My dad's father (Anton Hesch) was a tall substantial man, probably about 6 feet and 250 pounds, while my mom's father, (Anton Janson) was about 5'7" and thin. He might have weighed 150 pounds...so, in our family, we had a "Big Grandpa", and a "Little Grandpa".
All his life, Little Grandpa wanted to be stronger and healthier than he was. He had poor eyesight, and felt he'd spent his formative years working too hard for "proper development" of his body. When he married, at 33, he was still looking for something that would help make him more fit.
All his life, Little Grandpa wanted to be stronger and healthier than he was. He had poor eyesight, and felt he'd spent his formative years working too hard for "proper development" of his body. When he married, at 33, he was still looking for something that would help make him more fit.
Then, he discovered Physical Culture Magazine by a man named Bernarr MacFadden, who was evangelical about exercise and health food. Grandpa Janson felt that he'd missed getting an education as a child, so he was a 'seeker' as an adult. MacFadden was only one of Grandpa's guiding lights, but mom remembered taking "healthy" brown bread to school and being vegetarian when nobody knew what that was. She hated it.
Still, have a look at an issue or two of those Physical Culture Magazines. They're fascinating--the articles and ads are SO early 1900s America.
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