My Grandpa was a great man. He was the only Grandpa I ever had. My dad's father died a month before I was born. My dad's mom never remarried. She has been with the same man since I was young but I never called him Grandpa. I'm not sure why. My mother's dad was my only Grandpa. We called with Pa-Pa when we were little. My daughter calls my mom Paw-Paw. She's been doing it since she was a baby. My mom loves it. I think it makes her think of her dad. My grandpa was a hard working man his whole life. He gave up a basketball scholarship to UofI because he had 10 brothers and sisters that needed to be feed. He gave up his dreams of playing basketball and getting an education so he could work to help provided for the family. That is the kind of person he was. He loved my Grandma very much but the marriage didn't work out. They got a divorce in the early 70s which was unheard of. My Grandma never remarried. My Grandpa did in the late 70s. He married Pat who became a step-grandma to me. She's still living but I haven't heard from her since the funeral. (That's a long story that I'm not getting into on here.) My mom was a teen mom. My Grandpa could have done a lot of stuff like kick her out of the house, but he didn't. He told her she could stay as long as she kept going to school. My Grandpa would work midnight shift then watch my sister while my mom went to school. My Grandpa was so proud of my mother when later she got her RN degree. He pinned her in the nursing ceremony. It is one of my favorite memories of both of them. My Grandpa worked as a tractor operator at Laclede Steel Co. He had to retire due to back issues (maybe that's where I get mine). He was very sarcastic which he passed down to his children who passed down to their children who passed down to their children. When my daughter is being sarcastic I ask her where did you get that. She says from you and Paw-Paw (my mom) and Paw-Paw's dad. My Grandpa fought cancer for years. He was fighting colon cancer when I graduated from high school. He went into remission for awhile but it came back and spread to his lungs. I remember him picking me up from the airport in ST Louis (I was returning from a spring break my senior year). He told me in his morbid sense of humor that the doctor told him to get a casket. A few months later, he wanted to come to my college graduation but couldn't because he was so sick. My Grandpa was 6'7. He had always been so tall and strong. It was hard to see what the cancer was doing to him. In September of 2003, he was in the hospital and the doctors didn't think he would make it. I got to tell everything I ever wanted to say. I told him he had to listen and not jump in with some joke. I told him, "I love you more than you can ever imagine. You have been a father to me when my father chose not to be. You have been there every time I needed you. I'm so thankful that I have you as my Grandpa. I will spend my life trying to be someone you will be proud of." He smiled and said I love you too. We hugged. He didn't pass away that time. I got to see him a few more times. I found out on December 30th, 2003 that I was pregnant. My Grandpa passed away on January 4, 2004. Gabrielle was born August 27, 2004. I wish more than anything he was around to see her born. He would have loved her and spoiled her to pieces. He always loved babies. I wish he would have meet my husband. They would have bonded over WWE. My grandpa was a huge fan and called it his male soap opera. Every Memorial Day weekend I think of him because we would spend it all together at the lake for his birthday. He was an incredible man who left us too soon. I miss him more than I could ever put into words. RIP Grandpa Lansdon!
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