101.5 HANK FM asked you to share your stories about what makes your Grandpa so special, and you didn’t disappoint.
We had so many meaningful entries that we ended up with a random drawing, and Robert from Port Angeles was our grand prize winner headed to see Riley Green with four infield tickets to see him at the Washington State Fair on August 30th.
If you need to buy tickets, you can grab them now at TheFair.com, and enjoy some touch stories below.
I’m named after both my grandfathers. Both where my idols and growing up I spent a major part of my childhood living with them .
My grandfather Robert was the reason I chose my career path as he was the mayor of the small town I grew up in in Northern Minnesota. We spent a lot of time during the summer go to construction sites and I was hooked.
Long story short, I live in Port Angeles now, and he wasn’t doing well health wise, so me and my wife (at the time) along with my daughter and niece where driving through Montana on our way to see him one last time.
About 3am in the morning – as this song was playing – I got the phone call that he had passed on. This song really has a giant piece of my heart and honestly, I shed a few tears when I hear it. I’s been 5 years.
- Robert – Port Angeles
My Grandpa played guitar and sang old country songs. He lived in California and Texas…loved yellow roses…he sang
Yellow Rose of Texas…He was a glass glazer. Had his own business in Placerville,CA.
- Toni
My grandpa died when I was 13 but he has remained in my heart and memories for over 44 years.
He was always there for his 4 children and 13 grandchildren. We all still talk about him and growing up with the love we felt.
He was a hard worker, fought for our country, built their amazing house himself in Edmonds, and loved his community.
He started Crest Cabinet at Paine Field with his brothers. Camping trips to Lake Chelan every summer was the best family trip with all the family. He taught us all so much and will always be with us
- Lynne
My papa Stan was one special man.
Him and I had such a special bond. Once it wasn’t safe for him to be living at home alone anymore, my mom and I got him moved into a facility. Once he moved in he continued to decline and finally after a year we had to move him to a memory care facility.
During all this time my grandpa and I would go on dates. Pizza and beer was our most common one. When he wasn’t feeling good I would sneak in beer to him and either bring pizza or donuts.
On 10/31/2021 my papa passed away. In his final days he enjoyed sipping on whiskey and lemonade while listening to family share stories with him.
He is truly missed and Riley Green’s song “I wish grandpas never died” always hits home when I hear it.
- Christine
Where do I begin?
He was born in 1906. Grandpa met and married my Grandmother in North Dakota but came to Oregon and raised their family in Milton-Freewater.
He was an incredible gardener. He grew pretty much anything you could possibly imagine! All the different vegetables and fruits you can think of. Melons, onions potatoes, different types of corn, even popcorn!
Because he was very old school he was able to bake bread in a wood burning stove. Even after it was upgraded to an electric in the ’70s, Grandpa still baked outside, especially in the summer.
My favorite memories of him as a little girl were being in his garden having him show me everything. having him pull up carrots, strawberries lemon cucumbers and washing them off right there with the hose to eat. Yum!
He’s been gone now since right after 9/11 and I miss him so incredibly much! I was so blessed!
- Kari
My Grandpa loved country music.
He went to concerts and listened to the radio all day long while at work. He worked hard to support his 5 kids and his grandkids never expecting anything in return.
I was so lucky to have had my Grandpa build a relationship with my children. The most recent memories of my Grandpa stick out the most. 6 years ago I introduced my then boyfriend to my Grandpa. My Grandpa walked right up to him, patted him on the shoulder and said I remember you. You are a good boy.
Turns out my boyfriend grew up across the street from my Grandparents. When we got married my Grandpa walked about eating his food without a plate. He said the bbq food was walking food and then he slide my husband an envelope like he was being sneaky.
A little over a year ago my husband was fixing my Grandpa’s car and the part wasnt quite the same. And Grandpa said lets try it I’m a gambling man. The part worked.
Sadly last July my Grandpa passed away after spending 33 in the days in the ICU.
- Veronica
My grandpa Fabe was born in 1910 on a farm in Oklahoma. Times were hard during the Depression era so he and 2 brothers set out in an old Ford Model T to look for work. As the story goes, one fell asleep in the back seat, smoking a cigarette which caught the horsehair stuffed seat on fire. Luckily all 3 and the car survived but the backseat did not, it was now just metal springs.
I was the only child of my grandparents’ only child, my mother Pat, she was divorced when I was 2 or 3, so I stayed with them while she was at work. She re-married when I was 5, and we then lived just down the street from Meadowlake Park, with a big pond, a small gauge railroad train, and a miniature golf course called GoofyGolf, in our Oklahoma hometown.
Many evenings were spent with Grandpa and I walking down to the park, sometimes riding the little train around the pond and through a tunnel, but most often playing GoofyGolf, then walking home with a grape Nehi soda. I held his hand as he passed away.
- Brad
My Grandpa came up to visit from California when I was little and we were in a parade in Bainbridge Island with my dad’s destruction derby car and his sponsors car which was Little Oly (from Olympia Beer).
My Grandpa kept acting like he was pouring Olympia beer into the gas tank. He was an amazing man who loved singing and music.
- Tabatha
My Grandpa and Grandma of course, had some property up between Ashford and the entrance to Mt. Rainier. He would pick me up Friday after school and take me up there. He was a country music fan too, listened to KMPS back then.
Unfortunately, the property was taken out during what they dubbed the inaugural day storm for Bill Clinton the first time I believe. It redirected the river near the properties and took them all out. I too wish Grandpa’s never died.
- Jack
I know “I wish grandpas never died” is about grandpas but there’s only one person who comes to mind when that song comes on, and that is my great grandma.
We always have conversations about “the good ol’ days” and listening to her little stories from growing up with her brothers and sisters, getting caught smoking cigarettes, horse back riding, her first job, gas prices, all the way up to her having 10+ great great grandchildren, you can see the light in her face just glow in every single detail.
She was the kind of person that if you needed something and she had it, with absolutely no hesitation, she would give it to you. She was defiantly a walking angel on earth.
She passed away late last December, and the world has been very dull and gloomy without her! So in this version “I Wish Grandmas Never Died”.
- Shelby