Betzy Sheehy Ollila Eulogy for Grandpa

For those of you who don’t know me or remember me I am Harrys oldest grandchild, I have always joked with my siblings that I am the favorite, but I will tell you all, that is not the case he loved us all the same.

There are so many stories I could tell about my Grandpa that many don’t know, but the favorite of all of us grandkids is called Grandpa verses the Squirrel. When I came home to visit earlier this month after talking with Grandma, I found out Grandpa had taken his battle to a whole new level with the squirrels. If you don’t know already my Grandpa is very shall we say protective of his bird feeders. Grandpa would fill the bird feeders a couple times a week. But it wasn’t just the birds he was feeding it was the squirrels also. So Grandpa would stand in the kitchen window and pound on it and the squirrel would just stare at him and continue eating, so then Grandpa would get the broom and go chase them away. Grandpa then after getting frustrated after months of dealing with this went out and bought a dome to go over the bird feeder, which is supposed to make the squirrels slide off. Well it didn’t work. So he was back to pounding on the window and chasing them with the broom. Now after sending Mike out to feed the birds while I was there, Grandma and I started talking about it, and I found out Grandpa had upped his game by borrowing a BB gun from my brothers. He always made us laugh.

There is nothing like a hug from a Grandpa, they feel different than any other hug. I think my Grandpa gave the best. Grandpa would help anyone and he always gave the best advice. All of us kids were worried about getting bad grades in school because we knew Grandpa would find out and as everyone knows he was a teacher and used to be a superintendant. As I was growing up my Grandparents took us to church with them every Sunday. My Grandpa was very active in the church as was Grandma. One of the things my grandpa had taught me was God is very important part in a persons life and that God has a plan for everyone, as unfair as I think it is right now, I know it will be ok. I know your watching down on us Grandpa so in that I want to say:

Grandma is ok we are all taking good care of her. Mike hasn’t left her side since before your surgery. There is so much more I wanted to tell you when I visited like we got the house finally and you would love it, Corbyn is reading now and Dylan got straight A’s again. That I can’t wait until you come to Florida this spring to visit again. But the one thing I would never say during our visits was Goodbye, I would say I love you. The last day I was in town I came and saw you again and again I said I love you and I would see you in a couple weeks. Unfortunately that is not the case. But its not goodbye it’s I will see you when it is my time. I love you and will miss you so much.

Here are 2 poems I found.

Poem I NEVER SAID GOODBYE

I never said goodbye to you,
it made no sense to me.
I only say goodbye,
to those I'll never see.
One day I'll hold your hand again;
in my heart I do believe,
that death is not the end of life;
it's just a short reprieve.

I never said goodbye to you,
instead I said "I love you".
As you departed on your journey
to a place where life is new.
I held your hand and kissed you.
Your leaving made me cry.
But in the end,
I know I'll see you again...
So I never said goodbye.

God’s Garden –author unknown
God looked around his garden,
And found an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth,
And saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you,
And lifted you to rest;
God's garden must be beautiful-He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering,
He knew you were in pain;
He knew you would never get well on earth again.
He saw the road was getting rough
And hills were hard to climb
So he closed your weary eyelids, and whispered,
"Peace be thine."
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you didn't go alone,
For a part of us went with you,
The day God called you home.