My Grandpa Ralph passed away this morning. He was a man of few words, a quick wit, and unending love for his family. He was gentle and fairly quiet, but always had a twinkle in his eye because at his core he was a prankster. Nothing harmful, of course, but he loved playing practical jokes, saying silly puns, and had quite the collection of Norwegian gadgets. One of his favorites was a wooden cube with a slider on the top. When you slid the box open, a toy mouse popped out on your hand. I also remember his Norwegian "Quarter Pounder" - which was a board with a quarter glued to it and a tiny wooden hammer triggered to pound the quarter - a quarter pounder! He loved when someone new came to visit and he could get them scratching their head and laughing with his shelf of tricks.
Grandpa was a dairy farmer, like his father before him. He worked hard his whole life, but found joy in his work. His favorite place to be was on the tractor - preferably a John Deere - and managed to keep raking hay until last fall at the age of 87. He also loved playing cards and continued playing with friends and family many times a week, even while home on hospice care.
I've been rather spoiled, because for the 33 years of my life, all four of my grandparents have been guideposts, cheerleaders, and supporters as I have gone through the many chapters and stages of my life. From birthdays to piano recitals, to Sacraments to graduations, they have been there through it all with me. As I contemplate this loss and go through the grieving process, I think about how different it will be now. There will be an empty seat at those special events and one of my biggest cheerleaders is no longer on earth where I can see his smile and that familiar twinkle in his eye. That will be very difficult to get used to. The reassuring part is that I know Grandpa is looking down at the beautiful family he created with so much love and pride, and that I know that one day we will all be together again. One of the last times I visited him, he was gazing at the grandchildren quilt that hangs in their bedroom. It is filled with the handprints of his 24 grandchildren and 36 great grandchildren. He said, "Can you believe we started all that?!" He was a humble man, who was deeply proud of his family.
We laid Grandpa to rest with so much love at his home church in Lima. It was an absolutely gorgeous sunny day and the trees were all blooming with their beautiful spring blossoms. The church was packed with well over 300 people. We processed in with our whole family - all 100 of us - and it was such a powerful visual of the legacy my grandparents created. When Mass was over, and the bells chimed, we followed Grandpa out of the church to his final resting place in the Lima cemetery. We gathered around for the military honors and taps, said our final goodbyes, and sang his favorite song, "Sweet Violets," for him one last time. The funeral director gave each of us a flower from his casket spray as one final gift from Grandpa.
Grandpa, I am proud to be your granddaughter. Rest in peace. Love you more.
No comments:
Post a Comment