In Remembrance

So I have posted things on my facebook page and change the photo for today but for me is today is a day of remembrance. Nine years ago, my family lost a great man. That man was my Grandpa Wiemer. My grandfather was a great father, grandfather, uncle, brother and man all around. I have so many great memories of my grandfather. Some of my favorites were all the small trips and the 2 big trips to Disney World that he and my grandmother took me on when we were younger. He took us to places like Noveau, Illinois to see the old Mormon settlement, Lake of the Ozarks, Santa Claus, Indiana to name a few. I used to love all of our small trips we always had a blast going to that place and doing what we could from shows, amusement parks, water parks, miniature golf, etc. I think by the time we got back he would be more worn out than we were. I remember when he first took us down to Disney World. It was the greatest experience for us kids being a place designed for fun, excitement and imagination. I love watching the video from our trip and seeing how goofy he was with us. Another great memory of him was he taught me how to swim in the Kaskaskia River. He had me behind the boat and was teaching me to put my face in the water and come up and down out of it. Well the one time I came up I hit my mouth on the edge of the boat and chipped my tooth (I will always have that reminder). He felt so bad that it happened but in the end I am grateful that he took the time out to teach me to swim and love the water. Thats where I would spend alot of my summers was out at their clubhouse (later turned home) and we would go out on the river, played on the beach, swam and sometimes I would go fishing with them. Another favorite is that he would do anything for us kids, two examples on this. The first is when we took a Wiemer family trip to Kentucky Lake and we found a miniature golf place that week and we loved to play there. One this day my brother really wanted to go and play end though it was raining. My parents didn't want to stop because of the rain but my grandpa ended up stopping since Jonathan wanted to play. Boy did we have the best time playing!! I still look at those pics and think about how much fun we had. The other memory is when we would have family BBQs even if no one else wanted to play Grandpa would go out and start a softball game. Eventually the whole family would be out there playing and having a great old time. He would always let us win and those days would always be the best. As we got older thats when he started to get sicker but during that we would always joke he was like the energizer bunny. He kept going and going despite what happened to him. But my senior year is when I think he just up. My grandpa was a very strong man and I don't think he liked the fact that he had to rely on someone else to help take care of him. I can still remember today being in class getting the phone call that he was not doing well and if I wanted to come up to the hospital. Of course I did I wanted to say good-bye one last time. Even though he was in a coma when we got there I think he heard us say our final goodbyes to him. I miss getting to hear him tell us his stories about his life and about my mom and brothers growing up. He was a goofball, always being a jokster a times! He would do anything for anybody. The only regrets I have is that 1) I didn't get to spend more time with him and really start to enjoy all the things he had to talk about and 2) is that he never got to meet his other two grandkids, Emily and Josh. I know he would enjoy having another two in his life just like enjoyed having my brother and me for all those years. Today is greatly missed and not forgotten!! I can't wait to meet him and heaven and get to talk to him again! I know you have been watching down on us and I am sorry this year I can't come and talk to you like I normally do but I hope next year I can get that chance! I love you Grandpa!


My grandma lighting my grandpas remembrance candle at my wedding. I like to think that day he was with us in spirit even though he couldn't be there in body!