Two days and two years ago, today...at the young age of 79...We've written about Grandpa in some of our posts this year, and in some of the stories about our life. He truly was an amazing man. Over the past 15 years or so of our life we've found out a lot about our grandparents, and the unconditional love had for each other. It's the kind that makes you believe that, for some people, it exists...or it used to when times we're simpler.
They were honoured as the local Heritage Couple in the community where they lived, and they were just shy of their 60th wedding anniversary...he was father of 7 children, grandfather to 17 and great-grandfather to 6; he buried a son, and a grandson. He was a hunter, a fisherman, a farmer, a gardener (always proud of the huge potatoes, carrots, and produce he grew), a christian family man that worked hard until his last days, when he diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed within a month. His passing had a huge impact on our life, and our decision to be open about our mental illness. We never got to say goodbye to him.
Memories of him will never be forgotten by any of us...; he always made a grumpy face when he had his picture taken; he liked to try to scare the grandchildren by pushing his bottom dentures out of his mouth and growling; how when we would kiss him on the check and he would giggle and pretend to be shy; how he would tease us about all of the boyfriends he imaged we had; he was a quiet and serious man, but silly and funny, he loved to play cribbage and socialize...and he sure made the best coffee...
This was the song they played at his funeral accompanied by pictures of him when he was young, as a high school football player, then as a husband and father, and a grandfather, visiting with friends, photos of him with the produce he was so proud of, pictures from hunting camp, and then holding his great-grandchildren in his arms.
He was the kind of man whose love for his wife and his family was the kind everybody should aspire to have, and makes us miss him, today and always.
~Frank et al
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