Layla on Family Tree Circles

My grandparents' generation is the first generation I can speak about without dealing with living people. My grandfather, Raymond Paul Abbott, died in 1987. As far as I know he died of natural causes, old age.

Many of my cousins were a bit frightened of grandpa since he sometimes seemed gruff and possibly strict or out of touch with kids. One of grandpa's main problems was a lack of childhood of his own and raising his four kids plus heaps of children belonging to others. He had numerous nieces and nephews who lived with him over the years--seven at a time. He also looked after grandchildren and grand nieces and nephews well into his old age.

During years when Raymond Abbott should have been living with his parents, he was living with other relatives. I don't know why. He was not the youngest child in the family and left somewhere after his mother died.

Grandpa's full name was Raymond Paul Abbott. He was born 12 Jul 1893 in Purcell, Oklahoma USA. He died 26 Nov 1984 in Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon, USA.

His father was William Ignatius Abbott (1855 ? 1940).
His mother was Jeannie Robertson (1864 -- 1899).
His siblings were:
Ernestine Welsh Abbott 1885 ? 1972
William Edgar Abbott 1887 ? 1974
Grace Winifred Abbott 1891 ?
(Raymond Paul Abbott 1893 ? 1984)
Annetta Abbott twin 1896 ?
Ellen Abbott twin 1896--

Grandpa walked with a limp all the time I knew him until late in life he got a knee replacement. I heard that he was a passenger on a motorbike when the driver decided to race a train to the crossing. The train won. I have no idea if this is an accurate tale of what happened.

I also heard that grandpa was a surveyor's assistant when Crater Lake was being surveyed. One evening after work four young workers decided to run full tilt down the crater and jump in the lake. Grandpa did not advise that anyone do that in the future. For one thing the lake is very deep very fast, a lot deeper than the four young men expected. They also found the water was only about a degree above freezing.

I could go on for hours and hours about Grandpa Abbott. But this is all for today.