Grandpa Winter

 

This country is just too big.  I'm so fortunate to live close to both mine and Justin's parents, but we both have had grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins who live far away.  VERY far in the case of Justin's amazing family from upper Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Upper Peninsula Michigan.  The moments that we are able to make to 2-3 day drive to the UP are filled with amazing memories of warmth (despite negative 17 degree weather), fun, and love. 

Justin's Grandpa, Roy Winter, passed away yesterday after over 4 years battling leukemia. The days I got to spend with him over the last 10 years were special and blessed.

 

 On one of my first trips up to the UP before Justin and I got married, I stayed an extra week by myself (without Justin) to build a baby cradle with his Grandpa.  I wanted to learn more about woodworking so I could use the knowledge to make cedar furniture pieces for my senior art project at Furman.  Grandpa shocked me when he said we were building a cradle... for MY future children! But wow was I honored to be so accepted into the family.

  

Grandpa was an amazing woodworker.  We have a beautiful red cedar bed he made, but the cradle seems to really sum up a lot about Grandpa.  He was a big burly man with rough, large hands.  He was strong and hard working.  But he was also loving, comfortable, giving, and devoted.  He loved his family dearly.  I think of these things when I see the cradle - built from rough cedar wood, sanded down to beautiful, smooth supports to hold a tiny fragile life.  

  

I enjoyed my time with Grandpa, Grandma, and their son Marlon who lived with them at the time.  Marlon has down syndrom and needed their care (he is now cared for by his siblings).  He would walk around the yard collecting pine cones while I stripped the bark off the cedar sticks with Grandpa.  Grandma always had something delicious for us to eat when we came in.  Justin's Aunts, Uncles, and cousins were all close by too, so there was a lot of fun had with all the extended family.

 Each of my 4 babies has slept in the cradle, which Patrick is using now.

 

Here is Grandpa meeting Vera for the first time.

 Four generations of Winter men.

 Another 4 generations of Winter men when Silas joined the ranks.

 

Grandpa and Silas.

This man of faith and love will be sorely missed by us all...especially his wife who he has cared for sacrificially after she suffered from a stroke.  The two of them were such an example of love.  He didn't get to meet Patrick in person, but saw him on face time and through pictures in the mail.  I pray his legacy will continue through us. I've always been proud to take the last name of Winter.  Grandpa's family is a great one to be a part of.