A Tribute to My Grandfather

I had the intimidating task and privilege of writing and presenting my grandfather's eulogy at his funeral this past Friday. How does one encapsulate all that a person was as a husband, father, and grandfather in a document a little over a page and a half? With input from many family members, here is my best effort. I love you, Grandpa. I will miss you so much.

Robert “Bob” Suckut

Eulogy

By Tennille Shin, granddaughter

When I think of Grandpa, I think of sitting on his lap as a little girl, his brush running through my hair and his soft humming of what came to be known as the German lullaby. Grandpa always had a way of putting his grandchildren to sleep or calming us down with that lullaby. When we did cry, Grandpa would try to cheer us up by asking to collect our tears in a little cup so we could see them; and it worked. Grandpa loved children. At family gatherings, he could often be found with a child on his lap or children surrounding him enthralled with his humor and antics.

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Grandpa with great-granddaughter

Grandpa enjoyed working with his hands and he was known throughout the family as the man who could fix anything. Grandpa could see something in a store, then go home and make it himself. He never hesitated to fulfill granddaughters’ requests for hand-made picture frames and make his grandsons’ hand-made kites, which he then, of course, helped us fly. I think we were all filled with child-like wonder at his ability to make airplanes out of pop cans and yard ornaments out of piping.

Singing together with the family

Grandpa enjoyed gardening and it was always a treat to taste his fresh strawberries when we visited. He also loved music, teaching himself how to play the harmonica and guitar. Grandpa enjoyed polka and bluegrass especially and he was the number one fan of The Peapickers, often sitting in the front row with his tape recorder during concerts. Many of his children and grandchildren share his love for music through his influence.

Always finding time for fun

Grandpa also had a way of dealing with troublesome animals. While his children remember family gofer-hunting trips, his grandchildren may remember him shooting blackbirds out of the second story window with a bb gun. Then there was the electric line wired from his house to the bird feeder, rigged to a button, so he could give unwanted squirrels the shock of their lives. Now that I think about it, this sounds pretty similar to the story of Grandpa rigging the back seat of his car to shock unsuspecting passengers.

Grandpa at 90 with a chainsaw

Grandpa was a hard-working and active man. Everybody in town knew him from his daily 2-mile walk to the spur and back and as he walked he would pick up trash discarded by the roadside. As much as his children tried to keep Grandpa from doing exhaustive labor in his older years, he just couldn’t stop working. He continued to mow his lawn and blow snow at age 95. When his snow blower broke this past winter, he bought himself a new one and made his son go pick it up for him so he could keep going. I remember my mom calling me once last winter, “Grandpa was up pushing snow off the roof today.” Yep, that’s Grandpa.

Grandpa & Lace (granddaughter)

But even though Grandpa had such a strong work ethic, it never took him away from spending time with family. Grandpa was an active father and grandfather. He is remembered as a father who would lay down his chores for a quick baseball game in the yard or to teach his children to fish and hunt. He would even let his daughters put curlers in his hair and one day accidentally opened the door to a visitor forgetting they were there.  In the winter he would hook up a sled to the tractor and give his children rides while he packed the snow down in the driveway. And too many memories to count were made at the Jamestown Reservoir, where every summer he would take his children and grandchildren fishing at the camper at Smokey’s Landing.

As each of his children and then grandchildren grew up and married, Grandpa always welcomed each new spouse with as much love and affection as we knew. Whenever family or friends came to visit, they could always spot Grandpa sitting in his favorite recliner behind the picture window. He was always there when we drove up and always there waving with Grandma when we drove away. The time in between was easily spent eating fresh produce from his garden, visiting over a game of dominoes, or playing on the big bouncy ball Grandpa rigged to hang from the tree in the backyard. Upon leaving their home, without fail, we would all receive a hug and a kiss.

It almost goes without saying that Grandpa adored Grandma. As a small girl I remember Grandpa planting a huge kiss on Grandma’s lips in the middle of the street in front of the café. “Bob!” Grandma said embarrassingly. Grandpa replied simply, “What? We are married.” When Grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990, her doctor met with Grandpa, “If you love your wife, quit smoking." The story goes that even though Grandpa had tried to quit several times before, that very day Grandpa threw his cigarettes away and never touched them again. This was Grandpa.

                              

Two Months Married (1942)

69 Years Later (2011)

Grandpa was also a man of quiet faith. He thought for himself and had many questions about biblical topics. He enjoyed visits from Pastor Edwards and Pastor Pflugrad and shared many spiritual conversations with his children. When Grandpa chose to be baptized at age 91, Grandma chose to be re-baptized alongside him in support, another testament to their marriage. July 17, 2010 was a glorious day as his son, Randi, at Pelican Lake surrounded by family and friends, baptized him.  

Memories could go on forever and I’m sure we will all remember easily throughout the coming years whenever we hear a harmonica, taste a lemon drop, play a game of Rummikub, go fishing, listen to polka, or pick juneberries. Whatever memory it may be for you, it remains true for us all, Grandpa was a remarkable man who instilled in us the values of integrity, respect, work ethic, sacrifice, quality time, and family. And the legacy he left us will live on through all the lives he touched.

Picking Juneberries

Obituary

Picture Credits: Myndi Timothy