Happy Birthday, Papa
November 10, 2008 by William K. Wolfrum
My grandfather was born in Germany in 1910, and came to the U.S. in the early 1920s with his father and sister. He learned English through newspapers and the radio, and the Great Depression left an indelible mark on him.
My grandfather and grandmother were married in the 1930s and made quite a pair. But my strapping, 6-foot-1 German grandfather and my 5-foot Italian grandmother had a wonderful 50-year marriage that produced two children.
My grandfather was a gambler, and a very good one. His attention to detail helped him become the greatest and most consistent craps player I’ve ever seen, and he made a considerable profit in Las Vegas over his lifetime. Still, he wasn’t shielded against losing. Early in his marriage, he lost $300. He took a year off gaming and put $1 into a box every day. When he finally and sheepishly confessed his loss to my grandmother, he did so presenting her the box with $365 in it.
When he was 75, my grandfather made an important decision – he needed to learn how to ski. Over the next couple years, denizens of Big Bear Mountain were treated to the site of my grandfather smoothly navigating the slopes.
My grandfather was a boxer, a salesman, and a photographer among other things throughout his life. He was also an inventor. When he saw a need, he’d invent something. His best invention was a fishing hook holder that made it easy to tie hooks and that my Dad, he and I always used when we took fishing trips.
Imagine my glee when I found the original patent online that included sketches of the fishing tool I used so often (Click image to enlarge):
My grandfather remains the greatest and most interesting man I’ve ever known. He was kind, accepting, brilliant and always a true gentleman. He was and is my hero. Today would be his 98th birthday. Happy Birthday, Papa. I miss you.
–WKW
It sounds like your grandfather was a very interesting man. And he played craps, which I love but never play anymore for similar reasons he gave it up.
My last remaining grandfather died earlier this year. I really wasn’t all that close to him, but that was just kind of his nature. But still, I was always impressed with how he knew how to do everything and everything he knew how to do was self taught and due to his own curiosity.
Our generation so needs to look back to the ‘greatest generation’ for inspiration.
He was a trip, Dgun. He was more into the winning aspect of gambling than the gambling part (thus he only played craps because the odds are the best). He was disciplined to a fault.
But yeah, even though his schooling was limited, he was incredibly curious. If something got his interest, he’d know all about it in no time.