Nick Willems, Grandpa
Grandpa died. Matthew was in California at the time. How can Grandpa be dead? He emails me a verse of the Bible every day. Just the other day I used the verse he sent as an example for my class.
Brita flew out to my place the day after so we could mourn together. Caleb and Jaclynn and my parents arrived a day later. Grandpa’s from Waldheim so the funeral was in a church about 20 minutes from my house. The cemetery is only about 3 miles from here. It was really good to be together. We buried him ourselves and we finished at sunset.
I’ll miss him. I’ve been following him around all my life, you know? At Concord College, I’d pass the alumni wall with his photo every time I went to class and I’d think about his legacy.
He was in the first class to graduate from MBBC (as it was called then). I was in the second last class at Concord before the federation into CMU. Grandma and Grandpa met just outside the A.H. Unruh building. Grandma said she was waiting for a man she could respect (she was the ripe old age of 21) and suggested that I should do the same ‘cause it worked so well for her. Every time I saw them, they would show off how much they loved each other. I went to MBBS and Fuller too – just like Grandpa. He helped me pay for my education every step of the way. Now I’m at Bethany – and he taught here too!
Thanks Grandpa. For the help, for the legacy, for the Scrabble, for the books, for the letters and emails, but most of all, for your love. See you on the other side.