Grandpa Joe

(This is Grandpa Joe wearing my Elvis glasses in 2006)

My Grandpa Joe was a kind and gentle person. One of the most honest men I ever knew. This isn't an exaggeration because he was my grandfather but a true description of a man I spent most of my formative years with. When I was small my parents both worked so my grandmother watched me everyday. To say I was spoiled is probably an understatement. I spent all day with my grandmother who did my hair, dressed me in cute pinafore's and let me make tents of her kitchen table. In the evenings my grandpa would come home from work and then my parents would pick me up. I remember being so excited to see grandpa!

They also took me camping almost every weekend until the weather wouldn't allow. My grandfather worked for the Iowa Conservation Commission now known as the DNR. We spent countless weekends camping, swimming, hiking, and fishing. It was a small girls dream!

My grandparents met in Liverpool, England during WWII. My grandfather was stationed there for a short time and my grandmother was born and raised there. One evening (as my grandmother tells the story) she was waiting in line at a movie theater by herself when a handsome US Air Force service man came up to her and asked her if she would like to watch the movie with him. Several months later my grandmother was on a one-way ($45.00) flight from England to Iowa. They were married shortly after she landed and started their life together. They were opposites in personality but their love for each other was equal. They were married for 65 years, had two sons (one being my father) and adopted their youngest son. They fostered several children and took in a lot of stray animals. They were so giving and loving and wanted to help everyone. All the while, my grandfather started working for the Iowa Parks picking up garbage, then maintenance, and then on to be a Park Ranger. He worked his way up and my father grew up in the state parks of Iowa, getting into all kinds of mischief.

Soon, he was hired to be the Superintendent of State Parks in Iowa. He was also the President of the National Conservation Board of the United States of America. He was passionate about wildlife and the national parks.

I just knew him as grandpa. He wouldn't swim with me until evening for fear his head would burn in the sun during the day. He taught me how to swim in the evenings and bait my fishing hook in the day. He threw pebbles on top of the camper and told me they were ticks falling from the trees. He took naps with me, told me stories of Falling Rock and played car games with me during our travels.

He never swore, he never talked ill of anyone, and he was every ones friend from the start.

He was the kind of grandpa every girl should have. I loved him very much.

On October 11th, 2011 he passed away at 92 years old. He had been struggling for the last few years and was not well. My grandmother kept him at home and cared for him until his last day. I started missing my grandpa shortly after this picture was taken because he started to lose his memory of who his children and grandchildren were. I wasn't sad when it happened but grateful that God gave me such a special gift. I wasn't around as much as I got older but he was there to see me get married and I was able to make a few Christmas trips to see him before his memory was too bad. If any of you have a Grandpa Joe, call him today and tell him how much you love him. I have learned the hard way that time passes quickly and you need to love your family more than ever. Each of them hold a special gift.

I can still here him saying "There's my girl" when I came in the room as a small girl.

A large hug would always follow.