Author Topic: Fascinating talk with my grandfather...  (Read 1695 times)

Offline mk162

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Fascinating talk with my grandfather...
« on: January 30, 2015, 02:28:11 PM »
So my grandfather is 87 years old and we stopped and had dinner with him on our trip to philly for Christmas.

We got to talking about fabric and he is pretty knowledgeable on the subject since he worked for both Munsingwear and Stevens(car upholstery).  The subject was brought up because  the father of one of my customers worked at Munsingwear back in the 50's(my grandfather worked there in the 60's).  My grandfather had never met John Woodhead but knew the name since he had developed several major things such as the tubular knit for undershirts to eliminate the sideseams and he also developed the process where one fabric could be knitted on one side and a different fabric on the other.  really neat stuff.

My grandfather helped Munsingwear develop several new knits and his name was on some of the patents.

One of the things he was really amazed by was the tricot machines.  He said they shook so hard they cracked the foundation of the building.  They had to start mounting them on huge rubber platforms to minimize the vibrations.


Offline GaryG

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Re: Fascinating talk with my grandfather...
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2015, 02:47:10 PM »
Cherish that Grandpa- never really knew mine.  :'(

Offline mk162

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Re: Fascinating talk with my grandfather...
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2015, 03:00:57 PM »
my wife didn't know her's either, so she's taken my grandpa on as her own.  it's nice that our kids get to spend time with him as well.  he had open hear surgery about 2 years ago and is doing great.

Offline Homer

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Re: Fascinating talk with my grandfather...
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2015, 03:05:31 PM »
I could listen to old timers stories for years.....back when things were cool and technology didn't ruin rule the world.

good stuff right there...
...keep doing what you're doing, you'll only get what you've got...

Offline 3Deep

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Re: Fascinating talk with my grandfather...
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2015, 03:12:18 PM »
I feel you guys on grandpa's mine could tell some whoppers of some stories which my grandma call lie's LOL.
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Offline Hey Monkey

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Re: Fascinating talk with my grandfather...
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2015, 04:57:22 PM »
I sat for hours a few years back while my grandmas told stories of her youth from a little girl all the way to vacationing at Great Lakes resorts in the 1940's. Amazing detail. She just turned 94.

Offline Sbrem

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Re: Fascinating talk with my grandfather...
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2015, 10:48:22 AM »
Cherish that Grandpa- never really knew mine.  :'(

Same here, my paternal grandfather was born in 1862, he would have been ninety when I was born, maternal passed when I was 3, so. It's great that you have him for a resource and they have the greatest stories. I used to love talking with the one grandparent I had, my maternal grandmother who passed at 96, back in '78. Sniff...

Steve
I made a mistake once; I thought I was wrong about something; I wasn't