What would you call him/her?

[Alpo]

Assuming that you had a great-grandparent still alive, what would you call them?

 

My grandgirls were born in 03 and 06. Mama died in 08. La rubia weren't quite two - Mama died a month before her birthday - so she didn't really interact with her. They live in Georgia, and Mama'd only seen her a couple times. But Lobita was five, almost six. She'd met Mama a few times. Called her Grandma. I presume that's 'cause Hazel called her Grandma.

 

Mama told me she was showing pictures of her down at the Star one night, and one of the other women said, "What does she call you?"

 

Mama said, "Grandma", like, "What else would she call me?"

 

My stepkids' Grandma's father was still alive, and they called him PAPA. So there was Grandma and Grandpa and Papa all living in that house.

[Yul Lose]

Nana and Papa.

[Grass Range]

I assume they had proper names

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

The choice is usually ethnically based even if one is 12th generation American.  I was always just a kid and never addressed them, but I think I would have said “uncle John” for my great uncle because that’s what everybody else called him.

[Tyrel Cody]

I am the oldest of the cousins on my mom's side of the family. When I was born all of my mom's family started calling their granny, great-granny; it stuck and that's how everyone referred to her until she died when I was 19 or so.

 

On the other hand, my son is the oldest of my grandmother's great grandchildren and no one has ever called her anything other than mammy; no "great" prefix.

 

 

[Pat Riot]

I barely remember my paternal great grandmother but I do remember calling her "Grandma". I called my grandmother "Nanny". I called my maternal grandmother "Grandma" also. I never knew my maternal great grandmother.

[Trailrider #896]

I was about five or so when my mother's grandmother (my great-grandmother) passed.  We always referred to her as "Grandma B------ (using her last name). We always referred to my grandparents as grandma or grandpa with their last name, or with just the initial of their last name.  My grandchildren call me GrandpaJim and my wife Grand(using her nickname).

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Mam and Sir

[Ramblin Gambler]

Whatever your parents called them.  I never knew any of my great grandmas and grandpas, but my grandmother and grandfather lived to see their great grandkids nearly grow up.  The great grandkids called them 'mum' and 'grandpa' just like all the rest of us. 

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

I did not meet my great grands. My Grandmother, born in 1898, preferred to be called Granny, so we did. No one would dare cross her.

[Blackwater 53393]

My mother is a great grandmother.  My son, Hatfield, has always called her Grandmother.  My own grandkids call me Papa and Schoolmarm is Mimi and they call my mom Grandmother, as do my niece and nephew.  In this case, one size fits all!!

[Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943]

Grandpa and Grandma with one set and Pop Pop and Babushka with the other

[Charlie MacNeil, SASS #48580]

We always called our great grandfather "Grampa"...

[St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905]

We called grand father "grampa" and grand mother "gramma." Most of my friends called their grand moms either Busha or Bobbi or Nana.

 

STL Suomi

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Grandpa & Grandma. Never got to talk with anyone previous to them.