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By: Jim Fitzpatrick |
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Email: jim@nunica.com |
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Local Farmer in Polkton Township writes for the Coopersville Observer. |
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Along Brandy Creek By Jim Fitzpatrick
The Coopersville Observer February 9, 2004- - No. 22 |
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Grandpa Will passed on early in the winter of that year, way back when. He spent his almost 90 years right there on the farm where he died on that cold December day. That's right, he was born there, seldom left the place in all those years except to visit relatives in the City. He and a young friend went off to Niagara Falls for a spell once before either one of them was married; but, that was the extent of his traveling days. He married Grandma Lizzie early on and it wasn't long that they were looked up to as outstanding citizens of the local rural community. They went to church every Sunday and some days in-between. Like his father, he farmed the land, raised a family and passed the place on to his youngest son.
His last winter was a cold one with plenty of snow, much like the one we are having this year. Late in the fall, before the thermometer started to bottom out, there was the annual pancake supper put on by the ladies of St. Michael's Church. The old church was on the corner there just opposite Will's farm so he didn't have far to walk, which was what he often did now that he had outlived Grandma. He was a regular at all the festivities so he didn't miss that one either. The cooks in the kitchen thought that they would humor him a bit. What they did was, serve him up a huge pancake almost twice the size of his plate. And would you believe, he settled into that chair of his and devoured the whole thing without batting an eye. A lot of the folks figured he sure had the last laugh on the kitchen crew that day.
So, the days went on into the winter and Grandpa Will's life on the farm came to a quiet end. When neighbor Bob heard the news, from his wife at the supper table that night, he sure felt sad to lose such a good neighbor. But, at the same time he just couldn't help himself. He looked up after a spell, with a little smile on his face and said; "sure must have been on account of him eating that great big pancake that he died." |
