In Loving Memory

So yesterday I went to IL to visit my grandparents since the hospice nurse had said that morning that he (my grandpa) had less than 24 hours left. He had passed by the time I got there. They had kept him there in case I wanted to say goodbye, but I declined. We had said our goodbyes a few days ago. They called the funeral home and they came to get him, and I think watching him being wheeled out was the hardest thing I've ever been through. Its just heartbreaking. We got the hospital equipment dismantelled and moved into the other house...then started the never ending flow of people and food...Everyone has been so nice and thoughtful...There's mountains of food...some good, some not so much...lol..but its the thought that counts. My grandma has held up pretty well so far. She's obviously devastated though. They were married for over 60 years.

My favorite picture of me when I was little with my grandpa

My grandpa is one of the greatest men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was a wonderful example of how one should live their life. He was a christian, and was very involved with his church. He was a farmer and worked hard everyday. He had a great sense of humor and was always cracking jokes, even up till the end. He was also very strong. You have to be I think to go through what he went through. He battled bone cancer for years but he didnt let it slow him down much until this past year...even then he still hardly complained and tried so very hard to beat it.

Some of my favorite memories of my grandpa are:

• Tractor, mower, and golf cart rides...He used to drive us around everywhere..He even got it passed that he could drive his golf cart around Eldorado as long as he had lights and signals and everything. lol.  It was easier for him to turn the key than on his car so he just drove it all over.
• Fishing-He had a pond at the farm and we would always go fishing and catch bluegill and catfish. Then of course grandma would fry it up with hushpuppies...can't get much better food than that.
• Dirt bikes and 4wheelers- he had different size dirt bikes he  taught us to ride when we were younger and me and my brother would spend a lot of our summer vacation with them riding those bikes around everywhere. Of course I ran the 4 wheeler into the chicken coop, and almost ran one of the dirt bikes into the pond...lol...but he never got mad about it...of course had the bike actually ended up in the pond it could have been a different story :0)
• He taught me to drive on his country roads and trusted me at 12, 13, and up with his vehicle..(of course he was in the car) but I loved driving around with him.
• The way every time we would start out on a drive to anywhere in corn season the conversation would start with "yep...the corns looking good"...lol...It even got to be a running joke where someone would try to say it first.
• He used to play the piano...mainly cords but always my favorite old church hymns. 
• Pioneer-that label was plastered all over everything. I will never see those green hats and jackets and not remember him.
• The way that him and grandma would take us clothes shopping before the start of school.I always thought I had the coolest grandpa because he talked everyone into letting me get my first pair of acid washed jeans...years later I found out that he just wanted to get out of there and the easiest way was to just buy them...lol...still one of my favorite memories though...and I still think I had the coolest grandpa

I have so many good memories of my grandpa I could keep typing forever, and that's good because in the end that's all you have left to hold on to. That and the fact that I know I will see him again one day. I love you Grandpa. You will be forever missed!