Pop-Pop

(Grammy & Pop-Pop doing the Festivus "sing-a-long" with us in 2007)

It has almost been a month since Pop-Pop passed away on May 8th.  We were so fortuanate to be able to fly out to Salt Lake for the funeral on May 12th.  This time, we took Riley & Alec with us.  Riley because she knew them best out of all of our kids, and Alec because he & Pop-Pop both love scouting so much.

It was a quick - in & out - trip, but the memorial service was just perfect.  The highlights for me were hearing Riley play "I Stand All Amazed" on the piano - I'd never heard her play it more beautifully before!  And his group of cub scouts that came and played "You're a Grand Old Flag" on the haromonicas that Pop-Pop taught them to play.  What a tear-jerker that was!

We will all miss both Pop-Pop & Grammy, but I know that they are together and happy.  And I'm sure that Grammy had something to do with his timely death so close to her own.

At the memorial service, I had a chance to share some memories of Pop-Pop.  Here are my thoughts:

One of my earliest memories with Pop-Pop was bouncing on his knee and playing Pony Girl.  I LOVED that game and I would beg him to do it over and over again!  When we were done, Pony Girl usually ended up with a good tickle in my right side.


For my 3rd birthday, Pop-Pop gave me a cowgirl outfit - a denim shirt, jeans and a leather belt.  He thought it was the greatest gift ever given!  I was a girly-girl and I remember my mom sternly telling me to put on the outfit and pretend to like it!  He loved cowboys.  After I was married, I was at the airport with him and a little girl stopped in front of us, looked up at him and said, "Mom!  There's a real cowboy!"  Pop-Pop got a kick out of that.


When I was 8-yrs-old, I remember my baptism day.  Even at that young age, I was proud to have Pop-Pop baptize me.


As I got older, my favorite trips were the pilgrimages we made down to Atlanta.  When we arrived, I couldn't wait to hear what fun things Pop-Pop planned for us to do.  On those trips, he introduced me to camping and fishing.  Pop-Pop made fishing fun.  He taught me to be quiet so the fish would bite, to wear a hat so I wouldn't get sunburned, and to never stand up in the boat.  In my eyes, he was the bravest man on earth because he baited our hooks with live crickets.  He'd reach his hand into the canister, pull out a cricket, and without hesitation attach it to my hook.  I don't remember ever catching a fish like my brothers did, but I always loved going with him anyway.


In college, he always let me know how proud he was of me without ever saying a word.  In those days, he and Grammy were my home away from home and many times he would slip me a 20 dollar bill at the end of spending the weekend with them.  I would try to refuse it, but he always made me take it.  When he first met Jeff, he pulled me aside, got right in my face, and said, "Don't let that one get away!"


Pop-Pop was one of my greatest fans, like all members of his family.  He was at my wedding and assisted in the blessing of my children.  I will miss his easy smile and positive outlook on life, but I know that I will see both he & Grammy again.

 Pop-Pop's beloved "Akela" costume.  He actually wore it in January for a cub scout pack meeting.

Scott is going to take care of it now!

 Teresa's idea to put these by his casket at the viewing - he never went anywhere without a hat!

 The US Coast Guard presented this flag to my mom and played "Taps"

in his honor for his service to our country.

 All of my Michels' cousins, Mario, Scott, and Jeff G. were pall bearers.

 Amanda...we stayed at their house and got to 

enjoy some of her delicious homemade cinnamon rolls.

She is the "hostess with the mostest!"

 Mom & Uncle Rick with Pop-Pop's flag.