“This is Mr. Esmond Allcock. He was born outside of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1910. This dapper gentleman just turned 108 this past January 26. He is officially the oldest man in Canada! 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.
He is my great-grandfather and the man I named my son after. While most people’s great-grandfathers are faded childhood memories, I’ve been lucky enough to have had him with me for the past 30 years.
One of the stories he always used to tell me was from when I was the same age as my own son. While I was learning to walk, I’d make him hold my hands and parade me around the room. All I had to do was crawl up to him and say, ‘Walk Walk,’ and away we’d go. When I got a bit older, he would remember me and call me his little buddy.
When I found out I was pregnant with my first son, he got on the phone and called all his children to let them know that I was increasing the population. 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.
My Esmond was born on January 11, 2017, nearly 107 years after his great-great grandfather. Once the snow melted, I loaded up the baby and took off to the neighboring province to introduce my great-grandfather to his namesake.
When we arrived, he wasn’t sure who I was. He knew who my grandparents (his daughter and son-in-law) were, but he wasn’t too sure about me. I explained who I was, but by then he was already so enamored with Esmond.
About halfway through our visit, he remembered me. I was the Walk Walk girl.
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.
It’s been a few months since we’ve seen my great-grandfather, but he asks my grandma about his namesake all the time. She sends him photos and gives him updates. Once the snow melts, we’ll be on our way to visit him again. It will be great-great grandpa Esmond, little Ez, and the ‘Walk Walk’ girl.”
