure, so became very close to his neighbor and best friend, Roy Mertz (and fell in love with Roy’s sister Janie when she was 13). He graduated in engineering at Purdue, but had many skin problems and so took a job traveling around inspecting places for insurance feasibility for Royal Globe Insurance.
He moved to Cleveland in hopes for the hospitals to treat his skin problems, but liked the diversity and stayed there. He had five daughters (the youngest being my mother) that he worked hard to put through college. I think this is the main thing that has been passed on to me: a great desire to know more and to be involved with what is going on. I hope to continue the great line of American history-makers.
GRANDMA COOMBS
Grandma Coombs was Janie Hutton Mertz before she got married. She was born January 5, 1918 in New Albany, Indiana. She was given her mother’s maiden name for her middle name, as was often the custom. Janie’s grandparents (from her father) were first generation immigrants from Germany who never learned English. Her father was a butcher, and so although they were never wealthy, their table never lacked fresh meat.
Grandma had two brothers and a sister, and grew up with other various relatives around the house, including her favorite, Uncle Darcy. Their house always seemed to be alive and busy with cards and drinking, while Janie’s mother was a great praying woman. Many of the German customs were lost on Janie, as she could not communicate with her grandparents.
Most of the customs that I remember from Grandma have to do with family getting together, but she herself began most of them. My Grandma was very beautiful until the day she died—Grandpa fell in love with her when she was only 13. She married him and had five daughters. Her life was characterized by a gentle sweetness and peace that I have found in very few people. “Prayer” would be her champion word.
Specifically I remember the Christmas traditions that we would have one the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We would gather together to celebrate birthdays, births, anniversaries, graduations, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all at once. There would always be the Christmas story and stockings, supplied with attic relics from my mother’s childhood.
Grandma died December 2, 2003 in hospice care with her daughters around her. She has passed on to me a joy of growing old as I see how beautifully it can be done when you spend your life loving each person with every ounce of yourself. She also passed on the tradition of family gathering together and a great love for a big house bustling with people from floor to ceiling. She is one of my heroes.
GRANDPA WINZELER
Raymond Herman Winzeler and was born on October 15, 1914 in Tremont, Illinois. Grandpa’s great-grandfather was born in Switzerland (very close to the German boarder). When he was 29 he came to the US and settled in New York and the family slowly migrated west to Illinois. They were always hard working, and mostly worked as farmers. In Switzerland (and sometimes Germany), the Winzeler’s were “Wine Sellers.” Our family crest has grape clusters on it. While the family did not sell the actual wine product, they were involved with the caring for the grapes and were very well settled in the area.
Grandpa passed on his hard working skills as a farmer to my father, and also passed on a long history of religion. Most of Grandpa’s family was in the apostolic church—beliefs that went back to Switzerland and into the Anabaptist movement in Europe. They were a strong, proud people, ready to give their lives for what they believed. This sometimes carried over into the extreme, edging to legalism if not carefully protected. Their hard working ethic and strong religious beliefs formed who they were. Grandpa also came from a close-knit family, and I am glad that he always went the extra mile in getting the family together and providing for his parents as they were older.
Grandpa devoted his life to the farm, and it was not until he was in the hospital for gall bladder surgery that he really stopped and examined his life and began to serve the Lord with his whole heart. After this time, he devoted his time to sharing the gospel and giving generously to others. Whatever Grandpa did, it was with everything he had. I had the chance to live with Grandpa and Grandma Winzeler for a couple of months before they moved to a nursing home. I will always treasure that time as I got to see life on the farm, and learn from Grandpa’s wisdom and generosity. Grandpa died in April of 2002.
GRANDMA WINZELER
Pearl Lucille Troxel and was born in Wolcott, Indiana on December 23, 1914. Of all the families, except for closer family, the Troxel reunion is the only yearly one that is still in practice. Every August I hear about more names and dates (which still do not mean much) and I try to listen, knowing that someday I will appreciate it.
Grandma was always nice, soft, fluffy, and smelled good. She was the complete “farmers wife” with the huge Thanksgiving turkey just like Betty Crocker. Grandma was known for her love as she taught Sunday school almost all her life long. Grandma’s great grandparents on one side came from Alsace-Lorraine, France, as children. That part of France was sometimes controlled by Germany, so the German-French history is sometimes tangled. They, like my grandfather’s family, were hard working farmers and deeply dedicated to their religion.
Grandma had a series of strokes when I was younger and if affected her mind. She could not remember a lot of things, including the love of her family and of God. I had the opportunity to help take care of her, and sometimes it felt like she was a little child looking up to me. She left a legacy of serving others, teaching children, and playing “Jesus Loves Me” on the piano. She died in November 2002.