Remembering Grandpa Great

Nathan, Solomon, and I went to Wal-Mart this evening, a task we regard as a necessary evil. But one thing that always makes the trip a little happier is the elderly gentleman who works as a door greeter there. I'm sure you've all seen him at one point or another. I just love elderly people, and I'm not sure what it is about them that I like so much. Maybe it's because so many of them still possess that politeness we seem to have lost somewhere along the way or maybe it's because they are full of history and I enjoy hearing their stories of days gone by. This gentleman at Wal-Mart always has a smile on his face and a kind word to say. I can just look at his sunny face, and my whole mood can turn around. Seriously. Tonight as we were walking out, he approached us to get a better look at Solomon and said, "I see you brought the sugar factory with you tonight." And all of a sudden it hit me why I like him so much - he reminds me a lot of my Great-Grandpa Morgan. It sounded so much like something he would have said.

Grandpa was one of the best men I've ever known. He was a hard worker, farming the land and raising cattle until the day we lost him at the age of 92. He spent the hot summers in the hay field and in the garden. Winter kept him busy, too, no matter how cold it was. He provided a warm and loving home for my great-grandma (his wife of 68 years) and their 4 children. Seeing him and my great-grandma together gave me a glimpse of what I wanted in a spouse. They were the kind of couple you'd see walking hand-in-hand wherever they went. When they looked at each other, it was like they were two starry-eyed teenagers. Truly inspiring. He had such a zeal for life, too. He rode his motorcycle well into his 70s, maybe even 80s. I also loved to sit and listen to all the stories he told of growing up. 92 years - there's a lot of history there! Can you imagine being around to experience 92 years of life? And to remember it so sharply?

In late February of 2008, my grandpa fell and broke his hip, and after surgery he became ill. We lost him on March 2. I miss him terribly, but he lives on in his 4 children, 12 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great grandchildren.

*By the way, if you're wondering about the "Grandpa Great" in the title, it's because my mom would refer to them as our great grandma and grandpa, but when my brother and I were kids we always got it confused and called them Grandma and Grandpa Great. It ended up sticking, and that's still what we refer to them as today. :-)