Fred

This is Fred.  He is where I started in my adventure through my family tree, so I feel it is only fitting that this is where I start my blog.  To me he was grandpa great but was also affectionately called "Gramp".

He lived in the house my parents live in now.  I remember going to his house when I was little.  It was old.  He smoked a pipe.  He liked to sit by his window while smoking his pipe.  He had coo-coo clocks.  He had a huge garden in the back yard.  He had two rocking chairs that sat on his back porch.

This picture was taken on what we believed to be Fred's 90th birthday.  We now know that wasn't quite the case.  For what ever reason some where in time Fred lied about or changed his age.  This wasn't discovered until long after Fred had passed away and I would begin my hunting through the branches of my tree.

Why lie about your age? Who knew about it? When did he make the decision to change his age?  These are all questions I'll never know the answer to which frustrates me.  Family members have speculated that he lied about his age so that he could go to work in the factory at a younger age.  Some also believe it could have been because his wife Kate was actually much older than he was.  I wonder if she ever knew the truth?