Bee thinking about this since this afternoon and I'm just curious as to what you fellows might do in the same situation.
Dad called me this afternoon to tell me that his biological father, my biolgical grandfather had passed away last night. The thing is neither of us has seen the man in about 42 years. Based on what I am told, the last time I was about 2 years old, and it was at a funeral for his mother (Dad's grandma).
Longer story short, he up and left my Grandma when Dad was about 10, and, based on what we heard from the rest of the family, he went on to have numerous girlfriend, and several wives, and at least one or two half brothers for Dad, over the years that we know of. Grandma remarried several years later to the man Dad called Dad, and the man I called my Grandpa, and they stayed together, til death parted them, and both passed away in their late 60's close to 20 years ago. Last we heard 'Bert's' current wife (still current we don't really know) didn't even know this part of the family tree existed, even though Dad was his first born, and a Jr to boot.
So, my question, in my position would you even bother to go to the funeral or even the viewing? We still haven't gotten all of the info as to when everything is but what we have been told puts it at close to a 3 to 4 hour drive just to get to where he was living, and then there is another 3 to 4 hours back. The ride alone makes it questionable for me to even think about, given the current pressing nature of the work I've got going on. Too I'm really not sure what kind of mess might get stirred up if I did go and, being a 'stranger' was asked how I knew him and responded that I was actually his first grand kid....and I'd do my best NOT to finish that sentence with, 'that he disowned like he did his first son'..... Regardless of what was said I dang sure wouldn't lie about my blood relationship to the man, but at the same time don't know how the shock of finding out there was a branch of the family tree out there that none of his current family even knew existed would go over.
With all of that said, I know my presence at the prodeedings will never be missed, and as far as that goes, I really wouldn't have any real regrets if I didn't go either, since I never really knew the man. Still I'd be lying if I didn't admit to at least a little bit of curiousity about the other branches of the family tree..........
So, I really don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I was still curious as to what ya'll might do in the same situation.
Dad called me this afternoon to tell me that his biological father, my biolgical grandfather had passed away last night. The thing is neither of us has seen the man in about 42 years. Based on what I am told, the last time I was about 2 years old, and it was at a funeral for his mother (Dad's grandma).
Longer story short, he up and left my Grandma when Dad was about 10, and, based on what we heard from the rest of the family, he went on to have numerous girlfriend, and several wives, and at least one or two half brothers for Dad, over the years that we know of. Grandma remarried several years later to the man Dad called Dad, and the man I called my Grandpa, and they stayed together, til death parted them, and both passed away in their late 60's close to 20 years ago. Last we heard 'Bert's' current wife (still current we don't really know) didn't even know this part of the family tree existed, even though Dad was his first born, and a Jr to boot.
So, my question, in my position would you even bother to go to the funeral or even the viewing? We still haven't gotten all of the info as to when everything is but what we have been told puts it at close to a 3 to 4 hour drive just to get to where he was living, and then there is another 3 to 4 hours back. The ride alone makes it questionable for me to even think about, given the current pressing nature of the work I've got going on. Too I'm really not sure what kind of mess might get stirred up if I did go and, being a 'stranger' was asked how I knew him and responded that I was actually his first grand kid....and I'd do my best NOT to finish that sentence with, 'that he disowned like he did his first son'..... Regardless of what was said I dang sure wouldn't lie about my blood relationship to the man, but at the same time don't know how the shock of finding out there was a branch of the family tree out there that none of his current family even knew existed would go over.
With all of that said, I know my presence at the prodeedings will never be missed, and as far as that goes, I really wouldn't have any real regrets if I didn't go either, since I never really knew the man. Still I'd be lying if I didn't admit to at least a little bit of curiousity about the other branches of the family tree..........
So, I really don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I was still curious as to what ya'll might do in the same situation.
