Grandpa Walter: Pictures

One of the scarce color pictures, dated 1982. My parents wedding. I wasn't on my way yet, but Grandpa Walter already looks the way I remember him. White puffy wisps of hair on either side of his head and his characteristic smile. The car was especially rented for the big day: a lada. Not many people could afford to buy one in those days and I really don't know where this car came from...

My real (young) father is hugging his mom, while Grandpa Walter is watching. On sunday one wore the best dresses one owned in those times. Time: Maybe late 1970s?

My grandparents were the cutest couple ever! They were happily married for over 50 years. Time: Early 1980s.

Granpa Walter worked hard all his life. This is one of the oldest pictures I own of him: The date on the back reads 1967. A huge storm had passed our little town and the tree had fallen. So it became fire wood.

My grandfather and an aunt (?) working in the garden. As I mentioned before as goods and food were most of the time scarce one had to grow its own vegetables and fruit. Date unknown.

Cellar building for his dream house in 1980. As he worked with heavy machinery, too, Grandpa Walter lost some fingers during his lifetime. I remember those hands very well. I was never grossed out, because those hands told stories.

House is almost finished in late 1980. A friend of my father (?) is helping building the roof. Grandpa Walter is obviously happy about the outcome of the labour.

Retiring from work in the late 1970s.

While hard work was a constant part of life in GDR, most people managed to get something good out of it as well. And Thuringians do a lot of BBQing. The Thuringian grilled sausage is very famous to this day!

You get the picture.

Grandpa Walter also loved to make music - up to the day he died. Not just harmonica...

...but also accordion. (For which he had to get inventive later in the 1980s and model some fingers out of fimo clay to be able to play.)

Yes, Grandpa Walter, you are missed and I will never forget you. Thank you for teaching me lots of stuff and being there for me. Lots of Love.