The Family History Writing Challenge - Meeting Grandpa

If I can get something written today I will make it through the challenge with a total completion of at least 250 words for all 28 days.  Some days have been very difficult.  Today I have just been putting off and my mind just can't seem to think of anything to write about.  I am going to complete the challenge so I thought if I just start writing maybe something will just appear on this page.  Okay, here goes, let see what magic this computer can make happen.

When did you meet your grandpa?  The only time I ever remember seeing mine I was about eleven or twelve years old.  I don't remember the date or exactly how old I was.  In my mind I can see the day he came to our house.  I know he died when I was 12 1/2 and it probably was not too many years before he died.

He only lived about 30 miles from us, and maybe I had seen him before when I was younger.  I really don't know.  If my mom was still around I would ask her.  And I would ask her why he didn't come to see us.  I think I know what her answer would be.  

My grandfather married another woman after my mom's mother died.  Mom's mother died when she was fifteen.  I was told their stepmother was very mean to my mom and her sisters.  They all got out of the house as quickly as possible.  My oldest sister remembers visiting with Grandpa when she was young, so they did spend time together after my mom was an adult.

The day that Grandpa came to visit, my little sister and I were at home.  We were really excited.  And you know how kids are when they get excited.  We were pretty much bouncing off the walls.  Grandpa and his wife Mabel came in and Grandpa talked to Mom.  She was so happy to see him.  She was almost glowing with happiness.  I think that made my sister and I more nuts.   Dad and Mom where probably getting a little upset with us.  We were usually well behaved when someone came to visit.

I remember that day we were running around and singing some silly little thing that we had made up.  We sang something about "we have the piarrhea"  something like diarrhea, but with a p in it.  I have no idea why we were singing it.  We were just being silly.  I don't know if something had been said before they got there that made us think of something so silly.  I was usually quiet, not my little sister though.  

Well the one thing I remember is Mable saying with a disgusted look on her face, "Do they really have something wrong with them?"  My mom said, "No, they don't"  

Grandpa really tried to be friendly with us, but we just didn't know him.  I think he waited too late for us.  I know Mom really enjoyed seeing him that day.

It wasn't long after that he died.  My mom told me we were going to his funeral.  I told her that I didn't want to go to a funeral, I couldn't miss school that day.  She didn't make me go, I really didn't know him.  

I was in eighth grade when he died.  I remember being in school the day of his funeral, I was in my favorite class, an English class with a teacher I loved.  She asked me what was wrong, I wasn't my usual happy self.  I told her that my grandpa had died.  I didn't know him.  I think I was sad because I would never get to know him.  All my other grandparents had died before I was born.  This was the only chance for a grandparent I had and he was gone.

This is my Grandfather, the one waving, with his children.  My mom is in the back row.  My aunt from Colorado is missing.  I'm not sure what year this was taken.  The cars in the background might give an indication of the time frame.