Grandparents Week Blog: My Grandpa

Grandpa Butts arrived by train every summer, making the journey from Kansas to visit my family in Oregon. He worked for the railroad from the time he finished school at age 16 until he retired at 65. He was not going to board a plane. Grandpa also never drove a car. He walked everywhere or took the bus. His favorite walk was on the golf course. An avid golfer, he got his 7^th and final hole in one when he was 82.

Grandma Butts died shortly after Grandpa retired. I tried to visit him as often as my travels put me within range of the little white house in Topeka my Dad grew up in. We became closer during those years sharing adventures, pictures and stories. As the afternoons would start to fade he’d get a twinkle in his eye and say “Donna, you want to go to the club and have a wine?” We’d walk down the alley to his local hang out where he would have a beer, and I’d have “a wine” and chat with his friends. He loved the compliments they would pay him in particular how lucky he was to have his granddaughter visit. What they didn’t know was that I was the lucky one. I still covet the memories of our time together and deep love Grandpa Butts showered on me.

Written by: Donna Butts