Simple stories about life with grandparents have become sweet memories of comfort and smiles. In the 70’s, in the small town of Hope, KS, I spent a week each summer with my grandparents who owned a lumber yard store that carried an array of items like Menards has today. They were before their time in meeting people’s needs beyond lumber and nails. Customer service was excellent with a warm greeting down one of the aisles. Hard-working men would come in wreaking of body odor and smoking a cigar and telling their stories. Grandma would go down to the cellar to fix screens, which I found fascinating. Grandpa would help with the heavy stuff and shoot the breeze with the farmers. They were closed on Sundays to go to church. Their faith, their work ethic, and their rapport with the community were things I will always remember – and on an 8th grade education.
I didn’t get to know my other grandparents as well, but I know they left a lasting legacy with their business, their attention to detail and their customer service. Their business is still thriving today and run by the 5th generation. I remember Granny always having a home-cooked meal for Grandfather at lunch and dinner – all southern cuisine that I hadn’t acquired a likin’ to as a little girl from the Midwest.
They’ve all gone on now, but not in my memories. My heritage is rich with their family legacies of love, commitment, and a strong work ethic.
