Michael's grandpa passed away last November. Michael was very close to his grandpa and he made a big impact of Michael's life. Grandpa King had a stroke before I met him so I never got to meet the "whole" grandpa...but he seemed pretty good to me! One thing that I remember about him was he always told us how proud he was of us (even the first time he met me I think!). And he always told Michael and I to take care of each other. Grandpa was so proud of Michael and I am so glad that he got to meet his great-grandson, Ryan :)
I asked Michael to write some memories about his grandpa so that our kids can read about him.
Grandpa
Russell Leon King was born on August 8th, 1923 in Woden TX and died November 4th, 2010 in Beaumont, TX.
He was blessed with a great wife Billie King, three sons, Richard, Ernest, Mike, and two twin daughters Aleta, and Frieda. He has six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. I was blessed to be one of his grandchildren.
My grandfather has been gone for almost 6 months now and I want to put a few things down on paper to remember him.
My grandfather...I don’t even know where to start. Above anything, he had a faith in the Lord that I always admired. He was funny. He had about 1,000 quotes for any situation, was an amazing gardener and he was someone I respected very much. He taught me so many things in my life that have helped me to be better myself.
A few things I love to remember.....
When I was a kid I would ride to work with my dad and he would drop me off at my grandparents house early. As always, we would turn onto Stevenson St. and grandpa would be sitting out front in a lawn chair waiting on me. If I had to pick one image in my mind of my grandfather, that would be it. From as far back as I can remember and till he passed, if he would know I was coming to where he was, he would wait for me. I don’t know how exactly heaven works but I feel when I get there my grandfather will be sitting in a old lawn chair and as always I would say HELLO GRANDPA and he would always say HEY BUDDY. When I was younger he would call me little buddy. I can remember coming back from wal-mart with him a few days after my 10th birthday and I told him he needed to stop calling me little buddy because I was older now. I don’t think he every said little buddy again, just buddy. I don’t think he minded what I asked him to call me as long as I called him and come to see him. He also introduced me to people as his "button poppin grandson". He told people when he thought of me it made his chest swell out and pop buttons off his shirt because he was so proud of me. One time I told him I wanted to make better grades so we could get a sticker that says "my grandson is a honor roll student". He said always make the best grade you can but either way he was going to get a sticker that says "my grandson isn’t a honor roll student but I love him just the same". That was his style. He could take anything turn it around and make me laugh and feel special.
He help lead me to Christ when I was 12 years old and I love him so much for that. He was the most amazing God fearing man I have ever meet. I feel God worked through my grandfather to lead me to him and Grandpa helped me see the love God has for all of us. I think my grandpa could tell with me at an early age, for him to teach me something, he had to do it in a way that would sink in with me and cut to the chase. He said he knew I had the personality he had to shoot straight with. One of my favorite quotes he used to say is never trust a man that says trust me; you have to earn trust. So if you want me to believe in something, you better back in up with fact and he always did. He didn't just say believe me. He would ALWAYS say hear me on this grandson and would tell me what he wanted me to learn or know and say "here's why" with so many reasons and good knowledge to prove something to me. He was a amazing researcher and I love to research anything to learn something new. I like to think I got that from him.
He was a deacon at the Cove Baptist church since the 1950's and helped built the main building were the church currently is. He smoked in the 50's and he said in the second row of the choir loft he put the last cigarette he ever smoked there right before they poured concrete. He must have told me that story 100 times and it never got old.
He never wanted to be gone from home to long; it was just his style. But he loved East Texas. He took me there many times through the years and after his stroke myself, my dad, and my Uncle Ernest took turns bringing him to East Texas. He used to take me on small trips during the summer and on many of those trips, we would end up in Nacogdoches at his sister's house or in Lufkin at my Uncle Ernest house. He loved that area and I also love that area. I have so many memories of East Texas and still make them there. We have a family reunion there once a year and in my 32 years I have never missed one. I love my family and the area they came from. My 4th great grandfather came to the Nacogdoches area in 1838 and my grandfather left there in 1941 after the war broke out to work in the ship yard in Orange, TX. I know he missed living in East Texas but he always said he and my grandmother built a life in Orange and that’s were they belong.
Some of my favorite quotes my grandfather said are:
Don't ever take down a fence down unless you know why it was put up.
Rome wasn't built in a day but a King wasn't running that job.
When you don’t know what to do, do what you know to do: pray.
Anyone who dares to teach or lead must never cease to learn.
I trust you if you tell me a banny roster will pull a freight train I’ll hook him up and holler shoeee.
I may not always lift you up, but I will never ever let you down.
Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you have.
Yesterday is a canceled check, tomorrow is a promissory note, today is ready cash.
No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.
A jackass can kick down a barn door down; but it takes a carpenter to build it back.
True character is what you do when no one else is watching.
If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.
True happiness is a little land well tilled, a little barn well filled, and a little wife well willed.
Money will not buy happiness but it will make a good down payment.
Don't wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it.
It is better to light one candle, than to curse the darkness.
Keep your bowels open and fear the Lord. (for a happy life)
Curse me or praise me; but don't ignore me.
A pat on the back is better than a kick in the butt.
Wisdom and intelligence do not always go hand in hand......we all know college graduates who are extremely stupid.
Nothing is a bargain at any price if you don't need it.
The difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is 3 days.
Always tell the truth and you won't have to remember so much.
A new pair of golf shoes may not help your game; but they sure look impressive when you walk acroess the club house floor.
The fear or the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7
Never try to straddle a mud puddle with a wheelbarrow.
Measure twice, cut once.
For job security, make yourself necessary to the system.
There is no limit to the good a man can do if he does not care who gets the credit.
A home should be clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy.
Beware of fast talk and fine print.
Be careful what you do with time; it is the stuff life is made of.
The 5-B stage of life for old men, Baldness, Bifocals, Bridgework, Bulges, and Bunions.
Do not worry if you made the right decision, just work to make the decision right.
The best vitamin for a Christian is "BE-1".
My favorite is- Anything man made is subject to failure.
I miss you and love you Grandpa
Love,
Michael Your Grandson
