One of the saddest days of my life...

Friday, August 21, 2009

This past Friday, we lost Granddaddy, he was 86. He and Grandmama had been married for 67 years. On Thanksgiving day 1998, he suffered a debilitating stroke that made life for him very difficult. He lost his ability to speak and walk, but he was still the same great man the following ten, almost eleven years. He never complained, never seemed to feel pity for himself, but continued as he had the previous 57 years of his and Grandmama's marriage to want the best for his lovely bride.

He and Grandmama had three children, Sue Ann, Jerry and Gerald. We lost Sue Ann in 1995 to bone cancer and sometimes I wonder if he ever really got over Sue Ann's death. Jerry is my Daddy. Granddaddy was so much more to my brother, Raymund, and I, he was truly a second Daddy. We grew up across the road from them and were at their house more than we were at our own sometimes. Raymund still works in the family business in south Alabama that was started by our great-great-granfather in about 1903. It is a water well drilling company that has only changed names through the years, it is now called Edgar and Jerry Hughes Well Drilling. Given Granddaddy's impact on the water well business in that region, I wouldn't foresee a change in name. I even spent my time working in the business, although I never had the knack for it Raymund did and does. Raymund seemed to take his death harder than most of the grandchildren. I am sure that is because granddaddy took him under his wing at an early age and began teaching him the formations of the earth and which types of rock and sand would give up the most water.

He was such a jovial man. Loved to listen to your jokes and would laugh at the ones that were funny and even those that weren't so funny. The picture at the end of this post is the one that we chose to remember Granddaddy by, he was always laughing, seemed to be in good spirits and wanted those around him to be happy as well.

So long for now Granddaddy. I love you and will miss you terribly.

Wade

You always enjoyed life and wanted those around you to enjoy it with you.

We did...

To visit the Memorial site for Granddaddy please visit www.MEM.com

type hughes into the search engine, scroll down to his memorial and watch the tribute to him.