Both of my Grandfathers and Grandmothers and my parents are gone. I remember them with great detail. Both my Grandfathers were farmers. One raised cotton and the other sugar cane. It is funny that they didn’t want to stay on the farm. And both became railroad conductors. One on the Kansas City Southern and the other was on the Southern Pacific. They both were strong men and had a good family life. My father’s dad was injured on the job and retired from the railroad. My mom’s dad died from Tuberculosis when he was 54 years old. They both knew each other. They passed on their family values to my mom and dad. My dad worked for the post office and my mom was a school teacher. My mom and her 2 sisters always had the family to gather together at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. As the years went by our gathering grew and grew. The cousins were all boys. So when we gathered we played baseball or football. As we grew older, the family began to play cards. We split into 4 per table and played a game of spades called 500. I miss those times and my family that gathered. My younger brother died about a year ago about this time. My dad was considered a wild child when he was young. He was the baby of the family and got away with things. When he had sons and only sons, he knew all the tricks of the trade. So we couldn’t get away with much. Mom just didn’t understand. It is the same with my sons, no daughters. My wife just didn’t understand boys. But the one thing that has stayed with me all these years is that my dad got on his knees every night praying for his family. That God would help him raise his children the right way. So to my father and grandfathers, I honor them this day for all the hard work they put into their families.
Joseph1637/Crain Blanchard 