Almost everyone has a namesake. Even if you weren’t named after a family member, you name came from somewhere.
But more often than not, babies are named after people in their extended family. Many men name their sons after them. While others name their children after their parents or grandparents.
I am personally named after my grandmother, but sadly, I never got to meet her, as she passed away before I was born.
For one man, he has over 70 descendants, yet none of them had been named after him. Until now!
Esmond Allcock just turned 108 in January and is now the oldest man in Canada!
But while Esmond has had a long life, now filled with many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren, he’s never had one named after him.
Esmond’s great-granddaughter, Jenna Lehne shared his story with Love What Matters:
He is a husband to one, a father to six, a grandfather to 17, a great-grandfather to 36 and a great-great-grandfather to 12.
While Jenna’s had her great-grandfather for her entire life, she hadn’t ever heard one of his stories. Apparently, when she was pregnant with her second child, he told her grandmother something that shocked her.
When I got pregnant with my second, he mentioned to my grandmother that he was responsible for 71 descendants and no one had named their son after him. My husband and I had wanted to name our new son after family, and that just sealed the deal.
So, in January 2017, Jenna gave birth to her Esmond, nearly 107 years exactly after his great-great-grandfather was born.
Jenna brought her son to meet his namesake after the snow had cleared up in their area. Her great-grandfather didn’t recognize her at first right away, but he was immediately enamored with her son.
Once he recalled who Jenna was, because he remembered when she was a baby and learning how to walk, he called her ‘the Walk Walk Girl,’ so he shared his gratitude for this moment.
Jenna continued the story:
As he held my son, he kissed his head and said over and over again, ‘You don’t know what this means to me. You don’t know what this means to me.’
I wish I could fully explain how much it meant to me.
I am blessed.
Jenna’s grandma (Esmond Sr.’s daughter) sends him pictures of the baby all the time because he is constantly asking how his little namesake is doing.
You just have to see the sweet video of little Esmond and his great-great-grandfather together!
Please SHARE this heartwarming moment with your friends and family on Facebook today.
