I don't remember ever hearing this growing up. I just found out my Great Grandfather topped trees. Mom said "Your Great Grandpa Merritt would be proud of you. He died from a heart attack while topping a tree. That was his job"
That explains a lot...
8)
Here's to my Great Grandfather smiley_beertoast
http://youtu.be/ztWwWjfAScY
:)
As always, enjoyable
Great video and music.
Allan
Thanks for the view of your world. :)
Thanks for sharing, I'd say is proud of you,
Magicman said it all ;) !
Thanks everyone! My mom told me more about my Great Grandfather today "His name was William Louis Merritt, and was your Granny Walls dad. Grandpa usually went by the name of Will to others. He died the day before my 14th birthday, in 1953, from a Coronary Occlusion (heart attack) in a forest located in Port Angeles, Washington, while topping a huge tree. I still remember the knock on our door telling us about his death. He was 57 years young."
I think he would be asking me why I stopped my back-cut so soon on three of those trees. :)
Kind of explains to me where my love for working in the woods comes from. I pretty much learned how to fall trees from reading and research. I never had anyone show me. It's in my blood ;D I will be thinking about him when I work in the woods now.
I hope we can find some pictures.
Pictures would be great, I would like to see more of west coast logging. I spent a few years in the bush chasing helicopter logging, I wish I had thought to take a camera.
Quote from: Ruffneck on March 23, 2014, 02:29:04 PM
Thanks everyone! My mom told me more about my Great Grandfather today "His name was William Louis Merritt, and was your Granny Walls dad. Grandpa usually went by the name of Will to others. He died the day before my 14th birthday, in 1953, from a Coronary Occlusion (heart attack) in a forest located in Port Angeles, Washington, while topping a huge tree. I still remember the knock on our door telling us about his death. He was 57 years young."
I think he would be asking me why I stopped my back-cut so soon on three of those trees. :)
Kind of explains to me where my love for working in the woods comes from. I pretty much learned how to fall trees from reading and research. I never had anyone show me. It's in my blood ;D I will be thinking about him when I work in the woods now.
I hope we can find some pictures.
Nice video and loved the song, kinda similar situation.... no one in my family works in the woods other than a small amount of firewooding when I was little, but I love it, still learning by trial and error.. Come to find out my great uncle ran a large logging operation and died of a heart attack. I would still love to find out more about it. Nice mill too;) I just paired my roku box with my laptop and sent your vid right to my TV. ;D
My great grandfather use to haul loads of sawdust from the mill to the power plant in a horse cart. 10 cents per load. This was around 1900, when a dime actual bought something.
I think this is why I like Williams SR and Jr... It's in my blood ;D
Mom "Yes, I think it is in the blood.....your granny Walls' younger brother (Willam, Jr.) who was called Bill, also worked in the woods and later bought a boat and was a commercial fisherman! Yes, I have a photo of your grandfather Merritt and his three brothers. They were three strong men and tall. Reminds me of you and your three brothers. I'm writing about them, coincidentally!!! My favorite things are to refinish furniture....design, build and organize houses. Hmmm, something about the trees!?! JUST BE SAFE "
Moms :)
Better start asking Mom more questions about the past. Interesting.
Here in this area most of the man that are gone,like my Father,born around the 1920's worked in the woods and the generation before that too was the same. Most so called farm,just a small farm and cut wood in the winter.There is a paper mill only 12 miles away. No tree topping though.
Keep asking questions because those questions will motivate your Mom to remember back and continue to share past experiences with you. I know that recording is a "turn off", but maybe if it is done secretly and then you could write it down later?
There are so many questions that I wish that I could ask. Problem is I did not know the question then and they did not know that I needed the answer.
I very frequently try to tell my Nephew about experiences and details about his Dad that he never knew. (My late Brother).