When was your oldest grandparent born?

[maize]

Mine, 1924.

Dh, 1909.

Both of my grandmothers are still living, my grandfathers both died in 2011. All of dh's grandparents are gone though one lived to just two months short of 100.

[maize]

I checked great grandparents, my earliest was born in 1887, though his father was born in 1837. Long generation there. There's one in my husband's line with a father born in 1795 and their child in 1864.

[lewelma]

I have a great great grandfather who was 70 when he married my great great grandmother who was 18 year old. They did produce my great grandfather. 

Edited September 25, 2019 by lewelma

[PeterPan]

My paternal grandfather fought in WWI and my maternal in WW2. I don't know when my paternal grandfather was born, as he was a dark sheep that no one talked about. I guess I *assumed* he was young in WWI, but I really don't know.

[Serenade]

I believe it was 1898, although I don't have my photo of the gravestone handy.  My grandfather actually fought in WWI, on the German side.  He was only around 18 when he served.  He was injured several times and went back to the battlefield.  It ended up working out well for him, though, since he wasn't called to serve in WWII due to his previous war injuries. 

[Sneezyone]

My oldest grandparent was born in 1919 in Arkansas. My parents were born in the mid-50s in Washington State. I was born in 1976, also in the PNW. My maternal ancestors came west through Missouri, settled in Washington and stayed there. My paternal grandparents came to Washington state via Oklahoma and Arkansas.

DH's oldest grandparent was born in...1902. DH's biological father was born in 1920. His mother was born in the late 40s, early 50s? DH was born in 1986.

Our ancestors, as far as we can trace (basically the end of the civil war), were all born in the U.S. 

Edited September 25, 2019 by Sneezyone

[mumto2]

16 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

I was just wondering about the people 5 - 10 years younger than me who grandparents who were born in the 19th century while mine were all born in the early 20th. I wondered if maybe they were among the youngest, so their parents and therefore grandparents, were older when they were born. I mentioned large families just because it was pretty common back then.

I was thinking that maybe their parents were the youngest of a number of siblings. Why they had to be many in order for them to be the younges I have no idea. Not sure why that came to me lol.

I don’t think I am quite young enough😉............but I think your theory is right.  I am almost 56 but my mom was the youngest child and I was born when she was 41.

My maternal grandfather was born in 1876 and married a younger woman born in 1890.  He died when my mom was 8........

My paternal grandparents were both born in 1893. He was an only.

[LucyStoner]

19 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

This is interesting to me. I'm older than most posters here, including the OP yet my oldest grandparent was my maternal grandfather, born in 1908. None of mine are still alive. My paternal grandfather died the year before I was born. The rest of my grandparents died in the 1980s. 

To those of you who had grandparents born in the late 19th century, did your parents have a lot of siblings and/or were they among the youngest? My mother, born in 1934 was the oldest of three children, and my father, born in 1927 was the middle child of three.

 

My grandfather born in 1912 was the youngest in his family.  He had 7 siblings, the oldest was my dad’s aunt who was born in the 1890s in Washington State.  They came all the way out to Washington from Oklahoma, spent a few years logging and then moved east to Texas where they had more children. My grandfather was orphaned when he was about 10 years old.  

[Lady Florida.]

17 hours ago, SKL said:

I am curious how many of our grandparents had a birthplace outside of the country they called home as an adult.

One of mine did - my dad's mom - Hungary.

All of my grandparents were born here. All of my maternal great-grandparents were born in Italy and came here with their parents when they were in their teens.

No one is really sure when my father's family came to the U.S. from Ireland, but we think it was during the famine, so that would have been sometime just before the Civil War. I have visions of them as the kind of characters who were extras in Gangs of New York (movie with Leonardo DiCaprio). 

[LucyStoner]

12 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

All of my grandparents were born here. All of my maternal great-grandparents were born in Italy and came here with their parents when they were in their teens.

No one is really sure when my father's family came to the U.S. from Ireland, but we think it was during the famine, so that would have been sometime just before the Civil War. I have visions of them as the kind of characters who were extras in Gangs of New York (movie with Leonardo DiCaprio). 

 

All of my grandparents were born in the US as well.  Per the notations in the family bible, my most recent immigrant ancestor my paternal grandmother’s great grandfather, who came from Ireland.  It’s hard to pin down more details because at that point everyone on the family tree has super unique names like “John Sullivan”. There are Sullivans and O’Sullivans and they all married other people named Sullivan.  

That said, my dad filled in that bible and I’m certain he’s not a reliable narrator.  

Edited September 26, 2019 by LucyStoner

[Farrar]

This is interesting. I think mine is 1924? I'd need to double check that. My grandmother who just passed away last year was born in '28. She and my grandfather really got the brunt of the Great Depression. They were born into poor families, but having been born literally in '28, they both suffered. My grandfather was significantly shorter than every single one of his siblings.

I had the pleasure of knowing three great-grandparents in my life. So I guess my living relative memory stretches back further. One  of them died when I was still pretty young, but I certainly remember my Daddy Reid, who was a candy salesman and worked nearly until the day he died. He would have been born in the early 1880's, I believe.

ETA: All my grandparents were born here. And all my great-grandparents. In fact, the first direct relatives I know that were not were born in the late 1700's and immigrated here in the first decade of the 1800's. There may be some others in there too.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Farrar

[LucyStoner]

3 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I had the pleasure of knowing three great-grandparents in my life. So I guess my living relative memory stretches back further. One  of them died when I was still pretty young, but I certainly remember my Daddy Reid, who was a candy salesman and worked nearly until the day he died. He would have been born in the early 1880's, I believe.

 

Only one of my great grandparents was living when I was born and she died when I was a young teenager.  She would have only been born in the 1920s herself though.  She was a teenager when my grandmother was born and my grandmother was only 18 when my mom was born (and my mom has two older sisters- my aunt was born when my grandma was 14).  

4 of my older son’s great grandparents were living when my son was born, but only one is still alive and she’s the only one the kids will remember.  

[Tap]

.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Tap

[Chelli]

My oldest grandparent (paternal grandfather) was born on 2/22/22, President's Day, so he was named Jefferson Washington LastName.

He passed away in 2001 from colon cancer. He was the best man I've ever known.

[J-rap]

I'm pretty sure my paternal grandfather was born in 1895.  I never knew him...  He died tragically at age 40.  (I never knew my other grandfather either;  he died when I was a baby.)

I know that when my mother was a little girl and went to Veteran's Day parades (or would it have been Memorial Day parades??), there were Civil War soldiers marching in them!!  That seems crazy to me.

None of my grandparents were born in "the old country" -- but they were all first generation immigrant children, and they all grew up speaking the language of their parents' country in very ethnic households.

Edited September 26, 2019 by J-rap

[maize]

None of my grandparents were immigrants. Several great-great grandparents were immigrants--from Sweden, Denmark, and Wales.

[lewelma]

In the 1970s my parents decided to track down as many family photos/dauguerrotypes/drawings before their grandparents and their generation died. (I'm originally from America, so this was not in NZ)  Shockingly, most of these grandparents or their siblings/cousins/etc had photos/drawings of their parents and grandparents, even the ones that were poor farmers.  It was quite the family effort and I think everyone was shocked at how many images had been taken and kept. So we have a family photo/drawing wall that is close to complete going back to my great great great grandparents in the 1840s and a couple earlier. There is a huge disparity of wealth, with proper artist portraits of wealthy families to farmers in overalls. 

Edited September 26, 2019 by lewelma

[TrixieB]

On 9/24/2019 at 2:01 PM, SKL said:

I am curious how many of our grandparents had a birthplace outside of the country they called home as an adult.

One of mine did - my dad's mom - Hungary.

All four of my grandparents lived in the U.S. as adults.  Three of them were not born in the U.S.

My oldest grandparent was born in 1890.

[Bluegoat]

My oldest grandparent was born in 1921.  Her parents were born in (I think) 1894 and about 1864ish.  

It sounds like some of the other grandparents here were born about a generation ahead of most of mine.  My great-grandmother that I knew growing up was born just about 1901.

 

It is funny when you work it out how few generations there are between times that seem very far off.  A cousin of mine traced his family history back as far as someone who came to the UK with William the Conquerer, and it doesn't look nearly so distant drawn out in a family tree.

[TrixieB]

On 9/24/2019 at 11:16 AM, Lady Florida. said:

This is interesting to me. I'm older than most posters here, including the OP yet my oldest grandparent was my maternal grandfather, born in 1908. None of mine are still alive. My paternal grandfather died the year before I was born. The rest of my grandparents died in the 1980s. 

To those of you who had grandparents born in the late 19th century, did your parents have a lot of siblings and/or were they among the youngest? My mother, born in 1934 was the oldest of three children, and my father, born in 1927 was the middle child of three.

Both of my parents have a lot of siblings, but neither was among the youngest.  My parent whose parent was born in 1890 was the second child of six.

Edited September 27, 2019 by TrixieB

[DawnM]

On 9/25/2019 at 10:05 PM, LucyStoner said:

 

All of my grandparents were born in the US as well.  Per the notations in the family bible, my most recent immigrant ancestor my paternal grandmother’s great grandfather, who came from Ireland.  It’s hard to pin down more details because at that point everyone on the family tree has super unique names like “John Sullivan”. There are Sullivans and O’Sullivans and they all married other people named Sullivan.  

That said, my dad filled in that bible and I’m certain he’s not a reliable narrator.  

 

My grandmother was born in China to missionary parents in 1906.  I guess that is different, but she was still born overseas, as was my dad.   

My grandmother's side came to the US several generations ago I believe and my grandfather's side, he was the first generation born in the USA (from Germany.)

[Innisfree]

On 9/24/2019 at 2:16 PM, Lady Florida. said:

This is interesting to me. I'm older than most posters here, including the OP yet my oldest grandparent was my maternal grandfather, born in 1908. None of mine are still alive. My paternal grandfather died the year before I was born. The rest of my grandparents died in the 1980s. 

To those of you who had grandparents born in the late 19th century, did your parents have a lot of siblings and/or were they among the youngest? My mother, born in 1934 was the oldest of three children, and my father, born in 1927 was the middle child of three.

My grandfathers were born in 1887 and 1890. Neither family had lots of children; my father was an only child, and my mother (also born in 1927) was, like your father, the middle of three.

Both my grandmothers, though, were well educated and had careers (one fairly short, one longer) before marrying and having children. They were about the same ages as their husbands, but married relatively late, in the context of the time.

It always amazes me when I see adults whose grandparents are living and thriving. My last grandparent died, in his mid nineties, before I graduated from college. My kids' grandparents had all died (at good old ages) before they entered their teens.

Long generations are kind of neat, in the stories that get passed down: that grandfather talked about having met a veteran of the Battle of the Crater; the other knew a cousin of Queen Victoria. But it kind of stinks, because you don't get much time with them. I'm always a bit jealous of those with big, living families.

[RootAnn]

On 9/24/2019 at 12:56 PM, Scarlett said:

My grandfather was born in 1898.

I believe this is around right for my paternal grandparents - 1897 & 1899 for grandfather & grandmother. One died My senior year of high school (early 90s) and the other when I was in college (mid 90s). My maternal grandparents were both born after 1900 both died before I was born.

On 9/24/2019 at 1:16 PM, Lady Florida. said:

To those of you who had grandparents born in the late 19th century, did your parents have a lot of siblings and/or were they among the youngest?

My dad was a twin in a family of 4.

On 9/24/2019 at 3:41 PM, Lady Florida. said:

I was just wondering about the people 5 - 10 years younger than me who grandparents who were born in the 19th century while mine were all born in the early 20th. I wondered if maybe they were among the youngest, so their parents and therefore grandparents, were older when they were born. I mentioned large families just because it was pretty common back then.

I was thinking that maybe their parents were the youngest of a number of siblings. Why they had to be many in order for them to be the younges I have no idea. Not sure why that came to me lol.

In my case, my mom was 40 when she had me (4 of 5 kids and was older when she got married). I think my dad's mom was in her late 30s when she had him. Late life pregnancies in multiple generations. My little brother's friends always thought my mom was his grandma. Their moms were all in their early 20s and she was 42 when she had him.

[Innisfree]

1 hour ago, RootAnn said:

Late life pregnancies in multiple generations. My little brother's friends always thought my mom was his grandma. Their moms were all in their early 20s and she was 42 when she had him.

Ditto. My mother was 39 when I was born, and 43 when my brother was.

[Selkie]

My grandparents were all born in the US. My great grandparents came over from Lithuania just before my grandfather was born.

[LisaKinVA]

My oldest grandparents were born in 1910.  All of my grandparents were born in the U.S.  On my dad's side, my grandfather was 1st generation American citizen, my grandma was 2nd.  On my mom's side... pretty much that is a hodge-podge of way-way back, came on the boat and met the boat and everything in between.  My husband's side, both were 2nd generation US citizens, with a strong dose of native Americans (confirmed by DNA and family genealogical record -- but apparently they never joined the rolls and all descendants are ineligible)

[TravelingChris]

I am not sure at all.  My father was the youngest of three and he was born in 1914.  My mother was the oldest child and she was  born in 1922.  That means that all my grandparents were born in the 19th century (my mothers' parents were landed gentry and except for potentially my mother's mother- who may have been born in 1900 or 1901, the usual marrying age for that area and class was in the 20s).  

And none of my parents nor my gp were born in the US.

[Borstahusen]

Maternal grandfather born in 1884 died in 1940’s, he was 14 years older than my grandmother. She was born in 1898, as were both of my paternal grandparents. All of my grandparents had passed before I was born, except my maternal grandmother.  All were born in the US. 

 

Interesting thread! 

Edited September 28, 2019 by Borstahusen
Because I apparently can’t subtract!

[Reefgazer]

My oldest grandparent was born in 1891.

[Soror]

I think around the 30's. My dad's parents died before I was born and weren't talked about much. If I'm remembering ages right my maternal grandmother was in her 60s when she died in 97. One grandfather died of suicide, the other 3 had health issues complicated by smoking, poverty, and lack of health care. I'd have to ask my Mom when we came to America, I know my grandparents and great grandparents were not immigrants.

[Heathermomster]

DH’s paternal grandfather was born in 1898 and served in WWI.