Since its father's day coming soon I thought I would take a few and blog about my grandfather, Jacob Koch. I was one for just six out of what turned out to be 17 grandchildren, two great grandchildren and four married into the family grandchildren to have known this man that we simply called Grandpa. He was the father of six children and the love of my Grandma's Life. He seemed to have life all set up for him. He was ready to retire and spend his glory years with his family. He was ready to live the best years of his life with my grandma and ready to be the best grandfather to his much rapidly growing family. But just months into his retirement cancer was found and before we all knew the life that he was meant to have was gone. I was three or four years old...and one of my favorite people in the eyes of a little girl was gone. Someone who would just make me laugh and smile and scoop me up in his arms was no longer there. I wish I could say that I remember him and know him in the same way that I know my dad's dad. But I know what is most important...His lo
ve...his love for his wife, for his children, for his grandchildren..for his family. And in a huge way thats all that one needs to know. I know that my grandfather would have been in the stands with Grandma, Gramps and Granny for all those games and events in our lives. He would have spent vacations, holidays, summers and birthdays with us as well. Because family was important to him. I know at times when my mother sees the relationships my brothers and I have with Gramps, I am positive its hard for her not to think what it would have been like for her children to have her father in their lives for all this special and normal moments in life. I know that Gramps and Grandpa were fast friends from the start because in a way they were and are so much alike. They were linked together thru first their children and forever bonded together thru three children. I am blessed and honored to call both of them my grandfathers. From what now seems like their short time together they travelled to Beulah often together to take in Paul's soccer games, concerts and milestones in our lives. Those pictures of them together at events that involve Paul and I mean the world to me...because even if I don't remember Grandpa Jake in my life...He was there!! and not only that...He was a huge part of it. Those are memories and moments I am blessed to have even if its just thru pictures that I might remember them. When I fell sick a month before I turned one with spinal meningitis and what turned out to be pneumonia and shingles due to my poor immune system...My grandfather was the one that came right up to the doctor's office when he heard that one of his grandchildren was there demanding to know what was wrong. Thou
I was told he never visited me during my critical phase of my illness, I was often confussed by this. At first it made no sense to me that he wasn't at my bedside. Now looking back and seeing it from his eyes I realize that might have been just too hard to take to see a baby at the age of 11 months have to fight for a life that never really began. For thats just what I think how my mother, grandma, uncles and aunts felt when they watched he slip away...They were thinking of the life he never got a chance to live and the future filled with memories and moments that would never be. A life that he would never have to watch us grandchildren(Travis, Paul, Jennifer, myself, Kory and Danielle) grow into their lives and into their beings, the life where he would have met Benjamin, Jacorian, Andrew, Kayla, Ryan, Brittaney, Carly, Kortney, Brett, Madysen, Faith, Sabrian, Sadey, Jill, Shonna, Mike and all those to come. But in a huge way he is still here...you see him in a certain look one of his children or grandchildren make. you hear him in a phase or wording that is spoken from the mouth of those same people. My mother is always saying
how much my brothers Paul and Jacorian carry themselves, how they walk or stand that sometimes it looks just like her dad, esp from far distances. what a great blessing for her and a true gift that thou her father is gone...he is still so much here...in the lives of her children. On this father's day I hope and wish that the lives of Jimmy, Wally, Paula, Mary Jane, Karla and Bobby are blessed with moments and memories where they remember their father..the life he lived, the man he stood for, the love he gave and all the memories they had with a special man they simply called Dad. May the six of his now grown kids be granted gifts to show them that he is still here and graced with the knowledge that they--we will all be joined together again in days ahead and the moments, memories and years we felt that we were cheaped out on having with him will one day be made...and those days with him will have no ending...like his love they will be endless.
Since its father's day coming soon I thought I would take a few and blog about my grandfather, Jacob Koch. I was one for just six out of what turned out to be 17 grandchildren, two great grandchildren and four married into the family grandchildren to have known this man that we simply called Grandpa. He was the father of six children and the love of my Grandma's Life. He seemed to have life all set up for him. He was ready to retire and spend his glory years with his family. He was ready to live the best years of his life with my grandma and ready to be the best grandfather to his much rapidly growing family. But just months into his retirement cancer was found and before we all knew the life that he was meant to have was gone. I was three or four years old...and one of my favorite people in the eyes of a little girl was gone. Someone who would just make me laugh and smile and scoop me up in his arms was no longer there. I wish I could say that I remember him and know him in the same way that I know my dad's dad. But I know what is most important...His lo
ve...his love for his wife, for his children, for his grandchildren..for his family. And in a huge way thats all that one needs to know. I know that my grandfather would have been in the stands with Grandma, Gramps and Granny for all those games and events in our lives. He would have spent vacations, holidays, summers and birthdays with us as well. Because family was important to him. I know at times when my mother sees the relationships my brothers and I have with Gramps, I am positive its hard for her not to think what it would have been like for her children to have her father in their lives for all this special and normal moments in life. I know that Gramps and Grandpa were fast friends from the start because in a way they were and are so much alike. They were linked together thru first their children and forever bonded together thru three children. I am blessed and honored to call both of them my grandfathers. From what now seems like their short time together they travelled to Beulah often together to take in Paul's soccer games, concerts and milestones in our lives. Those pictures of them together at events that involve Paul and I mean the world to me...because even if I don't remember Grandpa Jake in my life...He was there!! and not only that...He was a huge part of it. Those are memories and moments I am blessed to have even if its just thru pictures that I might remember them. When I fell sick a month before I turned one with spinal meningitis and what turned out to be pneumonia and shingles due to my poor immune system...My grandfather was the one that came right up to the doctor's office when he heard that one of his grandchildren was there demanding to know what was wrong. Thou
I was told he never visited me during my critical phase of my illness, I was often confussed by this. At first it made no sense to me that he wasn't at my bedside. Now looking back and seeing it from his eyes I realize that might have been just too hard to take to see a baby at the age of 11 months have to fight for a life that never really began. For thats just what I think how my mother, grandma, uncles and aunts felt when they watched he slip away...They were thinking of the life he never got a chance to live and the future filled with memories and moments that would never be. A life that he would never have to watch us grandchildren(Travis, Paul, Jennifer, myself, Kory and Danielle) grow into their lives and into their beings, the life where he would have met Benjamin, Jacorian, Andrew, Kayla, Ryan, Brittaney, Carly, Kortney, Brett, Madysen, Faith, Sabrian, Sadey, Jill, Shonna, Mike and all those to come. But in a huge way he is still here...you see him in a certain look one of his children or grandchildren make. you hear him in a phase or wording that is spoken from the mouth of those same people. My mother is always saying
how much my brothers Paul and Jacorian carry themselves, how they walk or stand that sometimes it looks just like her dad, esp from far distances. what a great blessing for her and a true gift that thou her father is gone...he is still so much here...in the lives of her children. On this father's day I hope and wish that the lives of Jimmy, Wally, Paula, Mary Jane, Karla and Bobby are blessed with moments and memories where they remember their father..the life he lived, the man he stood for, the love he gave and all the memories they had with a special man they simply called Dad. May the six of his now grown kids be granted gifts to show them that he is still here and graced with the knowledge that they--we will all be joined together again in days ahead and the moments, memories and years we felt that we were cheaped out on having with him will one day be made...and those days with him will have no ending...like his love they will be endless.
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