This is Mr. Esmond Allcock. He came into the world in 1910, not far from the town of Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan.
He turned 108 times old on January 26 and is officially the oldest man in Canada. He’s been a hubby to one woman, a father to six children, a forefather to 17, a great- forefather to 36, and a great-great- forefather to 12.
Courtesy of Jenna Lehne
He’s also my great- forefather. I named my son after him. While numerous people only have faint recollections of their great- grandparents, I’ve had the blessing of having mine in my life for over 30 times.
One story he always tells is from when I was a toddler. I was just learning to walk and I’d crawl up to him and say, “ Walk Walk. ” He’d take my hands and walk me around the room, over and over again. As I got aged, he used to call me his little chum.
Courtesy of Jenna Lehne
When I set up out I was pregnant with my first son, he got so agitated he called all his children to advertise it. Later on, while I was pregnant with my second child, he told my grandma that none of his 71 descendants had ever named a child after him.
That’s when my hubby and I decided. We had formerly planned to choose a family name, and hail that made our choice clear.
Courtesy of Jenna Lehne
Our son Esmond was born on January 11, 2017 — nearly 107 times after his great-great- forefather. When the snow melted, I packed up the baby and drove to the coming fiefdom to introduce the two of them. At first, my great- forefather didn’t fete me. He flashed back my grandparents, but not me. I reminded him, but it didn’t really count he was fully taken with baby Esmond.
Courtesy of Jenna Lehne
also, half through the visit, it clicked. He turned to me with a gentle smile and said, “You’re the one they call the Walk Walk girl.”
He cradled my baby gently, pressing a tender kiss to his tiny head as he kept repeating, “You have no idea how much this means to me.” I don’t think I’ll ever find the right words to say how deeply it touched me, too.
Courtesy of Jenna Lehne
It’s been a many months since we last saw him, but he always asks my grandma how little Esmond is doing. She sends him prints and updates. When the snow melts, we’ll make another trip out there. It was just my great-great-grandpa Esmond, baby Ez, and the youngest one we all lovingly called the “Walk Walk” girl.
