My grandmother never told her age. Ever. When I was a kid, she made it into a game but would never give me enough hints to guess. She said she’d be dead by the time I was 21, but that she would leave a note for me which I could open on my 21st birthday letting me know how old she was. (She didn’t need to – I was nearly 40 by the time she died!) Obviously, my grandmother clearly thought she would die young, and as her own mother was only 61 when she passed away from a heart attack. I can understand – my own mother was only 63 when she died, and now that I’ve reached the half-century mark myself, my own mortality is even more real. So….I decided to do a simple pedigree chart showing my ancestors’ ages at death:
Of course, while I’m pleased to see those who enjoyed extended golden years, like most families, I also have my fair share of ancestors who went to the pearly gates in their 50s and 60s. Analyzing this a bit further, the life expectancy of my grand parents, great grandparents and great-great grandparents looks like this: Continue reading
