Thursday, October 8, 2015

Life Story of Donald Richard Sullivan - "Grampa Dick"

In a stack of papers, I found the life story that Dad read at Grampa Dick's funeral. I didn't know how much our older kids remember about Grampa Dick, and I doubt the younger ones remember much, but I thought I would share this with you, since he was a big part of your lives.]


"Donald Richard Sullivan, known through his life as Dick, was born October 8, 1925 in Alma, Michigan. His parents were Elinor Bennet Sullivan and Daniel Ross Sullivan. Dick had a twin brother, Ronald Arthur, who died on the day of their birth, and his mother died the following day. Elinor was born in Northern Ireland and came to America when she was about two years of age. The Sullivan's arrived in America in about 1829.

Until the age of six, Dick was raised in town by his loving grandmother and grandfather. When school started, he went to live on the farm with his father, and his stepmother, Hazel. Dick enjoyed growing up on the farm. Farming later became a passion of his. He attended a one room schoolhouse where he remembered that the woman teacher would join in during the ball games the the girls could hit the balls as hard as the boys.

His high school years were in Alma. He was a good athlete but, needing money, he went to work instead of playing on any sports team.

He worked in the butcher shop of the grocery store where every Wednesday he would have to go to the basement to clean the chickens. Not the best job.

World War II was on, and after high school, he joined the Navy. After Basic Training at Great Lakes, Illinois, he was assigned to Cook and Bakers School. One of the stories he told was the guys were fooling around and they picked him and and threw him in the steam table where they were thawing fish. He had a horrible..."


That is all I had on the paper. Other pages are missing. You have that much, and if and when I locate more, you will have more. 


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