Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Just had one of those moments....

I was updating my address book--the "old-fashioned" kind that's a book where you actually physically write stuff :). I don't trust technology 100%. I always use pencil so that I can erase and make changes if people move and stuff.

It's probably been over a year since I last updated it because I noticed that I still had my paternal grandfather's information. He passed away 15 months ago. Yesterday was Memorial Day and seeing my grandpa's name on the page just tugged at my heart. He is gone from us. He served in the US Navy and fought in the Korean War. He was always smiling and laughing and full of wit and humor--we were always laughing when he was around. Here he is 5 years ago. Can you guess which one he is?

(The guy with the goatee).

His step-father, my great-granddad, passed away a year and a half earlier. He, too, was a veteran. A US Marine, having served in World War II and I am pretty sure Vietnam (gotta check and make sure). He, too, is pictured above.

This is another picture of us with my great-grandparents,
one of the last times we'd all see them.

My great-grandma and great-granddad died only a few days apart. That was a touching story.... Great-granddad was more soft-spoken than great-grandma. He was always happy to have us great-grandkids over. I loved his big garden and his hugs.

Though he joined the church in the early 70's, great-grandma didn't join until 2004. The obtained special permission from the First Presidency to not have to wait a year after her baptism to be sealed in the temple.

It was a beautiful day, the day of their sealing.

My maternal grandfather passed away almost 9 years ago. I can't find the picture I have of him in uniform when he and grandma married. But this is them with their 9 children.


Grandpa fought in World War II. He was there on Normandy Beach. My mom said he never talked about his war experiences. We wonder if his wife, my grandma, still living, even knows of his stories. All my memories of him are seeing him weak, walking with a cane and going steadily blind over the years. My mother remembers his healthier days of during her childhood, his strength, stamina, and good humor as he worked their family farm.


One of my brothers currently serves our country in the US Air Force. He is a linguist and I am amazed by all the knowledge this guy can fit in his head! He and I were close growing up and perfected the art of verbal disputation, much to my father's disappointment. I'd like to think that I helped expand my brother's capacity for communication :). Seriously though, we are so pleased with this guy's devotion to family, church, and our great nation.
Happy Memorial Day....

6 comments:

Jennifer said...

What wonderful pictures of your family! We certainly have a lot to be grateful for thanks to the wonderful men in service, including your brother. :)

ldsjaneite said...

Nice family tribute. I miss the family members, too. Though the great-grandparents actually passed away only 4 months before Grandpa. Those were very hard months for me to be away from family, and that I wasn't able to see them for many years prior to their deaths. Thanks for the pictures--I haven't seen anything post sealing (except funeral).

Becca and fam said...

Thanks for all those family photos. I just love it.

SuburbiaMom said...

Yes, ldsjaneite--got my years wrong!! Can't believe I moved in between all that.

Shea said...

What a great legacy!

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