Remembering Papa

Papa's visitation was last Sunday, September 25th, and I thought it was one of the most special ones I'd seen. I've never seen so many personal touches everywhere. There were SO many pictures. Some made me smile, laugh and cry. What a special life he was. I saw many special moments that will stay with me, and I'm glad, in some way, that I have those with me now. I took a lot of pictures. I took pictures of the picture boards that I loved. I took pictures of personal moments, simply because I wanted them to stay with me.

That's me in Papa's lap. I can still remember that couch. It was velvety. :)

This was a favorite picture of EVERYONE there. Lukas is SO excited about his birthday present. Papa: out cold. You really appreciated this if you were a grandchild.

I don't ever remember him wearing this or when this was, but I thought he looked handsome.

Close up of one of the picture boards

See him on his boat? Fishing was his favorite.

This was him at Carol's wedding. I remember this picture being on Mema and Papa's dresser.

I love the one of he and Mema and the one in front of his birthday cake.

I thought this was so sweet of him and Lindsay at her wedding.

This was just in August, the last time Lukas saw him. So sweet. They always had a special relationship because Mema and Papa watched him while Carol worked.

More boards

Check this out. The nursing home made this board just because a while back. Look how much he looked like Andy Griffith.

This was so neat. All black and whites of he and Mema when they were younger.

He and Sage on her first Thanksgiving of 2005

Thanksgiving 2005

Us on the swing. I think this was the first time Travis ever came to Ky, so this was 2002, I think.

This was when he, Mema, my dad and Kevin all came to our house here right after Sage was born. Look how proud he was. He kept raving over how much he loved my house. He'd say, "Kevin, you sure got a nice house....(this is Julie's house). Julie's? OH! Well, it sure is nice." :)

And then I saw moments like this. This was initially after we'd first gotten there, and I saw her get a minute to herself.

This was his watch. Mom got it for him for Father's Day, and he just loved it because it lit up. Mom said, "Dad, if I'd known that was going to make you so happy I'd have bought you one a long time ago." He'd say, "Look at this. Just look at what this does." And then other times, Mema would tell him to show people what it did, and he'd say, "Well, not for free." Mom wanted him to be buried in it, but then she saw how much it meant to Lukas. He asked for it, and she gave it to him.

One of his fishing trophies and his hats signed by professional fishermen.

Kevin and Bryan
For 5 years, they were the only grandchildren. so they had all eyes on them. Robin said one time Mema came home, and Papa was just laughing at them while they played volleyball in the living room. She was not as amused.

His GE 25 years pin and his union pin

At the foot of the casket were Carol's shoes. Robin hadn't taken them out of her car since she died. I thought this was so touching.

His fishing poles and a picture the funeral home made. Travis thought those poles were props until Mema brought them home.

At the end of a very long night,

when all the visitors stopped

I saw this. It was so touching. And heartbreaking. And inspiring. 61 years of marriage is hard to say goodbye to. I heard her whispering to him.

I didn't dare try to hear what she said. It was between them, but I was glad to have seen it from a distance.

With Danny, their son