My hero

My Granddaddy's funeral service was a goOd one, if that's possible to say about a funeral. It was a celebration of his wonderful 91 years of life. My Daddy spoke and told stories that perfectly illustrated Granddaddy's kind heart, generous spirit, and consistently positive attitude.
Granddaddy had a younger sister named Betty, whom he loved very much. When he was a little boy, he decided to do something nice for Betty. He took his little red wagon down to the local sawmill and collected scraps of wood. Then, he hauled his wagon down to the site of a house that had recently burned down and he collected nails. He made his way home with his collection of supplies and he built Betty a playhouse. All because he loved her and wanted to make her smile.
Granddaddy always looked for the good in everyone and everything. He never spoke an unkind word to or about anyone. He owned a salvage yard and car repair business, and he never turned away anyone who needed work. This meant that he employed his fair share of drunks, liars, and riff-raff. He never chastised them for their behavior. He simply believed in them and encouraged them to be better people. He was truly the best man ever. He was always there to lend a hand to those in need and never passed judgement, no matter how bad the circumstances. I always knew that I had his unquestioning support in everything I did, as did those around him.
Seventy-one years ago, my Granddaddy set his sights upon my Grandmother. He knew that if he wanted to spend time with her, he'd have to win over her mother, and that he did. At the time, Granddaddy owned and ran a service station in Georgia. This meant that he didn't get off work until around 10pm every night. This meant that my Grandmother had to wait u till late at night to spend time with him. They were engaged to be married and planned to we'd after her 19th birthday. One day, she'd had enough. She told him that she
was sick of waiting up for him every night and told him they'd just have to move the wedding up. They got married 3 days before her 19th birthday, on January 6, 1940.


Granddaddy, I love you and I miss you.

A

My Granddaddy.

Grandmother and Granddaddy.  January 6, 2011 would have been their 71st wedding anniversary.

Granddaddy and Great-Uncle Malone (Grandmother's brother) were born 5 years and 1 day apart, and they passed away only 7 hours apart from each other.

I love that man.

Celebrating his 91st birthday back in August.