Grandma and Grandpa Ellis’ Golden Years

When Grandma and Grandpa moved back to St. Louis, they originally moved to Shaw Avenue. Dorothy Elliot, a family friend, and widowed mother asked them if they would move into a two-family flat if she could find one to buy. She looked at several and found one she liked on Kingsland Court. Grandma and Grandpa agreed. They lived on the first floor and Dorothy lived on the second floor. They lived there until Grandma passed away in 1991 and Grandpa moved out three years later in 1994.

Grandma always prayed for us. She was a devout Catholic her entire life. If I go to Heaven and Grandma is not there, I am not in Heaven.

The 1960s and 1970s were big decades for Grandma and Grandpa. Mom and Aunt Maureen both got married. Within 15 years, they had nine grandchildren. Grandma started hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve each year. We would all eat so much that even the kids took naps. Grandma also led the singing each year before we opened Christmas presents. The singing concluded with everyone singing Silent Night.

The one thing that you knew was not to interrupt Grandma between 12:30 and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, when her soap operas were on. Aunt Joanie, her brother Chris’ wife, was the only person who could call during this time.

Before I speak about Grandma babysitting us, I want to point out one of the things Grandma excelled at. Grandma was a fantastic cook. I have known good cooks in my life but none that are her equal. What shocked me is that Grandma did not know how to cook when she married Grandpa. With so many children, her family could not afford to mess up a meal. Great Grandma Mosblech cooked all the meals and did not teach the girls to cook. Grandma taught herself. Grandpa said that she was a gifted cook from the beginning.

He told a humorous story about her cooking one day. Grandma surprised Grandpa with a rhubarb pie. Grandpa asked, “Rhubarb pie! Who eats rhubarb pie?” Grandpa said he almost wore the rhubarb pie.

I remember sitting at the breakfast table with them when I was in my early teens. Grandma was making breakfast for us. Grandpa would say something like, “Let’s get that breakfast on the table old woman. And don’t go flirting with disaster just cause your grandson is here.” Grandma would turn around and say, “Gilbert Ellis, I would whip you the best day you ever had. You’ll get it when I’m done.” Grandpa would laugh and tell me, “She would do it, too.” They were still obviously in love after all those years.

In 1979, Grandma started babysitting us because Mom went back to work. Grandma set the tone on her first day. Mom always made our breakfast when we got up. I got up the first morning and told Grandma, “I would like bacon, eggs and toast.” Grandma said, “Sure. Eggs and bacon are in the refrigerator. Bread is on the counter, and the pan is in the bottom drawer of the stove.” When I looked incredulously at her, she said, “You are old enough to start making your own meals. I will teach you and then you are going to cook on your own.

Grandma would eventually teach me how to cook, do laundry, iron, vacuum, etc. She told me I was not going to marry the first woman, who cooked me a meal or did my laundry. She taught my sisters to cook also but they did not like it much. They bribed me to do the cooking. They did the dishes.

My parents divorced in 1980. My sisters and I were confused and hurt, but our grandparents’ influence was the stabilizing force in our life at the time. Grandma was the first martial artist in the family. She could wield a fly swatter like a samurai warrior. When we got out of control, she quickly put us back into check. One time my younger sister was looking under the bed, when I came up behind her and kicked her in the behind. Grandma saw it and said that she should kick my behind. I said, “Grandma, you can’t kick that high.” I am here to tell you she could kick that high.

In 1981, Grandpa decided that he was going to retire. He came with Grandma when she baby sat us, so we got to spend six out of 7 days a week with them. The only day we did not always see them was Saturday. Sometimes, we even saw them on Saturday.

After Grandpa retired, he taught us things we still use today. My younger sister and I review reports in our job. We both credit our grandfather for teaching us the grammar rules that we have never forgotten. I would say, “Me and Joe went to the store yesterday.” He would say, “Take out the ‘and Joe’. Me went to the store. That is Tarzan English. If you want to know if you chose the proper variation, take out and _____.”

Grandpa was a great storyteller. During the summer, we would sit out on the back porch with Grandma and Grandpa and listen to the Cardinal’s game on the radio. They would tell us stories about their life together, growing up in St. Louis and a variety of topics. Grandpa sometimes would tell a story that was not humorous, but we would still be waiting for the punch line.

Whenever we rode with him to the store, he would always say after he parked, “Hold on. I need to comb my hair in case someone wants my autograph.” We would laugh and he would say, “See if they let me get out of there without signing something.” He always did have to sign an autograph, either to his check or the credit card receipt.

Every Sunday during the summer we spent down at Grandma and Grandpa’s lake lot on Lake Tishomingo. We used to play badminton, swim all day long and occasionally drive Grandpa’s bass boat. I could write a book about our experiences at the lake.

In November 1988, Grandma and Grandpa celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Their marriage was a model for all the family. They told everyone the secret to marriage was to be best friends. They would only have a little over two more years together, but we did not know that at the time. Grandma would pass away on February 12, 1991. Grandpa would pass away ten years later, April 18, 2001. Grandpa said he missed Grandma every day.

I am going to end their story here. If I wrote down everything that they taught us and our times together, I would be writing a multi-volume set. Grandma and Grandpa live on in our memories and the life lessons that have stayed with us all these years. At the end of their life, it was a celebration of a lives well lived.