Saying Goodbye

1931-2010

      On October 31, 2010, my Grandpa Woolsey passed away. He had been very sick for quite some time, so it was not completely unexpected. In July, I received a phone call from my dad saying that we'd better head down to Escalante to see him because they didn't think he would make it through the weekend. Unfortunately, Lance and I did not get down to see him before he passed. Lance never even got the chance to meet him, and I deeply regret that. Even I hadn't been down to see him in several years. I have many wonderful memories of my grandpa. When I was little, my dad and I used to to spend a lot of time in Escalante. Here are just a few of the things that I remember:

• Grandpa used to always ride this tan four wheeler around to do his chores on the farm. I loved the four-wheeler because when no one was using it, I could drive it around and explore.
• My grandpa took my dad and I scouting for deer once. We weren't actually hunting, just trying to get a feel for where they were. My grandpa was driving this really old jeep while my dad and I were on the four-wheeler. I remember we were trying to climb a pretty rough and steep patch and we had to bail on the four-wheeler as it started to tip. Luckily no one was injured.
• My grandpa, dad, and I used to go fishing all the time. I remember one time we were driving in the jeep and I had to sit in the back of the jeep where there wasn't a seat, just the hard metal floor. It was freezing, the road was rough, and I was sitting next to a can of gasoline. It wasn't the most pleasant thing, but it was worth it to go fishing with them.
• My grandpa was such a hard worker. His farm had everything; they could pretty much be self-sustaining. The chickens would provide eggs. The cows provided milk and beef. They had vegetable gardens and fruit trees. They grew their own hay to feed their animals. They had horses, sheep, dogs, cats, pigs, and a number of other animals. 
• The thing I remember most about my grandpa is the breakfasts he would make. He would always make the best eggs. I still haven't figured out how he always got them to be so perfect all the time. We would have fresh eggs, milk, butter, toast, bacon, sausage, all the makings of a fine breakfast. I can't remember spending a day at his house where he didn't cook me a fabulous breakfast.

 He was a great man and will be missed by many.