“Families are like branches on a tree, we grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.” – Unknown

Tradition for some begins with a baptism of a child. Families will buy a baptismal gown for the little one to wear. But for one family, the threads that were used in their gown is a tie that links each generation to the next, going back 80 years.

Nellie Granath is the 27th child to wear the family’s heirloom gown. The 7-month old’s gown ties to her mother, Karly.  It was passed to her, from her father, Dave. And from Dave to his father, Bob Pratt – who is at the beginning of this amazing story.

Bob, his son said, was a World War II airman whose life nearly ended in the war. Bob joined the U.S. Army Air Corp after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. He was trained to fly a B-17. During a mission over Europe, Bob’s plane was hit and he and his crew was forced to jump out over Yugoslavia. With the temperatures freezing, the very parachute that saved his life once, became the item that kept him from freezing to death, as well.

Nellie Granath wears her great-grandfather’s parachute, which was made into a baptismal gown when he made it home after World War II. Photo courtesy of the Granath family

He and his crew were rescued and smuggled safely out of the country. But it’s the simple threads from that parachute that binds not only the baptismal gown together, but generations of the family.

“It’s very, very special,” Dave said. He has a map that his dad used on his mission. The map was made for soldiers to navigate through France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. What it doesn’t show is Yugoslavia, where Bob had landed.  “It was cold and it was mountainous,” Dave said.

He wrapped himself up in the silk in order to stay warm that night, so it saved his life twice.”