As we celebrated Christmas Day you could sense the void in mom and dad's life as they were grieving the loss of an older brother and step dad. Dad walked around in his loss state pacing the floor and talking to anyone he could about a memory he recalled about Abe. Mom sit quietly at the table and visited whoever stopped and chatted for a moment. As the Christmas celebration came to an end, it was time to sit and put our thoughts and memories on paper about Grandpa.
The ending to a Christmas Day was filled with Mom and Dad and the kids recalling memories of the man we called Grandpa all our lives. Although we recalled how he was rough looking, smelled like feedlot, and had a crazy look about him with his chewed filled teeth and lazy eye, we also recalled many memories of how he made us feel special and how we appreciated the permanent fixture he was in our lives.
The first thing many of us said was that he was strong!! He was built like an ox and could make a four way tire changer bend like it was some cheap plastic tool. Later on one of the great grandkids, Calvin, joined the conversation and stated how he recalled Uncle Bill saying that he wand Abe were changing the tire on the station wagon and he just lifted the back on the wagon and told Bill to change the tire. We all laughed in agreement and continued with how strong and huge his frame was.
Mom shook her head and with a frustrated tone said "Fishing" he always took us fishing every weekend. I think mom was a bit tired of the fishing but she also smiled and recalled how they always spent time together.
We laughed and said so that is why you hate it so much then continued about Grandpa's appearance. Della recalled how he would always buy very expensive work boots but did not care about anything else. He would bath once a month if needed and would always been seen in a shirt and overalls.
He always moved in slow motion but would always get the job done. He built the house we visited as children for his family and it has been a constant fixture in Walsh since. We recalled the stairs made of blocks and the closet that was between the two rooms that we would always run though. We recalled the outdoor plumbing… AKA outhouse, that we hated using.
We recalled how he would always be on his porch welcoming us when we would pull up for our visits. We always knew Grandpa would grab each of us and try squeezing us with his huge frame but we would always run away due to his feed lot smell that followed him from work. He would look at us with that funny face and lazy eye and made us run even faster. However, when it was time to feed the chickens or work in the garden we were right by his side. He would try to make sure the chickens didn't pluck any of us while we collected the eggs for grandma to cook.
Often times you would find Grandpa sitting at his usual spot at the table right in front of the freezer. He would always offer us a banana or something grandma made.
You could always find Grandpa driving around in his old international truck if he wasn't driving Grandma, Aunt Marry, and Grandma Slater around in the station wagon. Mom recalled him always driving an old Hornet.
Dee and Della recalled visiting with their kids and how he always took time to walk them around the farm. Dee recalled the kids playing in an expensive medical chair that would pick them up and she said he watched closely but let them continue playing.
Another great grandchild walked in, Patricia, and recalled how Grandpa always called her his RN all the time and how he kept getting out of his chair and making his alarm go off.
During Grandma's passing, they recalled him letting the kids paint his fingernails and how it was so funny due to how tough he looked with pretty nails.
Jane and Carol recalled him bringing home a calf and allowed him to name it. They enjoyed eating with a big spoon and know he loved bacon and peanut butter. Jane stated that he put a pound of butter on a plate with peanut butter and syrup and eating it all.
Dad reminisced about all the old times and Abe working on the elevator and building mom a clothes line. They also discussed how he quit school early to help take care of all his siblings and how he taught them a lot in life.
Overall, he provided all of us with a physical structure, his home, that will always be a place that will be filled with many childhood memories that we can share.
Grandpa had a huge family which consisted of fourteen (14) grandkids and thirty-eight (38) great grandkids and eight (8) great grandkids.
Our hearts are sad as we say goodbye to the last person in moms life from her childhood. We stand strong with mom and get her through this and celebrate the man who brought her back to Walsh and gave all her kids a physical foundation to refer to as home.
Goodbye Grandpa- may you find your permanent place in the heavens and enjoy everyone who has left before you.