Proud of my Grandparents

at Uncle Bob's Memorial Day party, 2009

I've been wanting to do this blog since my grandparents 70th Anniversary on Sept. 14th:

I am so very proud of Grandma and Grandpa for being married 70 years and for living long lives so they could celebrate it together. I realize that this is extremely rare, and I am very thankful for it.

When I called them on their anniversary to wish them happy anniversary, Gram said that Grandpa had put a card by her pillow that morning and flowers on the table. I asked them to share a wedding memory. Gram said that her sister-in-law grabbed and tore her veil while she was wearing it. She doesn't know why she did it. I asked them if they went on a honeymoon and they said they went up to the Adirondacks, and then to a cavern (which Gram said was scary). It was Gram's first time going to the Adirondacks. I'm really proud of them!

They recently made it in the paper. You can read the article here. It's super cute! I also copied it below:

POINT BREEZE — They both grew up on farms in Barre, but in the days before school consolidations, Roy and Doris Bannister didn’t get to know each other until they were teen-agers. By 15, Mr. Bannister was smitten. He sent his future wife a letter, but her mother wouldn’t let her answer the note. Bannister didn’t give up. He married the former Doris Nesbitt on Sept. 14, 1940. In 70 years of marriage, they have raised seven children and welcomed 40 grandkids and 16 great-grandchildren – so far. Their calendar is chock full of birthday listings and other events for their big family. One of their granddaughters is getting married this Saturday. “She keeps track of everything,” Bannister said about his wife. He praised her for her commitment over seven decades. The family also has noticed, and many of the grandsons have told him they hope they can someday find a wife like their grandma. “They all think she is quite a lady,” Mr. Bannister said Tuesday at his Point Breeze home on Route 98. Mrs. Bannister, 92, every fall completes a marathon canning effort. She typically cans 100 quarts of applesauce. This year she is adding pickles to the mix. She gives them as presents. “I love the grandkids and all the greats,” she said about the family. Her husband, 91, served two years in the Navy during World War II. Then he was a farm manager in the Adirondacks before he started a career as an agricultural teacher. He worked at Holland, Roy-Hart, Lyndonville and Hilton. In 1958, the Bannisters moved to Point Breeze, where they raised beef cattle and grew fruit. The farm today is run by their son Roger, the youngest of the seven children. His father still drives truck for the farm, hauling 10-ton loads of apples to packing houses in Gaines and in Niagara County. Bannister said his wife has supported his career, and some of his side pursuits, including his late development as an artist. Bannister for about 20 years painted pictures of peoples’ houses. He traveled to shows in 23 states. His wife said her husband’s skill with the paint brush is amazing. But she disapproved of some of his adventures, including his decision to go sky-diving at age 77. “I didn’t support him in that,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about it.” Bannister said the experience of jumping out of the plane and falling to the ground “wasn’t fun at all. It was all wind.” He prefers the roller-coasters at Darien Lake. The Bannisters said they are fortunate to remain in good health. Mrs. Bannister also said her Christian faith has helped keep the marriage strong. She and her husband return to the place of their wedding, the West Barre United Methodist Church, for many of their anniversaries. “When you take that vow, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, I meant that,” she said. Lynn Sue Pierce of Batavia said her parents should serve as an inspiration. “They grew up in a generation when people didn’t divorce easily,” she said. “You stuck together, even in hard times. Everybody goes through hard times, every marriage goes through hard times, and when you do, you keep going.”

Here's some of my favorite photos of/with them:

Gram & I doing the grass squeaking trick

Gram & Gramps in 2008 at Uncle Bobs

Christmas 2009 when Gramps painted the "love shack" where we used to live