1924-2009Sometime early Sunday morning, my grandfather passed away in his sleep. I was one of those blessed people to have known and been close to all my grandparents. Unfortunately, I've also seen them all pass on and with grandpa's death comes a new chapter in my life, one without grandparents at all as my grandpa was my last living grandparent.
He was a lovable man (even if he was a democrat). Grandpa adored his family, his brothers and sisters, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I'm so fortunate that my son was able to meet and be adored by at least one his great grandfathers. He called grandpa "grandpapa." Grandpapa liked trains, tractors, CNN, Pringles, hugs, tickles, friends, family, traveling, crooning along to the radio, and flirting with the waitresses at his favorite early morning coffee joint. Grandpapa knew of our struggles to get pregnant and was thrilled to find out that we were finally expecting. He put in his order for a great granddaughter as his grandkids prove to be stellar when it comes to producing great grandsons.
When we were children, grandpa would always let us grandkids play in his blue Datsun pickup and white Chrysler (the boys always got the truck) and I remember spending hours and hours "driving" nowhere in grandpa's driveway. On summer Sunday evenings, grandma and grandpa would head to the park to hear the local orchestra perform free concerts and if we were lucky, we got to go with them and play wildly at the park while they sat and enjoyed the music. Grandma and grandpa always had Coca-Cola in their fridge and chocolate pudding in their cupboards. Their unfinished basement full of a lifetime's worth of treasures provided hours upon hours of enjoyment for the grandkids. When we were little grandpa would tease us as he told us stories and one of our favorite games was putting our ear up to grandpa's to hear his hearing aids squeal. Grandma and grandpa were always very easy to con into buying us kids treats, too. These are the precious memories that I am privelaged to hold in my heart forever. Memories of my grandparents.
I'm also blessed with the knowledge of the gospel and the peace of knowing that death is most definitely not "the end." I know I'll see my grandparents again and it will be a very happy reunion. In the meantime, I will definitely weep waterfalls (ridiculous pregnancy hormones) and do everything to keep my mascara from running this week, but I know Heavenly Father will be there to comfort me and my family as we look forward. Grandpa was a sweet and lovable man and I know that he is in a very happy place right now, at my grandma's side.
