Leaving Behind a Legacy <3
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Today would have been my Grandpa’s 82nd birthday.
He was born on April 23rd, 1940.
He died on March 12th, 2022.
One month before his birthday. Just like Grandma.
There’s one thing we all have in common…
We are all born into this world.
And sadly, one day, we will all die.
The life we live in between those years?
That’s the LEGACY we leave behind.
For generations and generations to come.
Grandpa sure did a lot of living in 81 years.
Hours before my Grandpa went to Heaven, Mom and I spent the afternoon going through boxes and boxes of old family photographs. It was so neat to see my Grandpa in his younger years. It felt like the stories he told us from “back in the day” come were coming to life right before my eyes!
At his funeral, my Mom and brother came before everyone and said a few words. They shared stories of Grandpa. They talked about the incredible man he was (the WHITE hat cowboy!). The things he did in his life to help others. It made me smile to think about the impact he had on so many people.
In the weeks I was back home in Ohio before my Grandpa passed, I started a note on my phone. The top half documented each day with Grandpa. The bottom half listed many memories I had of Gpa (and Gma) over the years. I knew I wanted to share those treasured moments, but also knew I couldn’t bring myself to do it right away. Too much happened in such a short amount of time, it was a lot to process.
But today, I thought I would write a little love note…
To honor Grandpa. To celebrate his life. And to document all the special moments we shared together <3
This one is for you, Grandpa.
Happy Heavenly Birthday!
April 23rd, 2022
Dear Grandpa (and Grandma),
Thank you for leaving behind a legacy of LOVE. I will forever remember all of the sweet (and sometimes stubborn) but mostly super sweet things you did for us while you were here.
GROWING UP
In the early years, we lived many states away from you. But that didn’t stop the two of you from coming down to visit us in Georgia! We would go to the Nature Center at Georgia Southern University and see the bald eagles. Nick could get us there without directions! Grandma had us stylin’ in matching outfits she sewed. Your arms were always wide open for hugs and your trunks were always full of goodies. You sure did spoil us kids!
Eventually, we would move back to Ohio. It was such a blessing living closer to you! That first summer back, you turned the upstairs into “our spot” while Mom was on the job hunt. I remember the day of her HCSD interview, we chalked your driveway full of fun drawings + messages for her when she got back home. Mom landed a 2nd Grade teaching job at Lincoln Elementary and we would soon move into our home on 204 N Washington!
You knew Mom had her hands full raising 4 kiddos by herself, so you did everything you could to help. I remember the days you would come over and mow the grass. We always had a cold Diet Pepsi waiting for you in the fridge for when you were done!
Speaking of houses, we like to call your house “the rents”. Where were we off to?! The rents!
Every birthday, you and Grandma brought every kid a gift. It was usually something small (like Beanie Babies…no wonder our collection grew so fast!). But one year (I think on Nick’s birthday) it was a really BIG gift… BIKES for everyone! We rode those things ALL around town!!
Nothing was better than the meals we shared around the table — Whether they were “out the road” OR at some of your favorite places to eat!
Bonanza (Way back in the day)
Skyline (Bring the cheese coney as you took the LAST bite of 5-way!)
Fazoli’s (On Saturdays — I always thought it was ‘so far’ away)
Cracker Barrel (Fish Fridays OR Double Down for breakfast AND dinner on Sundays)
Can’t forgot Golden Corral OR Texas Roadhouse (For birthdays and celebrations!)
The year you got me an “I Got an ‘A’ in Shop” shirt for Christmas! Not gonna lie, I was “too cool” to wear it back in the day, but now it’s one of my most prized possessions. Knowing “A” made you proud getting “A” in your favorite subject, carpentry!
Remember taking me (and Zack Getz) to Wilson Middle School in the winter when it was too cold to ride our bikes? Such a LIFESAVER!
When you built the 4-car garage, and the primer was PINK and people were worried that was the actual color. Hahah!
Nick falling off the scaffolding. Ok, so I’m sure this wasn’t the fondest memory! But y’all shared some really special times building together!
Going to “the shop” and making toys for the Children’s Hospital every Christmas when we were younger. One year it was various cars. Another year it was the Elephant Rings. One of my favorite years was making the “Cracker Barrell” game!
Taking me and Erin to the Miami volleyball games! Picking the player of the game. Watching us sit on the “couch on the court” eating Papa John’s pizza. Catching the mini volleyballs + T-Shirts that were tossed during the games.
THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS
It might have been Middle School actually, but I’ll never forget the day I was at your house. We were all lined up on the porch and I realized I was TALLER than you!
Y’all never missed any of our extra-curricular activities! You were at evert sporting game, performance, competition, homecoming / prom photos! That meant so much!
Do you remember Hurricane Ike? I mean, how could you forget. A massive tree fell down and almost hit your house! But you turned those lemons into lemonade and BUILT A BED out of it!
Thank you for helping me get my first car! A white LeSabre Buick with red, velvet interior. What we liked to call “The Tank.” I remember driving it out to your house and you taught me how to check the oil! (Make sure the car has been off for awhile, get a paper towel, pull the stick out, wipe off with the paper towel, then stick back in to see where the lines are at).
You and Grandma took a once-in-a-lifetime trip out West! To Medicine Bow! Shortly after you bought your new, red SUV. I loved hearing the stories from this trip! I’m so glad y’all went!!!
IN COLLEGE
After I graduated High School, you told me you and Grandma wanted to help out with college. You would deposit $100 into my bank account each month while I was in school. You said “it’s not a lot” but it really was! That meant so much!
Anytime I was home from school, you would coordinate when you could fill up our gas tanks. You racked up so many Kroger Fuel Points from not only grocery shopping but also buying gift cards (4x fuel points) at restaurants you and Grandma ate at, that you would have WHOLE DOLLARS OFF off gas. You learned “the system” on how it worked. How you couldn’t hang up the pump or else it would go away. But you could get 50 gallons for the price with the Kroger Fuel Points. So we lined our cars and you would pump away!!
Grandpa, your collections of HUNDREDS of piggy banks + cookie jars gave me something super unique to write about in one of my hardest college classes! So thanks for that because I think it was the only paper I got an A on in Ginter’s class that semester. He was so tough!
I started Nogatography (my letter art ‘business’) and you helped me immensely with my orders! The issue I ran into was I couldn’t find frames that had the # of openings I needed, so what did you do? Taught me how to make my own! You had a matte cutter in your basement. “Measure twice, cut once,” you would say. Once we finished cutting the mattes (some single, some double), you would make the frame to fit. You even taught me how to price the frames so they covered the materials and time.
You were such a blessing to ESA — the service sorority I was apart of. Making (and DONATING) hundreds of paddles for people to buy when I was the Ways ‘N Means fundraising chair. You also made huge letter cutouts that we painted and used for photos! And a couple corn hole sets, too! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!
And then you continued to support us… donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (one of ESA’s philanthropies), year after year. Both you and I wish they would stop sending promotional materials to us... that we would rather them keep the money they put toward printing / marketing / mailing. But they really are an incredible cause and I’m so grateful for your support!
Can’t forget the great hat debate — you wore hats all the time! One year from Christmas, Erin and I got you hats from the school we went to — Erin @ UC and me @ Ball State. You said you wouldn’t wear them unless they were Miami hats ;) Hahah.. Still can’t believe none of us kids went to Miami! (Where you and Gma went, and Grandma’s Dad started the Marching Band). But at our combined Grad Party, you brought and WORE both of those hats! And HHS for Nick! Taking shifts wearing them. It was the BEST!
THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED
When I started working for Qtego, you always asked about my “shows” (events) and if they made a lot of money. When I went to West Virginia for the WVU Children’s Hospital Gala, you told me to tell ‘Huggy Bear’ “Hi!” (You loved your sports! Including basketball).
My first couple years out of college, I couldn’t really afford a vacation vacation. But I took several “Staycations” and spent the first half of those at your house! Grandma and I worked on my T-Shirt quilt some. I also spent a couple days helping clean. That’s when I learned the table in your entryway came from Grandma’s parents as a wedding gift.
Do you remember the year you gave me a $200 GC to Panera for Christmas and Erin got one that had like $12 and some change on it? Hahahah! You made it “right” and did something extra for her, but I did think that was pretty funny.
You and Grandma were such big supporters of my Passion Projects. Especially the year I decided to write my book “365”. It had been many months since I wrote and you taught me a lesson on not giving up (when you asked for your $12 back). I got caught up and finished the year strong!! Writing 365 stories in 365 days!
You loved looking back through old yearbooks — showing us pics of you and Grandma and your former teachers! Sharing stories from the good ‘ole days.
You passed out Reese’s to the kiddos at Cracker Barrel. Buying them at checkout and then going back into the dining area and passing them out. This melted my heart when I saw you do this… the first time we went to Cracker Barrel since Grandma had passed <3 there was one leftover that day, I knew that one was for her!
Telling me about Grandma’s lakehouse in Bemidji, MN! Me going to find it on road trip home from Glacier. Coming home and showing you the maps / photos from my adventure!
The last couple years, you bought Diet Coke instead of Diet Pepsi. You said it tasted better. You’ll have to let me know what Uncle Frank said about that! LOL but the days where there would be cases stacked up, we could always get a Diet at your house. You loaded up when they were on sale!
WHAT MADE YOU, YOU
Your storytelling — one of my favorite stories was you flying an airplane! And your Mom not believing the noise she heard above the house on Bonnaker Ave was YOU in that plane!!
Your sayings!
“Hay is for horses. Straw is cheaper.”
“I’m gonna drive your toes into the ground and clunk you” LOL
Your stubbornness. We liked to say “It was your way, or the highway.” If a restaurant or store made you mad, you would stop going for a long, long time. I remember growing up we shunned Pizza Hut. I forget what they did. I imagine you did too LOL.
Westerns & Cowboys: The Virginian, Gunsmoke, Oklahoma! John Wayne, Annie Oakley. I remember you telling me you and Grandma had a Day Trip planned to go visit Annie’s grace. Oh and the Pinball machine. Yidee Up, Cowboy!
You were always ready to crack a joke! We rarely thought it was funny. LOL Just kidding, we sometimes did ;)
Your craftsmanship — For all the things! From craft shows, adding onto your house, starting Pen & Ink with Gma (I’m thinking about those name pencils), engraving trophies + plaques, gardening + creating the birdhouse tree, making Adirondack furniture + planter boxes… there’s not enough time in the day to share all the amazing things you made with your two hands over the years! (Oh gosh, and the time you lost a finger or two from the saws!)
Every year you made HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of Christmas ORNAMENTS. You gave them to everyone you knew! Friends, family, family’s friends. You inspired me to continue the tradition and I’ve been doing the same for 5+ years now.
And we won’t ever forget... to always turn around in the driveway! You’d walk us out to the door. Watch us leave. Turn off the light (if it was night) as we pulled away <3
Grandpa, life isn’t the same without you here. I mean, going down Memory Lane makes me wish I could go back in time and relive these days with you. They were some of the sweetest, most special times. I miss your laugh. I miss your stories. I miss you. I’m forever grateful for the time we had together. You taught me how to love well and love often. Thanks for being such an influential man in my life and wonderful role model.
Would ya give Grandma a BIG bear hug for me?
Lots of Love,
“A”
The house from when your parents built it and lived there! Check out that pool :D
The house from when you bought it + made it your own! Check out that 4-car garage and garden! :D :D
