Grandpa Paul

January 1982 - Jeff, Lisa, Grandpa Paul, and me

Twenty-five years. October 7, 1986. That was the day my Grandpa Paul passed away and went to heaven after a long battle with cancer. Even though I was only six years old, I can still remember it so clearly. It was my first real encounter with death and mourning.  I remember my Dad, brother, and sister coming to my first grade class room and asking my teacher if they could talk to me. They told me the news and that I needed to ask my teacher if I could go home. I broke down in tears before I could even get the words out to Mrs. Simpson. She held me and told me to go home... that she would be thinking about me and my family. I remember going to JC Penney in Sioux City to get a new dress for the funeral. And I freaked out when they announced that the store would be closing in 15 minutes. I was in the dressing room with Mom and all I wanted to do was leave. I thought that we were going to get locked in...I'm guessing I was just upset about everything. But Jeff and Lisa never let me forget that I flipped out in JC Penney. And I remember the funeral and seeing my wonderful, loving Grandpa Paul for the last time. Why are good-byes so hard?



Christmas 1982



This summer while I was home in Nebraska, my Grandpa Paul's brother Mark passed away. My cousin Rhonda whispered in my ear before Uncle Mark's funeral, "They were so lucky to have their grandpa for so long." She was referring to Mark's four grandchildren. I immediately teared up. All I could think was she was right and that she was also lucky to have had so much time with our grandpa. Rhonda is eight years older than me...that was eight more years she had to get to know him. I was #17 in twenty grandchildren, so most of my cousins knew Grandpa so much more than me. It is a hard thing to think about, but I love to hear the stories of him and to reminisce about the things I do remember... Like getting jellybeans handed to me from the pew behind us in of church (which I don't think Mom liked, but what could she say, it was her dad). I remember riding next to him on the armrest of his car the few blocks from church to his house - at only 3 or 4 years old - no seat belt or anything. I remember going with Mom and him to some of his doctor appointments in Sioux City while he was sick - and not knowing that this was really a serious thing, just thinking that I got to go on a little adventure with him. And I remember the wonderful weekends we spent at his house - all the grandkids playing pool in the basement or rolling down the big hill in his backyard. I love and cherish the memories!

He was a wonderful man! I love and miss you Grandpa Paul!

Boating on the Missouri River - I think this was around the summer of 1983