December 4 1953

Fifty-four years ago my grandfather Pieter Jozef Timmermans died in a hospital in Ninove. He had been sick for a relatively short time because in August he still appeared well to do.

I remember the trip to Meerbeke after we heard he was dying - a neighour drove us because we didn't have a car yet. I remember the chilly and very foggy weather. I remember that we waited in my grandfather's house and that we were unbolstering the last harvest of corn he had sown, when my father came back with the message that his father had passed away.

I never forgot that we children were not allowed to see the deceased. Our parents were trying to spare us, but up to now I think that was a wrong decision ... we never could say goodbye to a dearly beloved person.

There is not much more to tell : most of my memories have been written down in previous posts of this blog - the most recent being "December 2 1973" ; and see "16 Augustus 1886".