Twenty-Seven? You're Halfway to Heaven

So said my grandpa to me the last time I saw him.  Probably twenty times.  Every time he asked me how old I was (he forgot quickly, given his dementia), he reminded me promptly of my proximity to death.  At first it was surprising and funny, and then it started to bother my growing consciousness of my age.  However, when my mom pointed out that Grandpa was probably saying this because it rhymed, I felt much more at ease.

Grandpa was always one to have a witty saying on the tip of his tongue.  Whether we visited the OK Café for breakfast and he bantered with the waitress or he greeted one of us kids, he was always ready with an expression that made us smile.  He loved to tell us a tall tale or exaggerate some truth just enough to make us wonder about the veracity of it, until he let us in on his secret that he was pulling our legs.

Some of his tales were true, though they sound more like they sprang from the novels of western writers.  My personal favorites were the buffalo stories.  As a boy, his father owned a buffalo who had a penchant for running away to find himself some lovely cows.  Many a time the neighbor farmers called his father to tell him of his delinquent buffalo, and they had to work hard to trick the buffalo into coming home.  Finally, the fellow was laid to rest and placed in the Hastings museum, where we visited him from time to time on our vacations out west.

The other fantastic Grandpa story was of the Hastings hold-up.  As the son of the mayor, Grandpa was perhaps privy to a bit of the investigation of the now-famous bank robbery where the robbers left with $27,000.  The police couldn't find any of the money; but Grandpa, at eleven years old, and after receiving permission from his father, searched the robbers' getaway car and found $10,000 of the missing money.  A month before he passed, the local news aired an interview with an author who has used this robbery story for fodder, including an interview with Grandpa.  He looked good.

Last week I travelled with my family to remember Grandpa and his adventuresome life.  He was a man of many accomplishments and great intelligence, but above all, I will remember him for his love for us and how he, along with my grandma, always made us feel special when we visited them.

Bank Heist Author, Grandpa Interview