Childhood Years

I received the letter from my great aunt Mary Jane in the mail yesterday. I was able to learn some things about my grandpa's childhood.

My great aunt described my grandpa as "dependable" and "easy going." He was cute with red hair and freckles. His parents taught him and his siblings faith in Jesus Christ, responsibility, and a strong work ethic.

My grandpa enjoyed playing the outdoor games baseball, croquet, kick the tin can. I can personally say "kick the can" is super fun, as I remember playing that with my second cousin during one of the many times I visited Pennsylvania. My grandpa also enjoyed table games like Monopoly in the winter months. He also liked spending his Sunday afternoon with his father.

Growing up, Grandpa helped out with all the farm chores--feeding the steers, collecting eggs, and feeding the chicken and pigs. He also helped grow crops and take care of two large gardens. In addition, he took part in the yearly butchering of one steer and two pigs. Grandpa enjoyed school and got good grades, though he had to drop out in 9th grade because his father wanted him to work on a farm; my grandpa worked on a dairy farm and on his family's farm as well.

My grandpa still wanted to finish high school. Later, he earned his GED and went to nursing school after he married. My great aunt Mary Jane wrote, "I think his interest in nursing was sparked by serving '1W' time in Boston, rather than going to the military, when drafted."

Something interesting and cute I learned is that when she was a freshman, Mary Jane was the "mail girl," delivering the letters that my grandpa and grandma wrote to one another when my grandma was a senior at Ephrata High.

Old Photographs

Here are some old photographs I found of my grandpa.


Here he is in the yellow shirt. The other men are two of his brothers. (Photo credits to Uncle John)

Here was a setup (at his funeral) of some old family photos.

Here I am sitting on my Grandpa's lap for a photo taken at my maternal great grandmother's funeral.

Here is a (somewhat) selfie of my grandpa, circa Christmas 2008 when he and my grandma visited us. He took this with an actual camera though. 

Part II

My research is all but complete. I am currently still waiting on the letter from my great aunt Mary Jane (Grandpa's sister) so I can document my grandfather's childhood. Though I do not have this information yet, I know he was born October 13, 1945. I was able to learn more about my grandpa by email-interviewing my grandma.

He and my grandma had their first date in 1963 and were married June 5, 1965. For their first two years of marriage, both of my grandparents worked at the New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, where my Uncle John was born. After that, they moved to New Holland, PA, soon moving back home to Ephrata, PA. My grandfather also became the father of another son, Jeffrey, and two daughters, Joanna and Janella. My Grandma says he was a great dad and loved taking care of babies and children (theirs and in general), an "inherited trait" from his grandfather. Grandpa also instilled respect in his children. He loved my grandma very much, and at one point asked her, "Is it possible to love you too much?" 

From my Grandma's interview, I can truly see my grandfather was a hard worker. Before he married, Grandpa had to drop out of school to work. He worked on a dairy farm and on his own farm, and he also worked as a cashier at Hollinger's Market as well as at a shoe factory. After returning from Boston, he became a truck driver, delivering limestone. He went to nursing school in 1974, got his GED, and became an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse, or LVN) in 1976. He worked at West Reading Hospital for almost 9 and 1/2 years, but left to find a better paying job to support his children starting college; he went back to truck driving. Eventually he returned to nursing, his passion; his last job was at Helping Hands, a day care for children with health problems. There, "Papa John" was loved by all. 

Grandpa loved music and singing, playing games, coin collecting, and traveling. He and my grandma visited Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, France, Japan, Israel, Canada, and Mexico (when they visited us in Texas). However, the majority of their international travel was after their children were grown. Grandpa also spread his warmth and care when they hosted more than 50 international students. 

As most of his life was spend in Ephrata, PA, there were several community and area events that occurred during his lifetime. One was the Ephrata Farmshow, which occurs every year for the entire third week of September. There, he entered his crops in the crop exhibition, often placing 1-3 and bringing home prize money; he was known for his tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, and Indian corn. Another significant event that occurred during my grandfather's lifetime was the Three Mile Island nuclear emergency. This occurred in Middletown, PA on the Susquehanna River, about an hour from Ephrata. A partial nuclear core meltdown of TMI's Unit 2 reactor occurred due to equipment failure. My grandpa and his family were frightened just like everyone else in the area, relying on news from the radio since they were Mennonite and did not have TV. It is important to also mention the historical and cultural milieu. Ephrata is a small town located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was originally home to the Ephrata Cloister, a religious community founded by German Conrad Beissel. Ephrata has not changed dramatically from the 1970s to present; much of it remains the same. There are many Mennonites and Amish people, and the population is largely homogeneous (mostly white of Swiss or German descent). It is home to farmland and small businesses, and it has only one high school. 

Family Tree

Here is a family tree. You will find my grandfather, John Ronald Schnupp, along with his wife Edith Schnupp and their children. You will also see my grandfather's parents and grandparents. The black stripe in the corner indicates the person is deceased. 

The Caregiver

New England Baptist Hospital (NEBH) provides orthopedic surgery and treatment for musculoskeletal diseases. It is nationally recognized as one of the nation's top hospitals for orthopedics and has ranked in the 95th percentile. For the past seven years, NEBH has received the Press Ganey Summit Award for its high customer satisfaction. In addition, it is also affiliated educationally with Tufts University School of Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health, and Harvard Medical School.  

What does this have to do with my grandpa? Well, before New England Baptist Hospital became the prestigious and premier medical hospital it is today, it was originally a small and poor hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. It was there that my grandpa served his country in an unconventional yet significant way.

Being raised Mennonite and a pacifist, Grandpa could not fight in the Vietnam War. The Mennonites were given alternative choices for service instead of being enlisted in the military. Shortly after Grandpa married my grandmother in Pennsylvania (where they both grew up), they moved to Boston, Massachusetts. There, he served a two year term for the New England Baptist Hospital. Classified as "1W," he worked as an orderly in the operating room. My grandmother also served a two year term as a ward aid.

The 1W men were under the supervision of Mr. Booth, a retired military personnel. Because of this fact, the 1W men were intimidated by Mr. Booth, fearing harsh treatment. However, the men were God-serving farm boys, and their commitment to their work won the supervisor's respect. Oddly enough, even after Grandpa and Grandma returned home to Pennsylvania, Mr. Booth's respectful admiration and friendship continued. My mom recounts Mr. Booth visiting periodically during her childhood and teenage years.

Childhood Research

I am at the beginning phase of my "research" about Grandpa. 

Today, I am sending out a letter to my great aunt Mary Jane Schnupp, Grandpa's sister, in Pennsylvania. She is Mennonite (plain) and does not to use email, Skype, computers, ect. Therefore, I gladly wrote a good old-fashioned letter to her, giving her some interview-like questions to answer concerning my grandfather's childhood. As his younger and only sister and one of his few siblings still alive today, I know she will be able to give me valuable and insightful information. Her views and willingness to share are greatly appreciated, and I am very grateful for that. 

I am also currently working on a family tree. I enjoy the progress and being able to see how my family has "branched out" to be what it is today.

All in all, this has been a truly enriching experience so far. I look forward to continuing my research. I plan to learn more about my grandfather's married adult life through my grandmother.