“Grandpa, where do we even begin? We have so many fond and hilarious memories with you, which always included you holding out your hand so we could kiss it like you were a princess or something. We all lost countless games of checkers and Skipbo to you – yes, we admit, you are the King of Checkers! One vivid memory we have of you is how you would have us all pile onto the toboggan and pull us behind the four-wheeler through the snow. Whether we lost boots, mittens, or a cousin along the way, it always seemed like you left us behind just a little bit longer than you had to while we were hollering at you to stop! And when we set up haunted houses in your basement, which was a frequent occurrence, you even pretended to be scared of the grape eyeballs and the spaghetti brains that we forced you to put your fingers in.
We are ever so grateful that Grandpa has consistently been a solid rock in our family and has always encouraged us and supported our educations. Even during our last visits with him, Grandpa told us girls that we were beautiful and that he loved us. It is certain that he has had a great impact on our lives, and we wouldn’t be who we are without his influence.
Just an hour or two before Grandpa passed away, Megan was reading a devotional before bed and was touched by these words that were about to become so relevant:
As Hebrews 6:19 says, ‘We have this hope as anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ Grandpa, we look forward to seeing you again one glorious day in the presence of our Lord, and can’t wait to have the honor of once again giving you a kiss on the hand.
You will forever hold a special place in our hearts as a man that cherished each one of us, brought constant laughter to our lives, and set a beautiful example of what it looks like to love the Lord. We love you!”
