A Tribute to my Grandpa:
Memories of Grandpa:
I know that there are probably some that I will leave out, but here are a few of my favorite memories.
Favorite Story: My grandparents used to have a ditch by there house and my brother kept playing in the ditch. My grandpa would tell him if you play in the ditch you are going to fall in. Well on day he did fall in (my grandpa pushed him in) then my grandpa saved him and said see I told you you were going to fall in. He would always deny that he pushed my brother in and he would always laugh when he told that story, but just before he died he did admit that he had pushed him in.
My grandpa always gave me compliments. He was always the first to notice a new hair do or outfit.
He used to tell me when I was eleven. I don't want you to grow up like other girls and wear so much make up I believe woman are pretty without all the make up and the fuss they shouldn't be afraid to show themselves.
I remember the day his dog brownie died. I was the first to find brownie. We didn't know what to do cause grandpa wasn't home. We thought we would hurry and bury him because we didn't want grandpa to be upset. Aaron tried so hard to hurry and dig a hole, but grandpa came home and he was okay.
I remember when he started coming to church. He even got up and bore his testimony a few times. I know that as he got older church was important to him and he wanted to make sure he paid his tithing. He also gave up smoking and drinking. I know that when he said prayers he had faith that heavenly father would answer them.
He was such a faithful home teacher. He helped many people through his home teaching.
He was a very smart guy and knew about many things. He would tell me things all the time about how to do things. I was taking a class in high school where we had to build a lot of different things and he was the only one I had to turn to so he came up to my classroom and helped me demonstrate a project he had helped me with.
I remember how well he took care of his mother as she got older. He set a good example for his family on how to care for the elder.
He loved to eat cheese and butterscotch candy.
We used to play checkers with him and I thought I should let him beat me because he is older and he would surprise me and jump me three times in one move.
Grandpa used to take us to girls camp. One time a trailor tire blew out on the way. They had never changed the tire before and the bolts were in tight,my grandpa was the only guy around and so grandpa had me stand and jump on his lug wrench so that we could change the tire.
Also at girls camp it had been raining very hard and I was soaked. Lucky grandpa was there because he had an extra coat in his truck.
I remember one week during the summer I stayed with him because I had something going on and was leaving the next day and then my mom was coming back home. He had a doctor's appointment and he was on a very strict diet. I wrote up notes of things he could eat and couldn't eat because I was so scared that I would come home from my trip and grandpa would not be around because I hadn't explained to him what the doctor had said.
He loved Barclay where he grew up. At his and grandma's wedding anniversary his friends came to visit him from Barclay and he perked right up and went to talk to them.
He could make friends with people in no time. He knew how to chat with other s and become their friends. He always found someone to talk to.
He was a World War II vet. He guarded trains and was on the clean up crew on the ovens where they had gassed people. He wouldn't talk about the war much, but he did tell me a few stories.
-He would always jump ten feet when you would wake him up-it was an effect from the war. He had to always be ready to move.
He had a buddy in the war and they promised each other that if they died the other person would see to it that the one that died got sent home to be buried. My grandpa's friend died and he spent I think three nights with him in a train car in order to keep his promise.
Grandpa always showed respect for the flag and for our country and his patriotism is such an example to me.
He said that one time he was thirsty and wanted a big drink of water, but none of the village people would help him out. A little girl said she would get him the water. She left and brought back a lot of water. He drank it and gave her some money. The village people tried to take the money from her so grandpa stopped them and watched the little girl go all the way home with the money.
Sometimes they would have kids come and beg for food at their camp. Grandpa said once in a while he would go without eating so the kids would have something to eat.
We had a horse that we were trying to tame. I remember grandpa wanting to try. I watched the horse buck him off and I was so scared that grandpa was hurt.
I remember that one time when he had had a heart attack we were home and getting ready to go to the hospital. My mom was upset and scared and in the rush of things I said mom lets have a prayer before we go. We said a prayer and I felt that everything would be okay and grandpa pulled through.
He loved all of his family and would find quite times to tell you how much he loved you.
His job was to vacuum the house and he would every week. He said he was the oldest child in his family and he was known as the girl because he always had to help his mom with the chores, but he didn't mind.
He told me once of when he was baptized. He said it was in a place known as Charlie's Hole in Mesquite, It was a hole in the ground with water. He said that he remembered that there was a girl who was baptized with him and he was wanting his turn and he remembered that the sand was very hot on his feet.
He had sheep for a while and would care for the sheep. The sheep would be in labor often on Sunday's and he would stay home from church to make sure the momma sheep was okay and to help her in any way he could if they needed him. I remember being able to watch a baby sheep be born once and it was such a neat experience.
I remember making things for the kids so that he could take them and give them to the kids on his cross walk for the holidays.
I always thought he was so cute at night with his hearing aids out and his teeth out. He would talk loud and I loved his cute smile.
Sometimes he had a hard time pronouncing people's names so he would just make up a name for them.
When he sneezed he would sneeze three times in a row.
He used to scare us when he would sleep because he had a loud snore.
I remember the last time we took a trip to Salt Lake for one of Miles' boys baptisms we went in Kent's RV so that grandpa could come because he had to have a bathroom.
On time him and grandma had been fighting and I went over to his house and he told me try to cheer up grandma so I did.
I miss his hugs and I miss him. It still seems so different that he is gone.
Staci is going to be an Aunt news: My brother got a hold of me the other day. He had found out what they were having. They are having a boy. I am going to have a little nephew and I am so excited. It is due the first part of September.
New Church Calling: I got a new church calling. I am the primary chorister. I am not the best singer in my ward and I really don't know what I am doing yet. It's been kind of hard because we are practicing songs for our program, we have to sing a song in sacrament meeting for mother's day, and we have to sing a song in ward conference which is right after mother's day. The poor kids. We've been practicing forever and haven't had much time to have fun and play games. The kids are cute though and they do sing very nice in spite of my weaknesses.
School:
School has been kind of frustrating lately, but we only have four weeks left. We have been trying to decide what to do this summer and I think we will be going to Hawaii. We also have a reunion in July in Arizona and we might make another trip to Disneyland. I am trying to get ready to say good by to my fifth graders. Most people would say oh I am so glad to get rid of my students, but I have my students for 5 years and by the time they move on you kind of start thinking back to all the fun times you have had and how much they have learned and you kind of start to miss them. I was able to take a break from my frustrations and go on a field trip with my fifth graders. We went to Lake Mead on a paddle boat to learn about the geography of Lake Mead. It was such a perfect day. Sorry I can't show you any pictures of the students, but below are landscape pictures. It was so much fun.
