Pop was the shiznit.
Born and raised in a very poor family in Northern Minnesota. Worked in the CCC/WPA camps in the 1930s. Served twelve years in the Navy, WW2 Veteran.
He worked a lot. All the OT he could get at the Chrysler plant, worked part time at the Ashland station down the street doin' oil changes and minor mainenance stuff on cars and also painted houses on weekends. At one point he had six kids at home and one in college. The only things he counted as "his" was his clothes, his car, his books and his dog. (He would look at us, and say; "My dog stinks. You need to wash him."
) Everything else was "ours". He read every chance he got. He'd read a book and if he liked it, he would keep it. If it was so-so, or he didn't care for it, he would donate it to the public library. When he died, we gave them the rest, and they FILLED the back of my brothers Silverado more than once and had it squatting all the way down.
Rarely watched T.V., unless Johnny Carson or a ballgame was on. Referrred to it as "The Idiot Box".
He believed the world would be a better place if everyone worked hard, stood firm for strong wages and placed the needs of others ahead of their own.
He
despised Ronald Reagan and the Conservative movement that began with Goldwater.
My mother was a staunch Republican from a very Republican family---She would beat us for being reluctant to go to church with her. Or if we had violated any of the plethora of anal retentive rules she had set forth. The only person she didn't try to bully was Pop. Because she new he was a rare gem.
The only mistake Pop made was working so much that he didn't fully realize what was going on until we were all full grown.
There, now you know.
Dave
04-12-2012, 10:50 PM
Threaded Mode