My Grandpa, Louis Wyffels, passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 80. He was a wonderful man, and the best Grandpa you could ask for. He always had a goofy smile on his face that he could spread to anyone, and for that he will always be remembered.
Some things I remember about my Grandpa: He loved playing rolley bowly. He loved his cats out on the farm and especially loved showing off the kittens to the grandchildren when we came to visit. He had the oldest pair of overalls any of us had ever seen (As Nina once said, "Grandpa, did the dogs get you?!"). He never minded giving rides on the tractor. He loved snipping at you with his pliers, and I learned early on never to put my finger in the whole he made with his hands cause he would get you! He used to smoke a pipe and play the banjo. He used to have a guitar and his banjo hanging up at the farm and would laugh whenever I attempted to play.
When I was in college, my grandparents let me stay with them for a year and a half to save money on a dorm room. I will never forget my time there with them. When I would get back from a class, Grandpa would usually be sleeping in his chair in front of the TV - and he snored like a chainsaw! But if I tried to turn the volume down on the tv and try to watch something else, he always woke up. We would watch Wheel of Fortune together every night at 6pm. During dinner, Grandpa and I would always fight over who got the last can of Cream Soda. We would sometimes stay up until 2am playing games at the dining table. Grandpa would pretend he forgot some rules so he could cheat. I always caught on to what he was trying, but I think he did it just to irk Grandma. :)
Other things I will remember about Grandpa: He was quite the pool shark, though he would many times throw his game just to let me win. He loved Johnny Cash and other older country music. He drove slower than anyone I know, but was also a very careful driver. He hated getting his photo taken and if you cornered him, he always tried to act funny for the camera.
Most of all, I will always remember how he took great joy in his family: His 7 children and their spouses, 21 grandchildren (and their 3 spouses and 4 fiancees), and his 3 great-grandchildren (and 2 on the way). Despite the loud noise and chaos that is always around when we're together, Grandpa loved it and still always managed to find time to spend with everyone. It makes me sad that our child will not get to meet this wonderful man, but we know he will be up in Heaven watching over us. We love you Grandpa, and we will miss you...
We even had blizzard and white-out conditions the day of the funeral, but thankfully everyone arrived and got home again safely.
