That's my great-grandpa, Joseph E. Davis. The E standing for just that, the letter E. He was born April 1st (April Fool's Day!) 1913, just one year after Arizona became a state. He turned 96 last April and passed away July 1st, the day before Brooklynn was born. I think he had to get up there before Brooklynn and my cousin's baby, Clancy, were born to warn them about what a crazy family they were coming to and to love on them before they had to face this telestial world. I have such fun memories of my grandpa.
(Grandpa Strawberry at his 95th birthday)
We called him Grandpa Strawberry. He and grandma lived in Strawberry, AZ for many years in a house they built with the help of family. It was easier to call them Grandma and Grandpa Strawberry than to try and distinguish between Great-grandpa Davis and Grandpa Davis. So to us grandkids he was Grandpa Strawberry. He taught us how to smell the bark of pine trees and distinguish between the chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ones. Don't believe me? Go for a hike in Strawberry, AZ and I promise you will smell a neopolatin array of pine trees. He played baseball with us, pushed us on the tire swing at a nearby property, took us on the best nature walks, took us four-weeling in his old mail jeep (some of us consider those rides awesome memories while others, ahem Erin, remember them as harrowing rides where the jeep almost tumbled down hills). He would literally tell those in the jeep to put their hands out to brace against the mountain and keep the jeep from tumbling down it. I am among the ones who consider them awesome memories :) The local squirrels ate out of his hands and the javelina and him were friends. He had a way with animals. He played Monopoly with us until all hours of the night and woke up early to make a big, heaping breakfast complete with hot chocolate made of milk and Nestle Quick.
(Grandpa Strawberry at his 94th birthday seranading us all with his harmonica)
Oh I could go on and on about what an amazing man he was. He was the hardest workers you have ever met and his stories could keep you entertained for hours. My mom is serious when she calls him "one of the last of the tough guys". He always made people feel at home and never was short on candy to offer, especially chocolate covered peanut clusters :)
(Allie's blessing. Grandpa Davis, Grandpa Strawberry, Allie and I, and my mom. I can't believe how different my mom looks now!)
I feel blessed to have known my great-grandpa so well. When he moved to Arizona we were sad to see our memory-making years in Strawberry over, but excited to have grandpa closer. We made many more fun memories here in Mesa. He loved hiking with us in the Superstitions and never turned us away when we came knocking on his door. Allie even knew exactly who great-great grandpa was and says what a "good, good grandpa" he was. She and I both got to be with him a couple of days before he died. She held his hand, talked to him, and then ran off to play with the fun little trinkets around his house.
(Grandpa Strawberry's homeade gifts. Rocking chair, table, napkin holder, and basket.)
Grandpa Strawberry was in the greatest of health until the last few years, and even that was just the normal things like eyesight, hearing, etc. But don't tell him it was because he was 96 years old! He hated when people reminded him that he how old he was. That didn't mean anything according to him! Especially when the hospital staff told him that "his 96 year old body...", you would have thought they were talking bad about his mother by the reaction he gave! "Don't you look at that birthdate! That number doesn't mean anything! Don't you judge me by that year!" And most of the time he did it with a smile on his face.
(Grandpa and I at my wedding)
I was blessed to have Grandpa Strawberry as one of the witnesses in my wedding and one of the men in the circle at Allie's blessing. He gave us a rocking chair he made as well as a children's table he made. Since he has past I have also been able to get a napkin holder and basket he made. He was so good with wood and tools. He gave me, Allie, and the rest of our family members memories that will always be with us. I am so grateful for what an amazing example he was of working hard, spending money responsibily, loving your family, keeping your temple covenants (he had just a few months ago renewed his temple recommend...at 96 years old!), and always remembering to have fun. Again, I could go on and on about all the fun memories I have of him and all the wonderful things he taught me. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father was kind enough to take him quickly instead of letting him linger on in the condition he was in (which had come so suddenly it seemed). I'm so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the testimony I have of seeing Grandpa again in his perfected body. I look forward to the day where I can go on walks
with grandpa again!
(Allie at Grandpa Strawberry's house last Sunday. The family is working on going through his things and dividing it out so that everyone has the opportunity to have something of Grandpa's and Grandma's.)
(Nick and I sitting on Grandpa Strawberry's couch. I had to get a picture on this couch. It is a beautiful couch and he has had it for years and years. You would never know though because it is in perfect shape. Sitting on it reminds of me of sitting on it in Strawberry in their livingroom by the stone fireplace.)
(This is what Allie got from Grandpa Strawberry's house. Grandpa and squirrels just go hand in hand. Allie really liked playing with these little squirrels when she was at his house. She tells everyone they are her "special, special squirrels" and that they "have to be very, very careful with them".)
