One Year Without You 💔

One year ago today the world lost a phenomenal man and that man was my grandfather. He was the absolute best grandfather a girl could ever ask for. He truly never met a stranger and he rarely went places where he didn’t at least see five or usually more  people he knew. He had the best stories especially from when he worked at Avon. He definitely was the type to do anything he could for anybody. I miss his hugs. I miss the way he always smelled so good. He was so incredibly handsome and he had the best sense of humor. He loved to attempt to tell a joke but he always tried his best. I still have the very last Valentine’s Day card he sent me and I will always keep it. Everyone always loved him. He enjoyed tomatoes fresh from the garden and it’s so hard knowing I can’t take him one. It was one of top favorite things to eat. He couldn’t stand macaroni and cheese so I sure enjoyed teasing him about bringing him some. Of course he always politely declined. I have so many amazing stories about him. He just was the best. One year without him sure has definitely not been easy in any way. I am going to post my speech at his funeral below.

Even though my Pawpaw had more than one grandchild, I always felt we had an extremely special connection.  We spent a lot of time together over the years.

Every time I would go to his house, he would, of course, offer me a good cold pop.  Now if you knew him, you would know he would always offer you a good cold pop.  He would always tease me and let me know that the Cokes were on special.  It would be one Coke for $4.00 or two for $12.00.  Sometimes he would have a special deal where they were only $3.00 apiece.  I would always tell him to put it on my tab.  I can only imagine what my tab was.  

I remember one time when I was at his house, he came up from the basement and hid, then jumped out and scared me.  I was upset but I got him back.   I hid behind his rocking chair and jumped out when he sat down.  

When I was little, I remember my Mawmaw told me his feet were very ticklish.  He had one specific spot on his left foot that he was extra jumpy if you touched it.  Me being a curious kid goes into the room where he was soundly sleeping in his rocking chair and touched that spot.   He literally jumped out of his chair.  It scared me but was hilarious at the same time.

He used to tell me about many good stories from when he worked at Avon.  My all time two favorite stories were the one where a co-worker put hand cream all over the bosses’ phone and she would call him from a different phone.  He would pick it up and slam the phone down upset about the hand cream everywhere.  She would call the boss a few times and he would pick it up each time.   His face would be red with anger.  The boss knew who done it but could not prove it. 

The other story was about the same woman who used to hide the janitor’s mop and broom so he would have to go all over to look for them.

A movie that Pawpaw and I used to watch together was Dennis the Menace.  That was our movie.  I got the movie for my 6th birthday, and I think we wore it out.  I have a habit of watching a movie I am obsessed with over and over, but Pawpaw would watch it with me as much as I wanted, so that will always be a special memory to me.  I can still hear him say, “Oh Mr. Wilson”.  There was a scene that was a favorite of Pawpaw and I where Dennis would take a slingshot and shoot an aspirin in Mr. Wilsons’ mouth.  We thought that was the funniest scene.  

At Christmastime, he would always ask us if we wanted one thing this year or two things next year.  

Every year he would call me on my birthday and sing happy birthday.  I am sure a lot of you got the pleasure of that phone call, but it meant the world to me.

It seemed like everyplace we went he would see about 10 people he knew.  He would always tell me he could not wait until tomorrow because he gets better looking every day.  When someone would ask him how he was, he would always say I’m pretty good, and heavy on the pretty.  

He could never get enough of fresh garden tomatoes.  I think he would eat Gold Star every day except for breakfast.  He had to have his dry wheat toast and sausage.  

Bob Evan’s used to have these cinnamon rolls and Pawpaw loved to get me one when I was sick or just needed one.

I remember when I was little when my grandparents would visit.  I would race them to the corner when they left.  Pawpaw would always let me win because that is how he was.

He would always ask me if I had any money, and I would always say no.  He let me know I was always consistent.  

He loved trying to tell jokes, but more often than not he would get it all mixed up which made it even funnier.

He always had candy, especially bubble gum and it thrilled his soul when you would take a piece or two.  

I had a dog named Sandy who Pawpaw always called the Christian dog because he never did anything wrong. He would keep Sandy when we went on vacation because he loved his dogs, so I knew Sandy was in good hands.

About a month ago I went to visit Pawpaw and I sat my purse down close to Pawpaw.  He asked me what in the world was in my suitcase.  That made me laugh so hard.  It was never my purse, just my suitcase from then on.

I could go on and on but overall, he was just the best Pawpaw a girl could ever ask for.  He was truly a phenomenal man.  I know in addition to seeing Jesus, walking on streets of gold, seeing his loved ones and his dogs Fluffy, Trixie, and Stormy and my dogs Sandy, Killer and Sadie, he is enjoying his dry wheat toast and sausage for breakfast, unlimited gold star hotdogs, Flubs ice cream sandwiches, drumsticks, fountain cokes, plums and of course his garden tomatoes.

Always remember, no matter where you go there you are!!!!!! 

I miss you Pawpaw 🥺

X, 

MS

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