Believe It of Not - Presidential Grandsons (former guests)

In our last blog post about the upcoming Marshfield Cherry Blossom Festival, we mentioned a future post about some interesting guests the CBF, and Blackberry Creek Retreat, have hosted.  In the last couple years, we were privileged to have hosted CBF guests Curtis Roosevelt, George Cleveland, and Lyons Tyler.

What is interesting about this trio of presidential offspring is, all are GRANDSONS of U.S. Presidents. Not great-grandson, or great great, but grandsons.  I still have trouble doing the math on this, as it seems generations may have been skipped.

Curtis Roosevelt (left) speaks with Ken Hechler
at the 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival.

Now, Curtis Roosevelt may be the least amazing in lineage of the group, his grandfather holding the office most recent of the group – 66 YEARS AGO!  Curtis visited last year coming all the way from his home in France. Born in 1930, he is the grandson of Franklin D. Roosevelt, our 32^nd President, who served from 1933 until his death in 1945.  Curtis still is involved with the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York, and has written a book about his experiences growing up in the White House, named “Too Close to the Sun”, which is why he was honored with the CBF Ella Dickey Literacy Award in 2011.

Curtis Roosevelt's book which earned him
the Ella Dickey Literacy Award
 at last year's Cherry Blossom Festival. 

Then there is our frequent visitor to CBF and friend, George Cleveland.  Now George is still in his 50’s, and is the grandson of Grover Cleveland, and looks a lot like his grandfather. George travels to Marshfield each year from his home in Tamworth, N.H., and has become a citizen of sorts in Marshfield.  Unlike Curtis’s grandfather who served this country during the 30’s and 40’s, Grover Cleveland was our 24^th President from 1893 through 1897!!! George is only in his 50’s!!! OK, maybe late 50’s like this writer, but there is something about all this that makes a head spin.

George Cleveland hams it up with
2011 Ella Dickey Literacy Award recipient, Mary McDonough,
who played Erin Walton, on the popular television series, The Waltons.

Then, in 2010, we had the honor of hosting Lyon Tyler from Franklin, TN. Lyon was born 1925, five years before Curtis Roosevelt. Lyon is the grandson of our 10^th President, John Tyler who served from 1841 to 1845!!!! Lyon has a younger brother, Harrison who lives in Virginia. Lyon has had a very active life, as a lawyer, teacher, and many community organizations.

Lyon Tyler (center) after receiving his Hubble Award at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

We can attest that when each was our guest, all were very active and well. We enjoyed SO MUCH just visiting with each, either over a cup of coffee, on the drive into Marshfield, or in the evening before retiring. Each share one thing in common, besides their lineage to a U.S. President – all are very humble, friendly, and warm.

Now, there is some math involved, and yes, there were younger, sometime second wives involved.  You can click on the highlighted links above to find out more about each, and confirm all this. Then again, you can come out to this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival in April and maybe bump into the history and mysteries yourself.

Mark and Dixie
Blackberry Creek Retreat