Grandpa Manning

Grandpa Manning passed away last week. He was a good man and though it is sad to lose someone in this life it is good to know they have eternal life and will be seen again someday. For Grandpa Manning this is especially true because he had suffered a stroke a few years ago that greatly altered his body and ability to communicate. I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to have a clear mind but not be able to communicate because of the limitations of your body. For Grandpa Manning it is a blessing that he is now free from these bonds but still sad to lose a loved one.

As it always seems when someone passes away. you wish you had spent more time with them and gotten to know them better; such was the case with Grandpa. The stories shared at his funeral  yesterday made us love him all the more and wish we had shared a little more time together. Here are a couple of those stories: Though he hadn't spoken in months and could barely communicate through body language, on Grandma's birthday when everyone was singing, he suddenly began to sing as well and sang the entire "Happy Birthday" song to her. He knew how to work hard and help other people. There were many stories told about his skills as a farmer and his willingness to help those in need. He made sure to imprint this on his children and grandchildren. Whenever we went over to their house Grandpa would always show us the car he was working on and fixing up. He always seemed to have a project going. We are thankful to have had him in our lives and he will be missed. Love you Grandpa.