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Thursday, November 29, 2007

A Brief Remembrance...

A sincere thank you to all that offered their condolences on the death of my grandfather. It has been a difficult week but also a time to remember things long forgotten. My grandfather was quite a man. He was one of 8 kids and there is only a sister still living. He and my grandmother were married 66 years - a marvel in this day and age. He served in the Navy during WWII and got out when his time was up. He later joined the Air Force Reserves and ended up activated for the Korean War. My grandfather could fix anything - he restored a 1966 Mustang Convertible for my uncle and it is still cherry today. And boy could he grow vegetables in his garden.

He leaves quite a family line - 3 children, 6 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandson. Not to mention the hundreds of lives he touched throughout his 86 years.

He was going strong until 4 years ago - even taking overnight hunting trips - when a sudden illness weakened him in body and mind. One benefit of his illness - the stern grandfather I knew turned into a loving, huggable man. This change helped heal a lot of wounds from way back but also made his passing more difficult, especially for my Mom.

I thought I knew what love really meant until this week. My grandmother, his wife of 66 years, made him a pair of red boxer shorts with a heart and the words "I love you" sewed onto the hem on one leg. He was buried wearing those boxers under his suit.

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