My name is Carissa, I am Carol’s daughter and am honored to call this man my Grandpa.
Grandpa was many different things to many different people. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandpa and a great-papa. He was a cattle buyer, a farmer, a friend and a mentor. He was a soldier, a hero, a protector and a patriot. Grandpa was a storyteller. Instead of talking about who he was to me, I want to share with you some of the life lessons he is leaving behind.
Be Honest. Grandpa was respected for his honestly. Not all that long ago we asked him who his favorite grandchild was. To be fair he was on a lot of medication but he did give us an answer. I’m not going to name names but I can tell you it wasn’t me! That may bother some but it didn’t bother me. He was simply telling the truth, as he always did and we all know just how deep his love is for each one of us.
Work Hard & Never Give Up. Grandpa worked hard his entire life. It is evident in the success of Reigle Farms. While I did not grow up on a farm I was fortunate enough to visit often, tag along to cattle sales and hear many, many of his stories. He worked hard and that is important, but he also showed us how to be passionate. Even when things get hard, don’t give up, keep fighting. I watched him physically get weaker over the past few months but never once did I see him give up!
Be Curious. Grandpa was always aware of what was happening around him. I believe this led too much of his success. If he didn’t know something he would ask questions until he understood. I am greatly going to miss his telephone calls to find out what was happening in my world. He knew when we had important things going on and wanted to know every detail. Not only did Grandpa like to collect knowledge, he never passed up an opportunity to teach others what he knew.
Sing Loud. My mom remembers his confident singing voice in church while us grandkids remember him loudly singing “These boots are made for walkin’” or “Hey good lookin’”. Grandpa was never ashamed, he was proud of everything he did. He taught us to be confident and proud of who WE are. We should all live our lives this way.
Love God & Your Country. As many of you know Grandpa was drafted into Korea and sacrificed for his country and all of us. If you were fortunate enough to hear even one of his war stories you know just how difficult it was for him over there. I was lucky enough to hear all of his stories, most of them more than once. During each story he would make sure that we were all reminded of exactly who got him through that hell. God was with him and brought him home. His experience, like so many others’, is something that should never be forgotten. Never lose faith, even when things seem impossible God will guide you through.
Appreciate Family. Grandpa was proud of his family. He would often say “look what I did, look what me and Mama did” when talking about his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We could always count on Grandpa to share the latest story about what one of his great-grandkids did and never passed up an opportunity to tell an embarrassing story about when we were younger. He LOVED Grandma. Grandpa showed it in the way he looked at her and loved holding her hand. He taught us to depend on each other, enjoy the time we have together and support one another.
It’s OK To Cry. Grandpa was an emotional man, there were many times I saw him cry and many times I cried with him. Some may say showing emotion is a sign of weakness, because of him I strongly disagree. When he would cry I would see passion, sadness, fear and happiness. He was never ashamed to cry. Today Grandpa would say that it is ok for all of us to cry, and I hope that he understands my tears for him are filled with love.
The final lesson that Grandpa taught all of us was to NEVER SAY GOOD-BYE but to say see you later. So Grandpa…I love you and can’t wait to see you later.
Grandpa Reigle ∙ April 27, 2016