Saturday, March 15, 2008
Grandpa Jemmett
Grandpa Jemmett died this morning. He has been in a care facility and finally just wore out. He had made his wishes very clear as to not having a funeral but just a "celebration of his life". They are just having a get together where anyone who wants to can tell a story about Grandpa. Please send me any memories you might have of him. He was the best kind of neighbor anyone could want. I am sorry that I didn't make more effort to visit him but when I did he was so understanding. He always ask about you kids especially the older ones down to Kellie. I guess we were more neighborly when you guys were younger. He always told wonderful stories.
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6 comments:
I think it is a great idea to celebrate his life. I always remember him next door but don't have many specific memories other than he always called me Cara and he was the only person I never minded it with.
On Friday I got frustrated with my kids complaining about 'nothing to do in Rexburg' and started thinking about my own childhood. I was actually going to call you to ask how he was doing because many of my childhood memories include Grandpa Jemmett.
One of my favorite memories is as a teenager when he would let me go sit in his grove. Many times I tried to just sneak up there but he always seemed to know I was there. He would come and say hello, talk for a minute and then just leave me there, not treating me like I was trespassing or in the way.
Then after I had Levi and Erika we took them up there to take pictures. He welcomed me, hugged me, called me by name and we talked. He was such a wonderful "grandpa"!!
Good for him. It's about time for him to be with Ruby. I remember one time going over to his house and being in his kitchen for some reason and they had a wonderful homemade candy dispenser. It was a mason jar upside down in a wooden cap with a hole for the candy to fall out of. It was full of jelly beans and he let us(whoever it was with me) have a bunch. I thought it was the coolest thing because he had made it. I remember his home being very cozy too and wished I could stay and explore.
I remember the building next to our yard and how he told us not to go up there because Witch Hazel lived there. I don't remember the building being torn down but it seemed we saw less of him after that.
I remember walking through his garden to get to the Gunnell's house. Like Kimber said, he never seemed to mind that I was walking through his garden and was always sweet to wave and then go on about his business.
Didn't we pick current berries out of his garden?
What a weird thought - who is going to live next to you now? He's the only neighbor we ever had on that side isn't it? You said he was in a nursing home - who lives in his house?
Where to begin...
I really haven't Cried in a long time but this hit me hard.
First of all who is going to live there? Such a sad thought
I remember him being the first person on my paper route but during the summer I would always do him last because he would be sitting on his porch waiting to impart wisdom on anybody that walked by. I could sit there and listen to him for hours. He always had funny stories(and it usualy got me out of a little work).
He usually called me Joe and would say that he knew that wasn't right but we looked so much alike.
Every year he would carve our pine wood derby cars. Those were my favorite times. I loved to go ask him for help so I could go look at the incredible creations in his wood shed. If I remember right he built that doll house that Kate had forever.
I remember snitching his current berries as well as the raspberries in the garden next door.
During the summers I would walk through his gardens to get to the other side of town, usually the monsons house and the station.
You will be missed Henry but not Forgotten.
The best memory I have of Henry Jemmet was that on my eighth birthday he made me that doll house that had doors with hinges and glass windows. It was incredible.
He also always called me Kellie.
I remember the shed that we weren't supposed to play in, but would use to hide around quite often. I remember picking berries out of his garden. I remember that he would let us sled down his hill in the winter.
The sweetest memory I have of him are the days that I would look out the window and he would be mowing our lawn with his riding lawnmower. We never asked him too, but if ours wasn't mowed when he was mowing, often times he would mow ours for us as well.
The last time I saw him was after Mike and I were married. We went over so that I could show Mike his wood creations. He had Mike play him songs on the piano for quite a while.
Finally, I remember that we always loved to look at the new things he had made in his shop, but my favorite was the stump of wood that he had put a mirror, face card, and one of the glass eyes in. So cool...
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