Day 8

My grandfather loved to garden, I like to believe that what we have done with our garden would bring him joy. He also loved birds, he himself had an African Grey whom he loved. We have two parakeets which I'm sure he would have adored.

Day 7

Yesterday I interviewed my mother & found out some personal information. I am posting this today due to difficulties trying to upload.

Day 6

After speaking with my aunt who currently lives in Maine, I was able to get a picture of my Grandfather's grave. I'm very happy to know it is being kept very clean & visited often.

Day 5

Today, while doing more research, I still have not found a picture of my Grandfather's grave stone or obituary. After asking my mother, I found out that the man in charge at the time had done away with paper documentation of the people that died. There was no obituary in the paper of my Grandfather, nor anyone else that died. I went online & found two websites that showed a version of his obituary. The first screenshot is the real documentation of his death from military records. The other is a documentation done by a friend or relative on a common website.

Day 4

This is the third photo my mother gave to me. It shows him when he came home for his 3 day pass from the Navy, at the age of 18 years old, to see his mother, Gold Schneider, in Marysville Kansas on May 7, 1957; 2 years after he joined. The picture was taken by Edington Studio.

May 7, 1957. 3 day pass back home.

Day 3

This is the second photo my mother gave to me. This is of Grandfather Valentine when he was 16 years old, joining the Navy. The reason he joined the Navy was because he did not want to be a farmer. In Beattie Kansas, the only options at the time were to become a farmer, or join a branch of the military. He chose the Navy specifically because he loved to be around the water. This element was the one that he was most drawn to. 

Richard Valentine Schneider the day he joined the Navy at 16 years old. 

Day 2

Tonight my mother gave me 3 photos of Grandpa Valentine. The first one is of Grandpa when he was 16 years old. This is his graduation picture. He ended his schooling at the 8th grade. He never had a high school education until after he was in the Navy. 

Richard Valentine Schneider, 16 years old graduation photo.