At the age of 108, a man met his great-great-grandson. This memorable moment meant everything to him, and he was honored to learn that the baby was named after him.
In 2018, Esmond Allcock was well on his way to becoming Canada’s oldest resident. Born in 1910, this husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather lived a long and full life. His family was important to him, and he tried to keep in touch with everyone.
Jenna Lehne named her son Esmond after her great-grandfather. He was a constant presence in her life for three decades. So few children have the privilege of meeting their great-grandparents, little Esmond had that chance.
THE BABY WAS NAMED AFTER HIM
Ms Lehne recalled her great-grandfather helping her crawl when she told him she wanted to go “walking”. When he heard the news that she was expecting her first child, he shared it with friends and family. He was proud and excited.
When she told him she was expecting another son, he mentioned something unexpected. He told his wife that none of his 71 descendants were named after him. Ms Lehne and her husband immediately decided that their second son would be named after her.
Esmond Allcock says the secret to living 108 years is to select the proper spouse: https://t.co/Ict0M4KJbN #yqr #sask #yxe #skhealth #cdnhealth #happywifehappylife pic.twitter.com/fggiEMc5h3
— CBC Saskatchewan (@CBCSask) January 30, 2018
A VERY SPECIAL MOMENT
As soon as she could, Mrs Lehne took the newborn to meet his great-grandfather. The meeting did not go as planned. She says: “When we arrived, he wasn’t sure who I was. He knew who my grandparents were, but he wasn’t very sure of me.
Despite this, he couldn’t take his eyes off baby Esmond and enjoyed holding the little one in his arms. In the middle of their visit, he suddenly remembered that Lehne was the little girl he used to “walk” with. It was a special moment for her.
BABY AND GRANDFATHER BONDED
The bond between Esmond Senior and Esmond Junior made the family visit even more memorable. They were inseparable, and the great-grandfather was moved when he interacted with the newcomer to his family.
He kept saying, “You don’t know what this means to me.” It also meant a lot to Ms Lehne, who said she was blessed to still have her in her life. She added that he regularly inquired about the baby and wanted to hear from him.
THE REACTION OF INTERNET USERS
Lehne said: “As soon as the snow has melted, we will be on our way to visit him again. It will be great-great-grandfather Esmond, little Ez, and the girl who will go for a walk. The story also touched netizens.
One wrote: “A lovely bond and a touching story”. Others described the meeting as sweet and expressed, “I miss my grandfather.” Another commenter said: “I know he was honoured.” For Esmond Senior, it was a moment he will never forget.
