3.30.2010


Blogger tells me I haven't been on this thing since January 20th. Some start this year is off to.

I suppose in my last post I wrote my update up to the point of something that's a bit difficult to write about, in that I don't really feel I could do it justice.

My grandfather, Dr. J. Paul Schweinfurth, died January 7th, 2010. I'm posting the obit text here under the passing thought that perhaps my blog will survive online longer than the newspaper's archives:

Dr. J. Paul Schweinfurth of Nevada City died Thursday, January 7, in Grass Valley. He was 87.

A service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, at Calvary Bible Church, Grass Valley.

He was born Dec. 17, 1922, in Sandusky, Ohio, to William and Hazel Schweinfurth.

He attended Wheaton College, Northwestern University Medical School and the Mayo Clinic. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

He married Marjorie “Marge” Brouwer on Sept. 25, 1947, in Chicago.

Dr. Schweinfurth was a neurologic surgeon in private practice in Loichita, Kansas and Santa Barbara. He was a certified board member of Neurologic Surgery, Harvey Cushing Society and the Mayo Clinic Alumni. He enjoyed reading, bird watching and cooking.

He is survived by his wife, Marge Schweinfurth of Nevada City; children, Susie Culkin of Reno, Nev., Annie Knowles of Sacramento, and Jim Schweinfurth of Portland, Ore., brother, Joe Schweinfurth of Portland, Or.; 10 grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Dr. Schweinfurth was preceded in death by his parents, William and Hazel Schweinfurth; and brother, Henry Schweinfurth.


I loved my grandfather very much, he was kind man, and when I recall my lifetime of experiences with him, I have not a bad memory that I can access in his regard. He was not a perfect man, but he was the best grandfather I could have ever asked for. He read his Bible complete every year, and read voraciously outside of that as well. He was a good man, the type that I can only hope to imitate some day. I am thankful for the days I was able to be with him before he left us here, behind.

We called him "Grandie."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

um, that was gwyn, btw. it didn't give me a prompt to actually put my info in there.

Anonymous said...

i'm sorry you lost someone you loved, david. if you ever want to tell me stories about him, it sounds like you've probably got some good ones, and i would be happy to listen.

Katie said...

nice job updating your blog ;) And, im so sorry to hear about your grandpa...sounds like he was an amazing man.

Unknown said...

Hi David,
I am so very sorry to hear about your grandfather Paul's death.I knew him years ago in Wichita. I was your mom and Susie's baby-sitter. I finally today googled Paul because we did not hear from Marge this past Christmas; I suspected Paul was very sick. I'm sure you have not heard of us, neigbbors in Wichita. My name is Vicki and my sisters were best friends of Susie and Annie - Cindy and Kathy. My parents Bob and Peggy were close to your grandparents too. I am a nurse and often have wondered if Marge and Paul were my inspiration. Deepest sympathy to your family.-Vicki

Mary Michela said...

I happened to be searching for a way to get some old medical records today, and found your site. Your Grandfather saved my life back in 1975 when I went in for surgery on a brain tumor. I was not expected to survive. After I made it through, it was expected that I would not last 6 months. It's 35 years later. I was only 12 years old, and I don't remember much about him, except that he was very kind to me, and I wasn't scared at all. I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.