Goodbye for now Grandpa

Tuesday night while I was at work I received a phone call from my mother-in-law that told me Pat's Grandpa Ellison passed away. Grandpa Ellison was 80 years old and has been battling Parkinson's disease and strokes for many years. We miss him dearly but are so blessed to know he is now without pain and suffering.

What can I say about him, he was one of the funniest men I have ever known. Even in his last few weeks at the nursing home he had many jokes and stories to tell the kids. Maybe they weren't always the most appropriate for kids but they were funny.

As I sat at the funeral yesterday I realized I knew Harry Ellison as my grandpa just as long in my life as I knew my own grandpa. Grandpa Ellison loved to spend time with his family and grand kids and great grand kids. We loved to have him come visit at the cottage and take him out on the boat to go fishing. He loved nature and parties and he enjoy doing everything with a cold beer in his hand. Grandma Ellison could always count on Pat to sneak grandpa a few beers even when he wasn't supposed to be drinking but grandpa loved it, so Pat couldn't say no.

It is hard to watch your husband lose a man that he admired so greatly, but I know that Grandpa is with each of us now and we will see him again someday.