For Harold and Mildred

I often post about my immigrant background, especially as it relates to work (La Casa) and my dad's side of the family. Well the past two weeks I thought a lot about Harold and Mildred, my mom's parents.

My grandpa owned Coates Tire in Saginaw, MI. He never even started high school, was a military vet who worked hard in a tough industry... working on cars. It was one of the ways him and I connected, I loved cars and he worked on them, and always look back and wish I had spent more time with him talking cars. 

Last month I joined the Board of Trustees for the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, IN. I remember when I told my grandpa I was moving to South Bend he cracked a joke about something Studebaker and that he never liked working on them or something... but anyhow at our big Concours Show last week one of the guys there showing off his car reminded me of grandpa. My mom would tell stories of how proud grandpa would be when he got his first new new car, and made them all go for a drive. 

My grandpa taught me to give people a shot. To learn to explain things to people in ways that make sense to them. He taught me loyalty, taught me to always be respectful, and that no matter what happens, there is always a solution. He never finished school, so I think something he felt like he wasn't as "smart" as us grandkids with fancy college degrees. We all knew he was smarter than us all put together. He never found a challenge he couldn't best, and monthly during college, my grandpa who couldn't of afforded to go to college himself, sent me pizza money. 

My grandma worked as a teller with a local savings and loan. When we first moved to the states, my older brother and I lived with my grandparents. It was a few blocks from her job, and my grandma diligently got us ready for school and headed off to her office. She was a proud professional and heading to work reinforced to us kids that greatest generation work ethic they were known for. I remember it was years later, that my mom wrote reflecting on her life growing up, and it included the news article of my grandma being robbed at gun point as a teller! As a board member today of a large credit union (NDFCU) I think about grandma when we talk about staff security and how we treat our employees and the pride our staff have of a hard days working helping people out financially. 

I had the pleasure of having all four grandparents growing up. I don't get to Saginaw, MI as often as I would like, but when I do I usually drive by where Coates Tire was... I often compare South Bend's automotive past to my hometown with its General Motors past. 

So this blog is a shout out to my American roots, to Harold and Mildred from Saginaw, MI. They were my first roof in this country, they were my first ride to school, and I hope that I continue to honor what they taught me today through my work and actions. Love you two, miss you. 

Past blog about grandpa: Greatest Grandpa Harold 
Past blog about grandma: Lessons from Grandma Millie