Grandpa's Last Thanksgiving edited Repost, My Favorite Holiday and why.

Grandpa's Last Thanksgiving

By Jen Donier

Grandpa was a stalky man he stood about 5'10. he had snow white hair and deep blue eyes. He had a hearty laugh when something tickled his funny bone and a deep love for his family. My grandma was his second wife, his first wife had divorced him and he had an older daughter he rarely saw but he was delighted with his two sons and younger daughter and all his grandchildren. He loved it best when we got together over the holidays. It became a family tradition to have the big family gathering on Thanksgiving, because the weather was still nice enough for travel most the time and it opened up Christmas for the individual families to spend with the other relatives and friends. Of course grandma and grandpa always spent that holiday with one or another of their children as well. But Thanksgiving was the big holiday when the Clark family got together.

Grandpa was a genuine cowboy he knew horses, front, back and sideways as well as upside down. He had driven freight wagons with sixteen horses pulling them all across Washington and Oregon. He could flick the fly off the ear of a lead horse with a black snake. He shot a mans teeth out once that tried to hold him up when he was freighting gold. He also knew a lot about cows and farming and ranching. In his younger days he rounded up and broke wild horses and worked the sulfur mines on Mount Adams. On June Twenty-first 1928 the day my daddy was born, Grandpa threw the pearl handled six shooters he always wore into a deep cave because he did not want his son to grow up being a gun toting fellow as times were changing and he did not want his son in trouble with the law or dead before he got to grow up. .

Grandpa was the champion checker player of four counties and was of the order you better not say he was cheating, “Them where fighting words”. Whenever he could he would challenge one of his nineteen grandchildren to a game. The only way we could win is if we cheated when he fell asleep. He had narcolepsy due to a head injury years ago when a wild bronc kicked him and so would fall asleep at different times and for this reason he did not drive a car. Of course he'd always know if we had cheated anyway. He would wake up and chuckle and peer hard at the checker board a few minutes then grinning would ask if we were sure of the place we had put our man. Confident we were going to beat grandpa this time we would nod or say yes, of course we had cheated to try and win. But it never worked he would still trounce us soundly, Often in our eagerness to beat him we would over look obvious openings left to grandpa to take and he would then jump two, three and up to five of our men. We would always look shocked and he would roar with laughter then say “serves ya right fer trying to cheat”.

Grandpa and Grandma were living in Husum, Washington; Grandpa spent a lot of time with us the summer of 1963. Being the eldest grandchild of nineteen. I had the privilege of getting to know Grandpa the longest. I turned 14 that summer and he helped me earn my first horse. He was a hero to me and I could talk to him about anything. He was the reason I worked hard that summer to earn money for my first horse. I turned fifteen in August and when I finally bought my horse Josephine. Grandpa said she was a good mare to learn on. She was a 20 years a sorrel and black quarter horse standing fifteen hands high and what was known as an old cow pony and a good roping horse. Not that I was interested in roping anything. I just wanted a horse to ride.  Though I usually preferred riding bare back, it thrilled grandpa to climb into a saddle once again and show me a few tricks. Grandpa turned 83 that summer; He had not been on horse back for almost ten years, but he could still throw a rope and lasso a steer. Looking through my mom's picture box I found a picture of him that summer of when he was a young man in his thirties. He had black hair and bright blue eyes. What a handsome man he was.

When I showed Grandpa the picture he said "I wish I could look that young again."Begging money from Dad I went to the store and bought a box of black hair dye. Grandpa consented to my dying his hair black with a twinkle in his eye he said; "I bet I'll make all the purty ladies swoon again".

When I was done and his hair was dry he looked in the mirror and with a big grin said. "Boy! I feel like a young man again. " He grabbed Grandma and asked me to put a record on. He said he and Grandma were going to do some rug cutting. He twirled her around the floor a couple of times until she protested she had work in the kitchen. Then he did a few capers with my sister and I. It was a lot of fun and to our astonishment, grandpa was a good dancer. Finally out of breath he had to rest, He enjoyed wearing the dark hair instead of his usual snowy locks.

About September of 1964 Grandpa and Grandma moved to Vancouver, Washington to stay with my Great Grandma, Who was ailing. She was Grandma's mother and Grandpa was seven years younger than his mother-in-law. My Grandma was the eldest of eight children. She was nineteen when Grandpa met her. They got married a year later, When she was twenty and he was Forty-two. In early October Uncle Don invited us to Thanksgiving dinner. He said Grandpa wanted the entire family gathered that year for Thanksgiving and make sure no one was missing including a couple of close family friends. My siblings and I were excited as we knew we would get to play with all our cousins and some of our friends as well.

Uncle Don's nine kids and uncle Gene's six, there four of us, Plus my dad's buddy Eldon who brought his four children and a couple other people it was big crowd to feed, my aunt Clara had the biggest house sow we were to go there for the day. There were to be two huge turkeys with all the favorite food dishes of a good thanksgiving meal. The kids would all eat at one large table and the adults at another, Aunt Clara had two tables that would sit 20 people each. I am the oldest, then my sister Candy, My brother Davy and last my youngest brother Donny.

As the oldest I was still childish enough at age 14 to want to play with my cousins but I was also expected to help more with cooking and household tasks. I rolled my eyes and groaned when Mom told me I would be helping in the kitchen that year. Then I realized, cool, I would get to hear adult talk and maybe even be allowed to put in my own two cents worth so I did not protest anymore about helping in the kitchen. My Uncle Don's house was located in the small town of Carson, Washington which is located above the Columbia River. It was a big six bedroom house with a living and dining room and huge kitchen where aunt Clara had placed the table for all the kids. There were 12 adults and 22 kids. I and Eldon's daughter got the privilege of sitting with the adults as there was more room at their table.

On Thanksgiving day we got up early, mama packed the pies into the trunk of the car. Piling in we drove the fifty miles to my Uncle's home. We all endured the general round of hugs, kisses and greetings. Then the adults shooed us kids out to play, We begged Grandpa to come too. For about an hour we followed our cousins to all the nooks and cranny s and exciting place my uncles place had to offer to a group of children. We played with a batch of kittens, climbed trees, played hide and seek. Then we made up a game called, cowboys and wild horses. Grandpa joined in the game to our delight he would occasionally throw a lasso he had fashioned from baling twine around one of us. Then chuckling he would declare. I'm putting my brand on this one and would give us a sound whisker rub while we squealed and squirmed to get away.

After awhile Grandpa sat on a piece of stove wood to rest up. Taking out his pocket knife he whittled on a stick. My youngest cousin 3 year old Shug leaned tiredly against his knee. The light powdery snow that had fallen earlier that morning had melted. The sun shone on wet glistening leaves. A light wind blew the scent of wood smoke through the clean snow washed air. Colorful autumn leaves swirled from the trees to the ground, Tantalizing smells of cooking pies wafted through an open window of the house, Drawing some of us children inside and underfoot. I hung around the door of the kitchen eavesdropping on adult conversation giving my sister Candy and my two cousins Dorothy and Debbie all age twelve a smug look as they were ordered out of doors again by grandma.

Mama however cornered me and gave me the task of peeling apples and oranges for the fruit salad. Still I felt smug because I was suddenly accepted as an adult, I sat about the task of peeling the fruit while listening as the women talked about one thing or another. However a few moments later I was not feeling so smart but wanted to be counted among the kids again when I spied grandpa and the rest of the children headed toward the horse pasture with bridles in hand. To spend time with grandpa was always fun, and horseback riding was my favorite past time. As soon as I finished my task. I asked permission to leave, but mama made me first set the table. Groaning and feeling abused I grudgingly finished that job as well I was resenting that my sister and cousins were not there to help me.

Mom told me I was old enough to help and take more responsibility and to quit complaining. When I was done Grandma told me I could go. Mom yelled for me to put my coat on first. Grabbing it, I dashed out the door and raced down the lane to join the others in their fun. I waved at Grandpa who was leading the littlest ones around on an old pony. They were squealing and laughing with delight. I tried to talk my cousins and siblings out of their horses but they wouldn't give any of them up, especially my sister Candy and cousins Dorothy and Debbie That was their revenge for my earlier smug attitude. In a sulk I made my way back to where Grandpa was sitting on a log smoking a pipe and watching Shug and Zella chase a late autumn butterfly and gather up armfuls of colorful leaves to jump in and then race off to splash in the puddles left from the melted morning snow.

With a bitter and sore heart I sat down next to Grandpa and took comfort in his stroking my hair for a moment or two. Then he talked to me about my being thankful and about my growing up, then he bent and kissed me on the forehead and said "your sure a purty gal, I wish I could see you wed".Puzzled, I saw unshed tears glistening in his eyes. And wondered why, but didn't ask. With childish naivety I assured him though it would be awhile before I was married; I was sure he would be there.

He smiled and ruffled my hair and said "I might young lady I might." Then Daddy came to get us for dinner and we all trooped back to the house, hungry for the good smelling meal grandma and our mother's had cooked.

After Grandpa gave thanks and asked God's blessing on his family in the years to come. We all dug into creamy mounds of potatoes, oozing with butter, hot rolls, roast turkey, corn on the cob and all the other trimmings that go with Thanksgiving dinner. After dinner was over and the table cleared and put under covered clothes but handy for anyone wanting to go back after some some of the food settled to take up more of the vittles left over. Grandpa got out the checker board. He challenged us one by one to a game of Being checker champion of four counties he knew every move and trick in the book. He chuckled with enthusiasm as he beat all of us soundly while teaching his techniques.

After the checker games Aunt Sylvia asked who wanted pie. There was a general round of I do's from all. She, mom, Grandma and Aunt Clara took the order of our favorite. Then dished them up served with hot apple cider for the children, and hot coffee for the adults. I felt privileged when Grandpa handed me a steaming cup of coffee sweetened with sugar and laced with cream.

Normally we children were not allowed coffee and I was not supposed to get any other than rare occasions like Thanksgiving until I turned 16 in two years. He winked at my mom and said, "I reckon she is old enough for one cup." After awhile, Dad, my uncles and us kids got out some bats and a soft ball and made our way to the pasture, for a game of baseball. Grandpa was

umpire and no one dare argue. If he said you were out then you were out, and if safe then you were safe. It was a lot of fun and our noses and cheeks were red with the cool air and the rousing game. Finally we all trooped back into the house and helped our selves to left overs . It was getting dark out side and we spent the evening singing songs and listening to grandma tell stories about our parents childhood and again playing checkers or cards. It was an ordinary Thanksgiving filled with heart felt love.

In February daddy got a call from grandma and wanted us to all come to Vancouver right away and to bring the entire family. He picked us kids up at school and told us we were going to go and visit Grandpa in the hospital, then he told us Grandpa was dying from cancer and did not have long to live. I sat stunned with the news, my heart felt like a lead and a giant lump formed in my throat, hot tears stung my eyes but I did not shed them, I determined I had to be brave in front of my siblings and parents. my sister began to cry and my brothers both looked sad.

When we got to the hospital we were told there could be only two visitors at a time and not to stay to long. Grandpa was propped up in his hospital bed, his blue eyes twinkled as my younger brother and I were led in by a nurse in a starched white uniform who told Grandpa he had visitors Grandpa had a tube in his nose giving him oxygen so he could breath. We hugged him and I talked to him about my horse Josephine and Donnie about the 4-H steer he was raising Grandpa gave us tips on roping and riding and that the would come and help us with the stock as soon as they let him out of the hospital.

That was the last time I saw Grandpa, He died in early March The memories helped me to heal overtime and when I was riding my horse Josephine I would visualize him riding the little ones around on a pony, his white curls shining in the sun or chuckling as he beat one of us at a game of checkers. And of a young adolescent girl who sat beside him in the late autumn sunshine on Thanksgiving day with a sore heart as he talked about things to be thankful and said “ I wish I could see you wed.”  Still miss after all these years Grandpa.  

That was 45 years ago and I have had many memorable Thanksgivings since with my own children and in recent years my grandchildren, Thanksgiving to me is a day for family and fun, laughter, playing games, and eating good food and most of all enjoying the company of loved ones gathered around. Both my parents are not gone and all but one uncle and aunt.  I am the older generation now and the grandma who tells the stories to the grandchildren about my grandpa, my parents, siblings and my own and their parents childhood days. 

This year I am not sure what we are doing for Thanksgiving. My kids have not decided where they are going yet. My youngest son said he won't know until after the 15^th and my daughter said they are supposed to go to her in-laws but some of that may have been changed too some health issues and moving on the in-laws part. So I am going with plan A and plan B.

If it looks like hubby and I might be spending the day alone then we plan on going out to dinner and then grabbing a couple of DVD's and some pie and ice-cream and going home, take a nap together and get up and watch the movies and eat some pie with ice-cream and coffee. I do know that my middle son said he and his kids may not be here Thanksgiving day but he does plan for them to be here over the weekend and wants to play our families favorite card game of Royal Canasta.  

Note: I was going to put some photos with this but the new Gather Upgrade said I need plug ins and have no clue what or where as I use Linux OS and can't upload any photos now  :(