My grandfather was a wonderful man! He
always knew how to make his grandchildren and great-grandchildren laugh! Every Halloween he would put on this goofy
looking wig to freak the kids out. Oh, how much fun that was! The kids always loved being around their Papa Ade.
He was always so excited to see them. He loved to go up to Harpers Ferry, Iowa where my grandmother and he have a trailer,
and go fishing all day long! How he loved to fish!! Now he is fishing in the rivers and streams of Heaven with
my biological grandfather. Adrian was actually my step-Grandpa, but I have known him ever since I can remember.
My biological grandfather, John, passed away
when I was only a couple of years old. I have heard so many wonderful things about him! How he would blow in the
baby's faces and watch it take their breathe away and how he would laugh so hard he would almost wet himself when he watched
those precious babies dirty their diapers. My grandfather John, and my step grandfather Adrian, were best friends and
cousins. They were very close! My Grandpa John passed away at a very young age while he was recieving his first
treatment of Dialysis for polycystic kidney disease. May his beautiful soul rest in peace!
I know that Grandpa John, and Papa Ade are
fishing together right now...with little Blake sat right in between them. What a beautiful site that must me!
Papa Ade was diagnosed with cancer around March
2005, I believe. There was a mass on his throat, pushing on his lung, which made it very difficult for him to catch
his breath and talk. He spoke in a mere whisper the last few months of his life...struggling to communicate with his
loved one. He received radiation therapy, but the doctors had said that by fall things probably wouldn't be good.
That he should do anything he wishes to in his lifetime now and enjoy every minute of it.
In August, our family was invited to celebrate
grandma and grandpa's anniversary. That morning I recieved a call from my mom, saying that grandpa broke his leg while
turning to shut off the water in the shower and that he was going to the hospital. They found that there was cancer
in his leg as well. They performed surgery to fix the break in his leg, and gave him radiation therapy.
After he broke his leg, things just seemed
to go downhill so fast. His breathing became much more labored, he was so tired all the time, and he couldn't get up
and move around well anymore.
On Halloween my husband and I took the kids
over to see him, for we were told that he was not doing very well and we didn't know how much more time we would have with
him. He was so happy to see the kids! I have never seen his face light up quite as much as it did that day!
He wanted to talk to us so badly, but just couldn't catch his breathe enough to whisper more than a couple of words at
a time. The following evening, my mom got a call from her sister saying she needed to get over to see Adrian as soon
as possible...that they didn't think it was going to be long. Papa Ade was suffocating and choking for he couldn't breathe.
He looked up at Grandma and said, "I'm not going to make it. I love you." Hospice came in and was able to help
ease his breathing a little bit and make him more comfortable. He starting feeling a little better and told everyone
that he wasn't going anywhere. He was right...he made it through the night!! Although, the following evening,
when my mom got off work, her and dad went over there to see how he was doing. He was really bad...incoherant at times
and was really struggling to breath as his lungs gurgled. About an hour later, he peacefully slipped through the Gates
of Heaven. We all miss him so much!
Grandpa John and Papa Ade...please take good
care of Blake for us! We know he is in warm, loving care of you both, and our good Lord! We love you so much...miss
you always!
