We just got word a few minutes ago that my grandfather died of a heart attack. I don't know how old he is off hand. That would have been something Mom would have known. Grandpa was on his way to work and apparently knew something was wrong as he was headed to the hospital when the heart attack quit. In a way, I'm glad this is how he went. He'd been treated several times for colon-rectal cancer and I didn't want to see him waste away like Mom had.

Grandpa was the only grandfather I ever knew. He is actually my step-grandfather, but in my heart, he is Grandpa and always will be. My dad's dad died before I was born. I saw my mom's dad twice that I can recall in my life.

I can remember having a awful dream when I was 10 or 11 and finally figured out how Grandpa fit into the picture. I remember in the dream I yelled at him that he didn't matter because he wasn't "really" my grandfather. Thank God it was only a dream. Just the same, I felt guilty about that dream for years.

Amy and I were talking a little bit and agreed that the only memories we have of Grandpa are good ones. The only negative would have been his snoring (could shake the walls!). Grandpa worked a lot out of state, so it was a big deal when he came back around. He always had this cherry flavored gum for Mark and I when we'd get in to ride in his truck. He and Grandma did fight a lot (though not often in front of the grandkids) but in the last few years, they had grown closer.

A favorite memory that came to me as I was writing this was of a Christmas when I was 4 or 5. We'd spent Christmas Eve at my Grandma Nelson's and had driven from their to Redfield. When we got there, my cousins were all there. We finally settled down enough to go to sleep. In the wee hours of the morning, we were woken up by our parents and told that Santa was there. We went out into the living room. Sure enough, there was Santa. He gave each one of us a gift and even knew our names. As stuff with Santa was winding up, I started looking around and realized that Grandpa wasn't around. When Santa disappeared and Grandpa reappeared, I excitedly told him that he'd missed seeing Santa.

Grandpa would have given a person he loved the clothes off his back. He always seemed to be smiling or on the verge of a smile. I'm going to miss his laugh. He was an incredible person and though we weren't related by blood, I am proud to have been his grandson and hope I continue to be a man he'd be proud of.