... make way up there
... for the heavens above have gained an angel. we poor fools down here on earth have lost an amazing soul. my more "heathen" beliefs aside, this i know for sure: if there's spots of there for real, he's got a place with his wife. (and trust me, she's been waiting for a couple of years for his visit.)
my entire family mourns the loss of a dear friend in Olympia today. Eldon Anderson lived for 92 years. every year of his life he touched people's lives and positively effected everyone who had the honor of knowing him. for eldon, and for all of you, please indulge me in a story:
my family moved out to the pacific northwest in 1983, Eldon and his lovely wife Marjorie met us quickly and welcomed us to the neighborhood and into our lives with open arms. i don't have many memories of my grandfathers from childhood, so it was a grand experience to have these two wonderful people bring us under their wings. i also recall that eldon and his wife travelled a LOT... and I mean a lot. allll over the world they went, and with their travels came my very first job as a 14 year old.
i recall Eldon calling my father and asking if i'd be interested in tending his lawn and gardens during their trip. i was instructed to bring a #2 pencil, a notepad, my "attention cap," and to NOT be late for our appointment. When i gathered my equipment and found and properly adorned that cap, I ran across the street to his front yard. i will never forget the stern look in his eyes as Eldon walked me through his entire list of "to do's."
- water the yard (front and back, 3 spots each, 1/2 hour per spot)
- pull weeds from gardens (dilligently showing me which were weeds, which were not, etc)
- water tomatoes (this was 2 pages of notes, his tomatoes were prized throughout the neighborhood)
- pull low hanging apples from trees (those "dagnabbed-deer don't need'em")
- fertilize the soil 2 x throughout the week
- lay down fresh snail/slug killer bait (4 x a week, "cuz those bastards are quick!")
i'm sure there was more i'm forgetting at this point, but that old sonofagun caused me to fill up that brand new spiral-bound tablet with more notes than I knew what to do with. i remember his eyes glistening when he finished though. at the time, i thought he was mad. as an adult, he told me he'd never been prouder "if i had been one of his boys," with how dilligent i was. bobbing my head and saying "yessir," like a parrot was something he laughed at too after the years passed. 
eldon taught me many things besides how to earn that $5.00 a day during their vacations. he taught me ownership, responsibility, and respect. i love him so dearly for that. it's character that i've brought into my life, my work, my relationships and more. every holiday, whether i got to see eldon or not, he'd ask how i was... never forgetting that little boy who scampered across the street with a notepad bigger than he was.
i love you, eldon. thank you for seeing in me many things that some people may overlook. GO...be with your wife. thank you for your life. look over us still, for we will never never forget you.
amen.
16 comments:
I'm so sorry for your loss. Rarely does a neighbor become as close as family. You and your family were lucky to have found him and his wife. It sounds like Eldon reaped what he sowed as well -- not just prize tomatoes! -- but the support, closeness, and love of your family. You'll always have with you those life lessons he taught you. In that way, he'll still be with you.
Let me and D know if there's any way we can help out or if there's anything you need.
*hugs*
lanio
Oh honey, he was part of Family - that big word that means more than blood.
He was cherished and loved by all of you. I am sure that he knew it well.
Thank you for your heart warming story.
He sounds like he was a wonderful role-model for a tiny, developing bronxbt, and he'll always be proud of you. Best wishes!!
tiny?
::feels somethin funny in my throat::
That was very sweet, B. Very touching. I'm sorry about your loss as well :\
::stretches arms out for a group hug:: ...No?... Okay, just me then ^_^ ::big hugs::
~K
That was nice bro! He definitely will be missed, as is his wife. Glad they are now back together, for eternity!!
Luv, sis B
Eldon was our friend for many years. He and his wife and we two (Carl & Kathy Trendler) enjoyed each other's company and got into a monthly "same old dip & chips" reciprocity thing that rarely meant the same old dips. Marjory was eager to try new recipes; Kathy was never "one-upped." Eldon was a surrogate father to me and grandfather to my children. When his wife died we began to see his decline: age and loneliness make for very few laughs...except those we brought to him through help on his computer, photos of our children, pizza or going out for Mexican food. He missed his wife terribly; we did too. Here's a thought he'd want us to heed:
AFTERGLOW
I’d like the memory of me
to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow
of smiles when the day is done.
I’d like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
of happy times and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve,
to dry before the sun of
happy memories I leave behind,
when the day is done.
Half of the recipes in my box have Marjory's name on - she said the same about hers yet she was the one with 300 cookbooks in her cupboard. When Marjory became ill, we took meals to them many times. We finally got them to sign up for meals on wheels but they quit. Why? Eldon didn't like all the mashed potatoes!! He was stubborn! But I did teach him one good thing - the only good whiskey is EVAN WILLIAMS! I'll miss sharing a drink with him and a kiss and a hug when we left. My last visit I told him, even though he was half asleep, that his Marjory was waiting for him. Linda suggested that on the phone. One last kiss and a hand squeeze and we left. Shortly after he left, too. We loved them both dearly.
sorry for your loss.
death sucks for us that are left behind.
He touched you, and with your stories, he's now touched more. Thank you for sharing your memories with us.
Big hugs to you and your family during this hard time of loss. Eldon and Marjory both were special people and you were lucky enough to have them in your lives...
I'm so sorry for your loss. I can tell through your writing how much he meant to you.
(((you)))
(btw, thank you so much for what you said and for stopping by....)
B - my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Keep close to your heart those memories that you so cherish. He is with his wife and they are both smiling down on you, saying job well done.
Hugs - "S"
I am sorry that you will be missing such a dear friend and I am glad to know that you have these wonderful memories of him and that he passed on some of these things to you so you can do the same :) Good job so far!
It sounds to me that he made quite the impression on you throughout the years. I bet you take some of what you learned from him as that little boy scampering across the road to his house in your everyday life every single day since then, whether you've realized it or not. Funny, that when we're young, those "scary and stern" adults are always the ones we learn most from, whether it be a neighbor, teacher, friend or relative. We remember those and what we've learned from them so much more than the "fun" ones and tend to pass that on to our children. I know I do. Death is never easy for those of us left on Earth to deal with but think of how happy he is now that he's in heaven with his dear Marjory. We are left with so many happy thoughts and memories of the times that we shared together. It will get easier as the days pass...
-b, there are people, events, music, art, tales, etc., that bring tears to our eyes. Your story of Eldon is one of them. Thank you for bringing him and his beloved Marjorie to my life.
Grief is a healing thing. We get so attached to others that the sudden, though expected, loss of them can be devestating. At least for a while.
What better legacy can a person leave than to be remembered so fondly by so many. And now, Eldon and Marjorie are known to even more people.
If it is any help in the healing, it might be helpful to think of their passing as transitioning to newer missions, and lessons to be learned and taught. You would not be the kind, generous, feeling, caring human being you are were it not, in part, for Eldon's influence.
Thanks again. Now where did I put that handkerchief? I have tears to wipe.
Hugz and strength to you. The caring that Eldon inspired within you is now a part of you that will be with you all of your days. He will always be with you.
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