Project Proposal
The Story of my Grandfather and Great-Grandfather
My Grandfather
My grandfather, Robert Ross left his home in Kenton County, Kentucky at the age of 14 to fulfill his dreams of becoming a cowboy out west. His journey took him from Kentucky to Texas and then to California, a journey of 2,300 miles. He worked odd jobs to support himself throughout the journey. His idealistic view of what he had set out to do was soon shattered after he found out that he was too young to legally hold any kind of job. He had left home because of the isolation he felt from his father and the thirst for adventure most feel but few pursue.
The man now seems old, tired and content. Everything in his life now seems perfectly curated to be stable and safe. When I hear about his incredible adventures its always strange, because the man I see before me now seems anything but adventurous. Keeping those stories in mind while he comically rambles on about the nearly infinite amount of TV channels he has at his disposal makes me laugh quietly to myself. The man is now 82 and he looks it, but there is an old spark that comes out every now and then to surprise. He is incredibly quick witted and the quips he comes up with are astonishingly intelligent and delivered instantly after the comment that prompted them. He is an incredible story teller and is aided in this by the fact that the stories he has to tell are actually interesting. I remember the last time we visited he stood up to demonstrate part of a story and we all watched on in surprise and slight concern as he swung his arms around the room looking like a young man. He is wonderful to be around, but there is always a hint of tragedy. I think this is illustrated by my favorite story he has told. He was a young man and was at one of his friend’s house when they decided to lead him into the basement. His friend’s family members watched on as he was led down the stairs into the dark. He could hear slight chuckling from them as if there was a joke being played that he was not in on. All of a sudden he felt something latch on to his head with tiny hands. He could hear the family laughing uproariously as he was attacked. His reflexes caused him to wrench it off. This is where when he was telling the story he stood up out of his chair to demonstrate slinging the attacking monster into a nearby concrete wall. The creature hit the wall with a crack and crumpled to the floor stone cold dead. It was the family’s pet raccoon.
I always thought this story was hysterical, although I felt kind of bad for the raccoon. As everyone was laughing after this most recent retelling he gave some additional information. He told us that it was his first time going to a friend’s house and he was ten years old. His mother punished him for it and he stopped being friends with the boy who invited him over and his family. This wasn’t some great tragedy, but I think it illustrates how there is a humor about him but also a sadness.
My Great-Grandfather
Two hundred and twenty-five people from the Kentucky county of Kenton died in World War II. Robert Holman Ross watched as the local boys returned home in flag draped boxes. He decided that he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t go as well, and in 1942 Robert Holman Ross enlisted in the US Army at the age of 33. He was leaving his wife Jennette B. Ross and his two children Jennette and Robert at home.
After returning home from the war Robert H. Ross didn’t have much to say about his experiences. I was able to learn a small amount about his time in the war from my grandpa. My grandpa was only able to learn about his time in the war when he was drunk. He served as a scout in his army unit and was affectionately referred to as “Pops”, because of his relatively old age. He was known in his unit for his incredible ability to get out of trouble and avoid danger, because of this there were two Native Americans that followed him around. They believed he had luck they could share in if they were with him. One day when he was scouting in France when he came upon a German scout and saw him duck down behind a tree. He quickly took his rifle and aimed it at the place the German soldiers head would be if he peaked out. He was full of adrenaline in a situation where he had to maintain precision and focus. After what probably felt like an enormous amount of time the German did peak his head out and Robert fired. The round went through the soldier’s head and killed him. The tension was released and upon realizing he had just successfully killed an enemy he felt excited and accomplished. Those feelings quickly dissipated after he went to check the body of his enemy and saw nothing but a young man. The same kind whose deaths had caused him to join the military in the first place. Over his time in the military he killed nine people. That fact stuck with him for the rest of his life. He would guiltily talk about it while intoxicated and during confessions at his church. His house after the war had several gold-plated crucifixes. Robert Ross was a Catholic. He spent a lot of time talking with God and asking for forgiveness. The plating on the crucifixes was worn down from him touching them so often.
Their Relationship
My grandpa returned home from his failed attempt at being a cowboy after being gone without an explanation for six months. He expected his father to be angry with him, but after he walked through the door all his Dad had to say was that he was happy he was home.
My grandpa and his father had a lot of struggles in their relationship when my grandpa was growing up. These were caused by my great-grandfathers experience in World War II and his reaction to those events. They led to a lot of pressure being put on my grandpa. His father was an alcoholic for a time and that really put a lot of strain on their relationship. As my grandpa grew up he learned to understand and sympathize with his father. My great-grandfather also struggled with his past but was able to improve as he learned too. Them growing as people led them to have a better relationship when they were both older. My grandpa said they were the best of friends at an older age.
Roots and Routes
The family members on my father’s side are from Germany, Scotland, England and France. They were from the cities of Baden-Wuertemberg, Germany and Alsace, France My ancestors from Germany and France left their countries at around the same year which was 1850. Members of my great-great-grandmother’s family made their way to the Virginia colony in the 1760s and 1770s, and others made their way to North Carolina in the 1780s. They lived in places all over the colonies. They lived in Maine, Mississippi, South Carolina and Virginia. Many eventually found their way to Kentucky starting at the year 1800. Some coming from the East Coast and others coming back from Kansas. For around 150 years they were farmers in that same area in Covington right next to the border between Kentucky and Ohio. My great-grandfather Robert Holman Ross left his son 25 acres of land in that area.
Purpose
The purpose of my family history project is to learn more about my family and their background, but with a specific focus on my great-grandfather and grandpa. I believe their lives have a great relevance to me and will be able to help me learn about myself. I also believe their relationship and stories would be able to teach anyone.
Bibliography
“WWII Army Casualties: Kentucky.“ National Archives. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, 16 August 2016. Web. 16 September 2018.
“Census Records.“ National Archives. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, 24 May 2018. Web. 16 September 2018.
