Hard to believe is has been a year since my grampa took his last earthly breath. His voice, his actions, his stories, everything about him is still so vividly embedded in my mind. I hope it never goes away.
I remember when……
I have so many fond memories that come to mind when I think about Grandpa that I don’t even know where to begin.
The tractor rides were always a hit. We would ride far out into the field to the timberline to pick berries. Then we would take them to the house where Grandma would wash them, and we would all have a bowl of berries with milk and sugar!
When Grandpa went out to do chores, you can bet that I was right along side of him “helping”. Although I think I mostly just climbed around on the big pile of oats in the barn!
It was always fun to go with Grandpa to take hogs to Oscar Myer in the old blue and white (and rust!) pick-up. The best part was knowing that Grandpa would stop in Blue Grass at the ice cream shop on the way home! He had quite a sweet tooth!
I remember spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa’s house many nights in the summer and waiting up late for him to get home from working second shift at Louis Rich. (You know, he only took that job for extra income until the hog prices went back up!)
When I got a little older and started playing sports, Grandpa became my biggest fan. He wouldn’t miss a game for anything. He was always proud no matter what the outcome of the game!
Then I went away to college. But, you can bet that when I was home I would find time for a visit with Grandpa and Grandma.
Time went on and Grandma was called Home. Grandpa missed her so, but the Lord placed a new little angel in Grandpa’s life. My daughter, Colby Marie Carlson. I never knew an 80 year old man could love a newborn baby the way he loved that little girl. It was love at first sight. Many of his days in 1999 were spent rocking and rocking and rocking little Colby. I never knew my Grandpa as a “baby person”, but he sure loved Colby.
After that, you could bet that if Grandpa wasn’t home on Saturday night you could find him in Nichols. Our dogs always bark when a visitor starts up the driveway. Every time the dogs would bark Colby would run to the door yelling, “Great Grandpa is here, Great Grandpa is here!” long before she could even see outside. And sure enough, we would look outside and Grandpa would be creeping down the drive in his old blue Ford! I know that for a long time to come, every time the dogs bark I will expect to be look out the door and see the old blue Ford coming down the driveway.
Colby and Grandpa were quite a pair! If you could have only seen some of the things she talked him into doing. One night I asked her where Grandpa was and she replied, “He is sleeping in his stable”. She had talked him into getting into the coat closet, lying down on the floor and pretending he was a sleeping horse. She had him all covered up and snuggled in for the night. What a sight! At 84 years old, it was quite a task just to get down on the floor! But, he would never tell her “no”. And to this day, in his eyes she did no wrong! (Oh, how I wish that were true!)
Grandpa was my Hawkeye basketball partner. He took me to a few games when I was young and over the last several years I had begun taking him to the games. We usually went to about three a year and when we didn’t go he would come out to watch the games on TV with me. Or if he didn’t get out he would most definitely be calling on the phone to ask me “did you see that play?”and would usually talk until the end of the game!
You could always count on Grandpa for a good story. It may have been one that he had already told you a hundred or so times, but nonetheless, it was always fun to hear again. So many times his sentences started out like this: “Did I ever tell you about….” Of course, it was usually something I had heard many times, but I always said “no” and eagerly listened to it again. Or he would say, “I know I told you this before….” And then he would tell a story that he had told many a time. Although, somehow I never got tired of hearing them.
I could go on forever with all of the awesome memories I have of my Grandpa. He was the most kind, gentle and giving person I have ever known. He was a Godly man who taught me a lot about how to give unconditionally.
This past weekend Grandpa’s mission on earth was complete. God chose to heal Grandpa in eternity where He had prepared a beautiful place for him. For that, I am forever grateful.
I will miss him dearly, but I have been blessed with years and years of memories with my Grandpa. I am so proud to be able to say that he was my “Grandpa” and my hero……
Written with love by
Heather M. Viner Carlson
October 2005
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