remembering my gpa

ray vernon zobrist

my grandpa

my grandpa died yesterday morning. i've thought about what i wanted to write about him but i've been at a loss for words, which is pretty odd for me. honestly, i thought the tough ol'bird would never die. i don't know how to put in words what i feel but as one of his 34 grandkids, i know he'll be missed.

here's what i'll remember best about my grandpa.

i'll remember going over to uncle reed & his office every day around lunch time. my parents owned a poultry company with him so i'd often go to their offices to beg for candy, cokes, and especially money for lunch [uncle reed was usually the sucker though]. i'll remember going to swim at his house for years and years- when i was little, during hs with my friends [went everyday one summer], then with peanut as an adult. i'll remember when i was turning 7, grandma and grandpa gave me a pink barbie car and it was the best. present. ever. i'll remember one sunday night, begging grandpa to take me to disneyland so he did- with all my aunts & uncles & their gaggle of kids. i'll remember he was the only one to call me missy. i'll remember his 'free el pollo loco for life' card- basically, he was the man. i'll remember when justin left on his mission, he told me that my grandma waited for him on his mission, back when it was 3 years! i'll remember how everyone knew my grandpa- even when i moved to the sw part of vegas, the first day in church, everyone came up to tell me they knew my grandparents. i'll remember bragging about my wild grandpa and his crazy stories.

oh, and did i mention he owned the land where the 7-11 is on smoke ranch & rainbow? i'm not kidding- he was the man.

ever since my grandma died over 10 years ago, you could tell he just wanted to be with her again. thankfully, he can through the plan of salvation. how grateful i am for the gospel of Jesus Christ that lessens the sting of death.

the last time i saw my grandpa was about 11 days ago and it wasn't under the happiest of circumstances, but when i think of my grandpa, i'll think of the man who played santa every year for christmas, the man who confirmed me after my baptism, and the man who we affectionately called 'Crazy'.


[CORRECTION: my awesome brother & sis-in-law noticed my misspelling of crazy. my grandpa's true, christian name is Krazy- get it? K-Ray-Z? haha! oh, you've got to love family]