Grandpa

On September 2nd at about 3:15 am my grandfather passed away. He was 91 years old. I was able to go to the funeral which was held on friday the 5th in Missouri. All of the granddaughters spoke at the funeral- everyone said we did a good job.The funeral home made avideo from some family pictures you can view it online at http://www.webfh.com/fh/home/home.cfm?&fh_id=10955&ck=1
just click on John L Rosanbalm and then on view video tribute. I am very lucky in that my grandparent were all still alive only two years ago and I am 24 years old, most people have grandparents that they can't remember. My other grandfather passed away december 14th of 2006. My grandmothers are still both alive and pretty well for their life experiances and ages. Last weekend I was feeling a little selfish, being irritated that my grandfathers won't be around to see my kids, I won't get to see them on the holidays anymore, ect. I guess in a way I always felt like they would be there like they always had been. I have changed to instead of feeling hurt, feeling happy and thankful that both of their lives were preserved (amidst health problems that were not disabling until the last year or two of their lives) long enough to see all of their grandchildren grown and many great grandchildren too. Again, not many can say that.I know that I will see them both again and that they are in a happier place- reunited with others they know.
Like I said before my girl cousins and i spoke at the funeral- we talked about grandpa's garden and how he would pay us to pck the tomato bugs off the plants and how we loved to walk through the wet garden to feel the mud between our toes. We also got in trouble a bit because we would climb on the pig pen roof and do other things we weren't supposed to do. I remember grandpa reading to me and my brother and going on tractor rides. He always told me I had a pretty smile. That was grandpa Rosanbalm- he lived a life of service. In the Army during WWII. the VFW. Lions club, active at church, ect
When grandpa Stroot died I flew in to go to his funeral too. The entire way there i thought of the memories I have of him. At eh visitation that same night the father asked for the grandchildren to share memories and my mind went blank- for the life of me I couldn't think of anything to say- so to help my guilt of this (especially afte speaking at my other grandfathers funeral)and to remenece about these memories... I can remember my grandpa Stroot taking us to the veterans home where they ahd a kind of wildlife park area and we would feed the deer. Similarly I remember a time we went to the pond with my cousin Katie and Katie and I had that Dip Stick candy where you have the powder and use the stick of candy to eat the powder. Katie and I started dipping the sticks full of powder into the pond and the huge fish would come and suck it off- we would then eat some for ourselves and share again with the fish. My grandma told us to stop while my grandpa laughed and told her we were just feeding the fish! He had a fun since of humor. Everytime i eat peanuts i think of him offering them to me across the table and saying "here, one nut to another!" and when we played games with dice we had to giggle the skin under our chin for good luck while we shook teh dice in our hands- I think of that when I roll dice too. Grandpa Stroot also lived a life of service- he was in the navy during Korea was active in church and drove the senior citizens van too. There's probably more I don't know about. He was also very musically talented and played in a bugal band, was the drum major at his high school and i believe he sang in a barbersop quartet too. I feel luck to come from such good stock on both sides. And will fondly think back on memories of these two great men whom I have the privelage to call grandpa.