52 Weeks – Week Eleven

Flowers – Sort Of…

I have to admit, I found little inspiration this week’s theme for the 52 Ancestors Challenge. My eldest suggested that I write about my Mayflower ancestor, but it’s not really a topic that speaks to me. While I know it’s a goal for many to find Mayflower ancestors, it wasn’t mine. I was underwhelmed and, somehow, strangely disappointed when I discovered I had a Mayflower ancestor.

As for literal flowers, from a family history point of view, I will acknowledge that when I think about it, they do remind me of each of my grandfathers.

My maternal grandfather, Leo Burgess, had a garden that took up most of half his back yard. While he might have grown other things, my strongest memory is that every year he planted mostly potatoes. One year, when I was little, there was a bee shortage. My grandfather spent many hours going from flower to flower of each potato plant, dabbing them gently with a small paintbrush to pollenate them.

My paternal grandfather, Adrianus “Arie” van der Fluit, was an avid gardener. In his retirement, he removed all the grass from his front yard and replaced it with flower beds.

While there are photos of each of my grandfather’s gardens, I don’t happen to have any handy. However, while looking, I came across photos of my paternal grandfather showing him with something that I associate more strongly with him than flowers – dogs.

My grandfather started training dogs at a young age, when he was still in the Netherlands. It was something he continued to do after coming to Canada. In the 50s or 60s he even trained dogs for the police. As long as I can remember, my grandfather always had at least one dog, usually a German shepherd. My favourite was Sheba, the first dog of his that I’m able to remember.

In my lifetime, my grandfather always had German shepherds until I was in my mid to late 20s. Around that time he and my grandmother moved into an apartment. They were near the top floor. One day my mother told me that he had gotten a Bouvier. I had never heard of the breed before. From the sound of the name and because my grandfather had moved into an apartment, I figured it was some sort of small or toy breed.

Imagine my surprise when I first visited my grandfather after he acquired the dog and I saw how huge it was. My grandfather had turned the entire balcony – which was quite large – into a kennel. They lived next to a huge park, which was helpful. However, my grandfather quickly found more space for the dog. The building was largely unfinished at the ground level with large windows, balcony-style doors, and lots of natural light. My grandfather got permission to house the dog in there. Given the inch, he soon had a menagerie down there – along with many planters of flowers.

My grandparents later moved into a house in a small farm town. It had a huge back yard for dogs. My grandfather set up a huge obstacle course for them. He kept training dogs – even after losing his foot due to complications associated with diabetes – until he passed away at age 79. The last time I visited my grandfather before he passed away, he showed me his latest dog, putting it through its paces along the course. Doggone it, I was impressed, both with the dog’s training and with the fact my grandfather was still able to do what he loved, despite his age and health.