A Grandpa Feature

Nov 16, 20106 min read

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Published: Nov 16, 2010

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My grandpa died today. He was one of my heroes. My grandma is my other hero. I'm thankful that he died with dignity and grace which is something he was trying for. He was an amazing person.

I don't know much about his childhood but I do know a lot about him after his teenage years. Along with his father he was one of the prisoners that built the death camp Auschwitz. He survived as well as his only surviving sibling, his sister. After the war he met my grandmother and took her on her first date. Grandpa Bronner was incredibly handsome. He had perfect teeth, black hair, and blue eyes like a movie star. My grandpa had a knack for languages and made money by translating for the Russian soldiers. He managed to get an apartment and helped house many other survivors.

Soon after meeting my grandma they got married. She gave birth to a son. In their area he was the first jewish baby to be born after the war. Some family members sponsored their visa and they immigrated to America. On their trip over they lost their luggage and entered the country with nothing but the clothes on their backs. My grandpa came from a long line of jewelers and it was these skills that helped him survive the war. Some one high up in the camp hired him out and he flattened gold by setting it on the train tracks. He went on to own several jewelry stores (not a chain, just different businesses throughout his lifetime).

I grew up playing with the wax molds and cleaning the showcases. Unfortunately he never taught me the trade. It was dangerous for a kid to stay in the store all day. In that business a robbery is not unusual. Besides being a jeweler he was good at cards. He also loved animals and would get incredibly excited watching Animal Planet. Also, he was very funny and always cracking jokes. He was a lovable, sometimes grouchy, and giving man. I will miss him a lot.