Grandpa

My grandfather passed away yesterday so I thought it was only fitting that I share some of my fondest memories of him today. He lived 89 years and in that time he made his mark on both the world and on our family. He fought in World War II with the Navy in the Pacific and opened his own jewelery store in Alliance, Ohio. He fathered 2 children and adopted another. He has 9 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

Grandpa and me

Martha, Clay, Grandpa, and me

There are a few fond memories I will always carry with me about my grandpa. I will always remember how he used to bring bags of butterscotch to our house when he visited. He would feed the butterscotch to our horse, Hasan. I think that grandpa really enjoyed Hasan. 

I will always remember going to my grandpa's jewelry store to pick out my first pair of pierced earrings (my uncle, who is a doctor, pierced my ears when I was in 6th grade and my grandfather supplied the earrings). I loved visiting grandpa's jewelry store and I especially loved going into the safe.

Finally, I will always remember my grandpa's humor. My brother, Clay, was obsessed with the movie "An American Werewolf in London" growing up. Grandpa watched this movie with us on one of his visits and disappeared upstairs for a few minutes mid-movie. When he came back downstairs he was wearing his bathrobe and had his pants rolled up underneath it. He told us that the movie had scared his pants off. 

I loved my grandpa and I will miss him but I know that he is in a much better place, now.