Granddad

This is a picture of my Grandfather. There was not a nicer man that ever walked this planet. The dog's name was Smokie and the picture was taken near Adel at my aunt Fran and uncle Harold's farm.

Granddad was a veterinarian. He was a member of the Cole family of Ames who came here in the mid 1800's. They came to Ames because that is as far as the railroad had come. Granddad graduated from Iowa State College in 1906. ( My nephew, Jon graduated from there in 2006.) Granddad was on the first football team at Iowa State. After graduating he and my grandmother moved to Omaha. (Sidelight about Granddad - The story goes that on the day my grandmother married her first husband someone saw my grandfather on the street and because of the look of despair on his face asked him what was wrong. He answered, “The only woman I will ever love got married today.” )

He was able to marry her after her first husband died. They had five daughters and also raised my grandmother's daughter by that first marriage. The sisters didn't know that 'Sis" was not my grandfather's natural child until they were older. None of us knew it. He loved her as if she were his own.

Eventually he wound up back here in Ames at the Hog Cholera Research Station (The vaccine that was developed there is what saved the hog population and enables you to enjoy those Iowa Chops and Pork Tenderloins we have today.) The station was just across the river on 13th street (right had side) as you travel east. It is now a part of the National Animal Disease Lab. There was a big old Farm House there where we lived. No inside toilet at first. I can still remember the luxury when that went in.

Granddad was the head of the facility and I grew up there. When my parents divorced Mom and I moved in with my grandparents. That was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. Living on the Station was very special. We had little pigs and big pigs and Guinea pigs at the Station. I can still smell the disinfectant they used to hose the place down. I used to watch Granddad perform post-mortem on hogs. They would tie each leg to a chain and stretch the carcass out belly up. After stretching it out they would slit it down the middle and the internal organs would come out to be examined. I can still see those events in my mind.

"Dig" or "Doc" as he was called was named Clarence Gordon Cole. His mother was a Scotch lady of the Gordon Clan and Granddad did not really like his first name. He signed thing C. G. Cole. - Rather distinguished, I think. There was another man at the Station also named Clarence. He and my grandfather called each other P. T. Years later I found out that that stood for Pig Turd.
Today when I write the minutes of the Lodge and have to put P. T. (for pro tem) behind someone's name I mentally salute my grandfather.

When I was little I called my grandfather "Dad." He was just like a father to me and since my real father never came around but one time he really was my "dad." Over the years we lived with him more than we lived elsewhere. He and my grandmother were so in love and so wonderful to grow up with. I know I am one of the most fortunate people on the planet to have had them for my family for as long as I did.

It isn't his birthday or anything like that. Ginny just scanned the picture above in and sent it to me and I was thinking about him. The last 10 years of his life were difficult. After my grandmother passed on the joy of living sort of went out of him. You could still get a smile out of his as the picture above shows. But he missed her until the day he died. My mom was by his side when he died. It wasn't the shock that my grandmother's death was. It was expected but we all still miss him. So Granddad this is a Post for you. I am so glad I had you for my grandfather.

I still have my grandfather's letter opener.  It is copper colored and came from the 1901 Pan American Exposition.  It has a buffalo on the top of it and I remember using it to bang the pipes at the "station" when I went over to visit Granddad.  He never yelled at me but one time and that was when I made my grandmother feel bad.  I deserved it.
Thanks for stopping by.