The Acorn Doesn’t Fall Far: Paul on His Dad, Grandpa

My dad would have turned 99 on Tuesday. He lived a wonderful life, and although saddened by him leaving us last June, his life was textbook on how to live. I unfortunately never had the chance to have a relationship with my Grandpa, his dad. He died well before I was born, but dad always told me that I was a lot like him.

This picture was around 1940 when he had his garden. He found a wooded and brush area on a sidehill up from the highway that had a spring on it. With hard work and determination, he was able to put in a huge garden that not only fed his family but many others. They even put an article about him in the paper. He just had a knack for things like that. He figured out that he could hook a piece of wire to his icebox and run it into the drain in the basement so they never needed a drain pan. He was frugal, and no matter what came up, he would have the money for it. My dad needed a hernia operation in 1929 and he paid cash for the procedure. Even though I never met him, I feel like I still knew him through my dad. As they say, the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree. By the way, all the seeds are available now in the stores. Put in a garden. It's better for you in more ways than one. See ya tomorrow at 5.