1

Writing Prompt #4 Genealogy Project

UWRT 1104-002

Austin Beck

Prof. Lynn Raymond

 2

Writing Prompt #4 Genealogy Project

My pawpaw Jim also known as James W. Beck is a colorful figure to me he is different

from other grandfathers. He was always rough around the edges and wasn't very good with

telling people how much he cared about them but showed through it by joking but he would tell

you if he didn't like you. For him family always came first and then his church then cooking. He

proudly served in the United States Navy for twenty years and through both the Korean and

Vietnam wars. During his time in the Navy he was stationed on numerous ships and went all over

the world. He was the ships flagman he would put multiple flags up to signal messages to other

ships when they were on radio silence which is when they couldn't use the radio because it would

give there position away. The twenty years he served really shaped the man that he was, also his

pride for our country and adventure for travel. He was a clean shaven man with some wrinkled

spots and freckles along his body caused from the beating sun while he was in the Navy not

above five foot and ten inches grey hair and a bald spot on the crown of his head had the heart of

a twenty five year old but the body of an eighty-two year old and also a tattoo of the cartoon

character Popeye on his right shoulder. After his retirement from the Navy he worked at Western

auto for twenty years before retiring for good. He would then play a more dominate role in

family events such as fourth of July and Christmas always in charge of the family get togethers

also having a more active role in Church joining the choir and also teaching Sunday school

classes and finally his love for cooking for events, family, and in just general cooking. He loved

to travel and traveled to all of the states including Hawaii and Alaska, he also went to many

European countries and to the United Kingdom and also countries in South America the coolest

adventure was to Israel where he went to the Holy land. But his all time favorite trip was his
 3

route sixty-six trip where they drove across most of the United States. Sadly he passed away on

October 29th, 2016.