Grandpa

I loved my Grandpa. He was the man in my life for 9 1/2 years. I never doubted that he loved me. When he died it broke my heart. We were staying at Aunt Verna's home because Grandpa was in the hospital in St George. He had had surgery on his liver and was so very sick. Some of the family stayed with him all the
time. World War II was just over and my two Unlce's Leo and Ken came home to see him. I think he would have died much earlier but could not go with out seeing his sons home from that awful long war.

I have special memories of the time we all endured that war. Grandpa was sick most of the four years it raged. After Uncle Leo and Uncle Ken were called into the service Grandpa was not able to do much. I do not remember all the physcial pain he suffered but my mom did not want them to be alone. They lived around the black hill from us and she could not see if their lights were on or not so if they were alone she sent me to sleep there so if they needed help I could come get her. I was so afraid of the dark I do not know if I could have done that or not. But fortunately I never had to. However I did learn to sleep with the radio blasting away right in my ear. I slept with Grandma. I do not remember much about the room but it must have been really small because the bed was against the wall which had a window with a little narrow seal where she kept the radio. She never turned it off. One night I thought she was asleep so I turned it down. She immediately told me if I had to have it that low then I just as well turn it off. Now I laugh about that but it was not funny at the time. I hated to do anything that did not please my grandparents.

My very first memory of Grandpa was a Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I do not remember just how many people were there. To me it seemed like lots. After we ate dinner Grandpa said me and the kids will do our share of the dishes. Come on kids follow me. He took us to the living room and then he layed down on the floor. He told each of us to lay down too and make sure some part of our body touched his. We all did what he asked then he said, now don't move till the dishes are done. I do not know why I remembered that, but it is a fun memory.

Grandpa was so kind and loving. If I saw him once a day or ten times a day he always had a hug for me. No wonder my heart was broken when he died.