Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Wistful Wednesday: Marvin

My Father in Law would have been 100 years old today.   He died from complications after a procedure to drain fluid from the pleura around his lungs.  The procedure went just fine, but shortly afterwards his kidneys and liver failed. They called it Multi System failure. He died early on a Sunday morning August 28, 1994.  He was eighty years and fifteen days old at the time of his death….twenty years ago this month. He was only in the hospital for 7 days. Someone sat with him the entire time he was in the Intensive Care Unit.

Marvin #6 (2)

Photo from the 1930’s.

Coffee so thick it barely pours, braunsweiger sandwiches, Tiparillos, Meerschaum Pipes, Cross pens, flannel shirts, deer hunting, fishing for the “big one”, big fancy cars, the color red, cameras, fried potatoes, peanut butter that had to be stirred because the oil separated in the jar, ginger snaps, solitaire card game ( always marking the aces with his thumb nail), newspapers on the floor and Atlas Maps at the ready next to his chair, Angie Dickinson from the old series Police Woman, never retiring for the night until Johnny Carson was over… so many memories.

He was a good listener, and didn’t give advice unless asked.  He loved to talk on the phone, we often encouraged our talky/argumentative oldest daughter to “Call your Grandpa and argue with him.”

He was a good Grandfather.  He was thrilled with both of our girls and with his other granddaughter too.  He spoiled them and was the creator of the “bees” that buzzed them and made them collapse in giggles.

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17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love reading your memories of him. What a great photo. I know he is greatly missed.

Marty said...

I've said it before, and I'll keep on saying it: One of the greatest values of blogs is to be able to bring people from our past alive again through memories and to share them with the rest of the world.

Intense Guy said...

I like this entry a lot - it really honors the man - and it's a shame "modern medicine" let him down - perhaps today they would have "cured him."

linda m said...

Thank you for sharing your memories of your father-in-law with us. He sounds like a wonderful and handsome man.

DJan said...

What a great portrait of a very interesting man. You didn't need many words to make him come alive to me. :-)

thecrazysheeplady said...

Beautiful tribute.

Nancy said...

A wonderful post - your short observations created a mental image of him that will stick with me all day. I especially like that someone sat with him all the time in ICU.

Cynthia said...

Sweet memories. Everyone needs a couple grandpas in their lives!

Henny Penny said...

How special, the things you remember about him. Sounds like a good grandpa.

Primitive Stars said...

How Sweet, great memories, Francine.

Red said...

Good memories! Good times! He was a gem. Happy birthday Grandpa.

bobbybegood1 said...

what a bighearted post. its always nice reading about family and the quality times shared. he sounds like he was a very interesting man. angie dickenson? ha. now theres a throw back. police woman was one of my sisters fave tv show. cheers!!

Karen said...

He sounds like a lovely fascinating man. It makes so me sad that my kids couldn't grow with a grandfather around. One passed before they were born, and the other was only alive for the first two years of Meredith's life.

Linda Kay said...

What a lovely memorial to a really special guy!

Jacqi Stevens said...

Wonderful memories. His granddaughters--and all the rest of you--have a precious heritage.

Rita said...

Your list gave me such a picture of him!! Nice tribute to an interesting man. :)

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

I love this, and especially the "call your grandfather and argue with him." Great memories for you and your children.