Luis Leon Granados, Jr. (Sonny)

Born on February 28, 1928, Lou Granados lived all of his life in Maryland. He was born in Riverdale in the same house - in the same bed where his mother had been born.

He served in the United States Air Force during WWII and the Korean War. He later worked as an Information Specialist with the United States Department of Agriculture. He lived in Ocean City for the last 30 years of his life and was heavily involved in the community there. He was also an author and a writer.

We are fortunate that before he died on August 23, 2013, he wrote a short autobiography that details his life including growing up as a second generation Granados.

Lou was the eldest son of the eldest son and the oldest Granados male in the second generation of Granados Americans.

EXCERPT FROM LOU GRANADOS' AUTOBIOGRAPHY

... When I was 5, Roosevelt closed the banks, and when my father's reopened, the salary they offered him wasn't enough to support a fmaily. He obtained a variety of jobs, including driving a beer truck, working in a tailor shop and selling real estate. We wound up at my grandparents' house along with Uncle Joe, Aunt Rosie, Bootsie and Jean, and Uncle Power and Aunt Ethel. It was pretty crowded. I don't remember where everyone slept. ....

... I was two when my grandmother Granados (Abuela) died, but remember being lifted up to see her in her casket. I don't remember what she looked like; only that there was a white gauze net over the casket to keep the flies out. ...

....My mother, her brothers Power and Joe and my grandfather all sang in the church choir directed by my grandmother. Uncle Joe also sang in a variety of other church choirs for pay. To make extra money, mother sang at weddings and funerals. She was also an election udge, and looked forward to the money she made on election day. Since ballots were counted by hand, she didn't get home until after midnight on election day.

Each morning when my grandfather got up, he drank a shot of whiskey. He made a horrible face, but that may have been to discourage his grandchildren from drinking. ....

LUIS LEON GRANADOS' AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Luis Leon Granados Sr.