Hours before he passed away, Norbert Schemm spent his last evening with his boys, having a drink.
“My grandfather passed away today,” Adam Schemm wrote in a November 20 tweet that has inspired hundreds of thousands on the infamously divisive social media outlet. “Last night all he wanted to do was to have one last beer with his sons.”
And that is just what happened: As Schemm’s condition declined during a week-long hospital stay, the family gathered to be with him for the end of his 87-year journey. A photo attached to the tweet shows him in his hospital bed, smiling and surrounded by his three sons.
At the time of this writing, the tweet has surpassed 331,000 likes, 32,000 retweets, and 5,000 comments. Others are responding with similar stories.
“I don’t know you… but I felt this,” user Ben Riggs wrote. “Days before my grandpa passed he let my dad and I know he wanted a cigar and a beer. We made it happen. I’m so sorry for your loss. Your grandpas smile is one for the books!”
Schemm said it has been an “honor and pleasure” to be able to continue talking about his grandfather. “I’m glad that we are able to keep his memory alive.”