Italian Grandfather

Grandpa and Grandma Rich came from Italy through Ellis Island, then settled in Northern Minnesota. After their first daughter was born, they moved to Duluth. My Mother in Law, Aunts, Bob and his sister all talk so fondly of both of them. They especially talk about how, for her time, Grandma Rich was an excellent businesswomen. She was very smart and very savvy in running a business, a household and a family.

His grandparents owned and ran a neighborhood grocery store, specializing in Italian foods. It was just down the street from their home. His Grandmother is the one who ran the store.
Grandpa sold lumber. He would often tear down places that needed to be torn down and bring home the wood and cut it into lumber for re-sale.

Bob tells that Grandpa Rich was the “head of the family” and ruled the roost. He was firm in his parenting, a disciplinarian, and what he said went. I was surprised to hear that because his Mother always told me that her father had the soft heart and that her Mother “ruled the roost” and ruled with an iron fist. That is why, when her marriage was “arranged”, and she did not want to marry, she pleaded with her Father to talk with her Mother on her behalf. She told me that he did, but that Mother ruled, so she had to marry a man she did not want to marry. (Someday, I will write about that). So, I guess, they both were firm, and Grandpa had a soft heart, but didn’t want to show it, like so many men back then, especially, Italian men. Bob’s sister says that though he tried, he could never change Grandma’s mind, she was very strong and always got what she wanted.

He was of small stature and wasn’t more than 5 feet. He spoke broken English. I only have one or two photos of them, and sometime when I get them scanned I will post their photo.
Bob remembers all the big family dinners, with Grandpa sitting at the head of the table.
Bob says, he sat at the head of the table, if he said “quiet” it would be so quiet you’d hear a pin drop. His sister told me that he always wore a hat, always, even in the house. So, if he ever took his hat off and threw it down, “you’d better run” because someone was in trouble!

His Grandpa died when Bob was in grade school. My Mother in law told us that when her Mother died, her sister from Maryland came for the funeral. Her Father told her not to go back home to Maryland, that she was to stay until fall (4 months later), because then she would be home for his funeral! Aunt Louisa granted his request and stayed, and sure enough four months later, he passed away. We’ll never know if he really had a “premonition” or if he "willed" himself to die, due to the grief of losing his wife and loneliness.