Leonard Gokey

I remember as a kid going with Dad on a Saturday to work with him either Bently Avenue where he had a woodworking shop  or the Burke School House where he had been renovating it into apartments. We would pull the used nails from used lumbers ,stack the lumber according to its size and length,  he would have us take the buckets of nails that we had collected from the wood and again sort them by size and if need straigthen them on an anvil.  Dad built everything fom lawn furniture to houses out of those lumbers and nails. Including the Home that I and my Brothers grew up in 4 Roby Street.  He taught us how to save .  we  would end the day with a Saturday night meal of  steak with fried  onions and mushrooms, one of Dads  favorites.  I wish I could spend another Saturday with Dad pulling nails and piling used lumber.  

 

Tim -  the thought of Grandpa having his own thanksgiving feast with his loved ones warms my heart. I know that he is watching over us not only during the holidays, but everyday.  One of my favorite memories as a child was Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's house - with the kids in the kitchen and the grownups in the dining room, laughing with my cousins, the smell of the turkey cooking, and sneaking a bit of "pink stuff" before the meal was ready. I miss those days tremendously! As the saying goes, it's better to have loved and lost , than to have never loved at all.  This holiday season, I am thankful for all the great memories that I have of not only Grandpa, but my whole family, and the new memories that are yet to be created.

It seems so unreal that less than a year ago you and mom awoke in our home to enjoy Christmas Day in sunny Florida. We opened gifts and had breakfast ,and then had a feast of a Christmas Dinner. One thing that you did enjoy was eating. I remember Mom and Linda  having to take plates off the table because you continued to pick at the left-overs. We are Celebrating Thanksgiving This week and even though it seems these days that we have lost so much and times have gotten to be where families have had to make many sacrifices to survive. I ,as I am sure all of the rest of your loved ones that you have left behind will be thinking of you.  Although we will miss you, we will remember to be Thankful for all of the memories of the times we had with you, those memories will strenghten us get through this holiday season.  As I look around and hear the news I realize that we are very fortunate and will give Thanks for all we do have . Again I ask of you, Dad  please look down and watch over Mom during this Holiday season as it will be the most dificult one she has ever had to go through.   If Heaven has a Thanksgiving feast ,I hope you get all you want and then some more !!  Happy Thanksgiving Dad !!

I was just thinking about how proud Grandpa would be of Mom & Dad for winning big in their elections yesterday. We all knew that Grandpa had a strong voice when it came down to talking about issues that affected people, especially with his seat on the school board. Mom woke up this morning to the results being printed wrong in the Press Republican (it said she only got 16 votes, when really she got the most votes in town out of anyone running for any position). She went to bed a winner and woke up a loser. Perhaps Grandpa was trying to humble her a bit? Either way .. I am certain he would be proud of them :-)

I  remember one Sunday going with Dad to an auction on the Main Street of Mt View ,Not sure why there was no one else with us but remember it as just Dad and I being at this auction. Dad and I watched as they auctioned off the contents of this home , and of coarse we had to take a break to have a hotdog and a drink.  after we had a bite to eat we went back to see they had started auctioning off the glasswares , I was only 12 or 13 years old and I remember the auctioneer holding up what seemed to be the largest vase I had ever seen, it was bright red.  I told Dad that, Mom would like that, the next thing I knew he had bid on it and purchased it.  I remember when Dad and I got home, Dad told me to be careful carring it in to the house and give it to Mom , He followed me in and told Mom that ,I  had thought she would like this vase. Mom loved it and had it in her living room for years.  I only learned later on that it doubled as an unbrella stand. I  don't think that there was ever another place that I remember Dad being so happy and enjoying himself than at an auction !