Maynard

This post is belated, but last week was hectic and it has taken me some time to pull my thoughts together to write it. My sweet grandpa, Maynard, passed away last Monday. He had not been doing well since before Christmas. Maynard was 91 years old and I know he is smiling down on us from Heaven. I also know he is so thankful to be home with the loved ones he has missed.

Maynard was one of my all-time favorite people. I remember staying with my Memaw when I was a little girl and her letting me go to work with her and pretend I was a secretary, too. I had a special dress and a red telephone and I sat by her desk all day. Maynard would come by in the afternoon for a visit and we would drink ice cold cokes out of the bottle. I remember him telling the greatest stories about when he was young. Maynard always had a green thumb. He was a cotton farmer and when he retired in the 80's, I remember him taking great care of my Memaw's plants. He dipped snuff most of his life...I think he told me once he started dipping when he was about 8 or so. A few years ago he decided to give up snuff- he said he was just tired of it after more than 80 years. He ate ketchup on his mashed potatoes which always intrigued me.

He traveled quite a bit later in life even visiting our homeland of Sweden. He visited his son in Malasia. He also saw much of the United States and even went to the Rose Bowl Parade one year. He saw a lot in his long life. He had a very dry sense of humor and always made me laugh. Maynard had a strong faith and went to Bethel Lutheran Church most of his life. He was a good one and though I am happy he is in a better place and find great peace in knowing that, my heart is breaking a little too, because I wish I could hear him tell just one more story. In the last few years, when I was leaving after a visit or getting off of the phone with him, I always remember him saying that he loved me. He never left that out and I always knew that he did. Below is an essay I wrote about Maynard when I was in high school. It pretty much sums up the way I have always felt about him.

Memoirs of Maynard
written by Johnna Oman on 8-20-93 for English class

You can see him on nice days sitting on the front porch just watching the traffic go by. You might have seen him at the Dairy Queen, drinking coffee and talking with his friends. You might have even seen him driving slowly through town in his little brown pickup . He doesn't get in any hurry because there really is no use. He is just enjoying life and its simple pleasures. He is my grandfather, Maynard. Actually, he is my step grandfather, because my Memaw married him several years ago after my real grandfather passed away before I was born. Maynard is the grandpa I never knew. He may seem rather ordinary to you, but to me he is very special.

I never really got to "know" Maynard until my seventh grade year when my parents went to New York City for a week and I stayed with my Memaw and him. I got sick and he made sure I had everything I needed, whether that be medicine or a cheerful word. His dry sense of humor and easy going manner are contagious and no matter how bad I feel, Maynard will always cheer me up.

Maynard and Memaw share a passion for baseball. Maynard especially likes the Atlanta Braves and watches most of their games. When I visit them, we always watch baseball and I have grown to love the game almost as much as they do.

The things I treasure most about Maynard are his stories. I love to hear the tales about when he was young and how things used to be. I learn so much from the wisdom he shares in these sketches of his life. Most of his stories have a serious lesson behind them, but they are always funny. It is hard to imagine Maynard being that young and doing some of the things he tells about doing. Maynard has taught me several lessons in life, but I feel the most important is to always look on the cheerful side and enjoy life to its fullest.