In Remembrance

Dear Diary,

Today my mom watched my oldest, she took him to the Veterans Day ceremony at the cemetery up the street from me, youngest had school though and I had to get to work, but I drove back over to the cemetery after dropping youngest off and stayed about 20 min.

I had never gone to a ceremony for Veterans days until about 7 yrs ago when I went back to Iowa. It was really cool, in an old cemetery in the middle of open fields and the gravestones of my Dads parents that I never knew, and singing songs. It was special, me, Dad, big sister, myself, my Uncle, and a man that new my Dad as a kid.

I wish I could have stayed for the whole thing this AM. I was wondering if Ivan would show up. I know someone was buried there. I was sure it was his wife as I saw him there and pulled over and went in, and held his arm as he walked, he brought buckets of water to water plants.

I went to his house on Halloween and someone else answered the door, I asked her if Ivan was there, she said Who? And said she bought the house about a year ago. I figured Ivan did not pass away as it would have been all over the papers as he is a long standing well known member of the community and was in his 90s.

Well my mom emailed me Monday and said she saw his truck at the Senior Community apartments. His truck is hard to miss, yes that man was still driving!

I grew up on a nice culdesac, spent my first 16 yrs of my life there, in a good neighborhood. My house was the first house on the block, the corner house. Ivan and his wife were almost at the very end. They were the Grandparents I never had. Iris died years ago, when I was a teen.

Well today at the Veterans Day ceremony they announced Ivan passed away. And we had a moment of silence. And his funeral is to be next week.

I have so many memories of that house and that man, heck even back to his wife which he outlived for so long on his own. The last time I went to Ivans I sat in his backyard with him, my kids were running around, he was watering the grass. I always have loved Ivans backyard, so cozy, it has a guest house and shed and covered patio and its landscaped and covered so nicely. He was telling me how pretty I was and he should marry me! LOL Which was kinda gross to hear when hes like a Grandpa to me. He said he had a girlfriend from England who comes out to see him, but wasnt really sure the story with her. Ivan never remarried and lived alone.

For awhile I was cleaning his house, he gave me some of his wifes things.

He was so nit picky with the house cleaning and cheap with the pay, that fizzled out soon enough, he wanted me to clean like his wife did(get on the floor under the kitchen table and polish all the wooden legs and all thoroughly.

haha

Ivan always had a hug and a kiss. His wifey always had Ginger Snap cookies or hard candy when I came over.

I emailed my girlfriend in New York this AM, she lived on my street as a kid, 2 houses from ivan and loved him also like a Grandfather, so I told her today via email.

So Im glad my kids do at least remember him, they dont have the memories I have, but have a few, and they asked if they can go to the funeral, I said I didnt know, if its during school maybe not but Ill take them to his gravesite later. Im within walking distance to the cemetery where we live, and the other one is just up the street.

It was so weird to see someone else living in his house when we knocked on the door on Halloween, the house to me was always so big and beautiful, and it just looked sorta drab. I used to think about that house, what if I were to buy it when Ivan left, its in such a great spot, the curve in the a culdesac right at the end. Haha, but whats funny is the neighbor behind him is that church dude who kept calling me and trying to date me after my split and his split with his wife, he and his 4 kids, NO THANK YOU!

Anyways, heres to Ivan who lived a long rich life and touched so many people!

I watched some really cool stuff today! Im getting so many history lessons doing this and I just love it. Today I did research on a Cruiseliner called “The Rex” from the 30s. It was later bombed and sank! I got to stumble across the deck and watch people in deck chairs, and the captain and crew, and the ship had a pool and the people having a good time back in the late 30s. So wild to see it all alive then to find out about it being bombed by the British, I think it said 123 bombs were dropped on it!

Its cloudy and gloomy out today with a wind.

The weekend is just about here.

Gonna go for now