Grandpa Henry

Photo by Lynette Polinder

Friday afternoon, my Grandpa Henry Yoder passed away in his home. This past week was especially rough. My Aunts and Uncle stayed with Grandpa and Grandma and gave lots of wonderful care. I was thankful for their frequent communication to the rest of the family, which made me feel like I was not so far away. I grieve especially for my Grandma Polly as she has lost her partner of 66 years. It's hard to imagine her without him.

I've been thinking about my memories of Grandpa, and I've been thinking a lot about childhood memories. Grandpa passed on his love of games, and I distinctly remember him teaching us to play games (specifically Rook). He liked to do tricks to amaze us, like "blowing up" his bicep. Or pulling a string between his nose and mouth. He was frugal, and I remember a reunion when he told us we could use one square of toilet paper for #1 and two squares for #2. Of course, there are lots more.

I enjoyed reading reflections by my mom and her siblings. 

I have appreciated my loving, supportive, generous, and down to earth family. We are blessed to have such a warm and supportive community here. Grandpa would be so happy.