December 2 to 4

December 2 : on that day in 1973, in the afternoon, my paternal grandmother Rosalia Margaretha Ravijst (Margriet) died in the university hospital in Ghent. She was the last of my grandparents to pass away. She had been born in Meerbeke on March 20 1892. She had a strong character and has suffered bad health most of her life.

December 4 1953 : as stated in previous posts, she survived her husband Pieter Jozef Timmermans (Pieje uit 't Schalkom) by 20 years, almost to the day. My grandfather passed away much too soon in Ninove in the evening of December 4 1953. He had been born in Meerbeke on August 18 1886. He was a strong and very gentle, compassionate man. He worked until the day he was admitted to hospital, a couple of weeks before his death.

They had seven children, five of whom lived to be adults. My father was their second child and their first son.

I have very clear and vivid memories of both of them. I wrote about them in previous posts. How time flies !

December 3 1940 : in the afternoon of that day, their first grandchild (a boy) was born in his parent's house in Okegem.