My Grandpa Minks (mom's dad) past away last Thursday night at the age of 97 and his funeral was today. It's been a bit hard at a time like this to be away from family & not be able to attend my Grandpa's funeral. I did write the passage below on Saturday and my sister read it at the wake service Sunday night...so even though I wasn't physically there, I was able to kind of take part in some way. I just wanted to share this all with you...(BTW this picture of my family with my Grandpa was taken the last weekend I was in Wallis before I moved to Rome. He was 96 in that picture!)
My Grandpa – Mr. Ivan Minks, Sr.
By Lynette Uhyrek
When I think about my grandpa, Mr. Ivan Minks Sr., there are many things that automatically come to my mind and that I will always remember about him.
The first is how he loved to tell stories about when he was a kid and his many jobs throughout his life. I loved just sitting around and listening to him tell stories. He would tell them with such great animation and really get into them. I could hear the same story many, many times and still love it just the same every time. It was like learning a part of history first hand..and a lot more interesting to me than any history book. And usually when all of us kids were around and he would be telling a story, he would stop and say 'I'm sure you kids don't want to hear all my old stories…they aren't that interesting.' And we would tell him of course we did, and then he would continue and would have about an hours worth of stories to tell. I think the last time that most of us grandkids (and some great grandkids) were around and all got the chance to listen to his stories was for his 95th birthday when we got together at my parents' house. I still remember that day and will cherish it forever. That was my grandpa….the story teller.
Although he never received any music lessons or formal training, my grandpa was fantastic at playing the harmonica. At family gatherings, in addition to listening to his stories, we would also gather to listen to him play his harmonica. That was my grandpa…the harmonica player.
Another thing I will always remember about my grandpa was how hard of a worker he was. He might have not been a big man in stature, but he was a strong man indeed. Just to think about how many fields he plowed, cotton he picked, stacks of feed and sugar and various things he carried, how many houses he help build, how many times he moved the yard…by a push mower of course, and how many kids he carried makes me tired. I remember when Uncle Ronnie was building his house years ago and I saw someone up on the roof and asked who it was…and found out it none other than my grandpa of course. Up there on a 2 story house, not a young lad at that point to say the least, and he was up there working away! That was my grandpa…the hard worker.
My grandpa was a sharp man too! He had a memory like you wouldn't believe (which is why he told stories so well I guess). And he never ceased to surprise me! Like speaking Spanish to someone…and none of us knew he could even speak Spanish. Later we found out he picked some Spanish up from some of the Mexican people that worked in the grocery store with him when he was much, much younger….and after not speaking it for over 30 years or more, he still could have a conversation in Spanish. Also he LOVED doing word finds and those types of things. Even in these last few months he would do word finds with Mrs. Elenora. I think I'll be lucky if I could even see the words at 97! That was my grandpa – the intelligent man.
Any of you who visited my grandpa and grandma's house before my grandma got really sick must remember their garden! They seemed to be able to grow anything and took pride in doing so. Their garden was always so full of fruits and vegetables – my favorites were always the cantaloupe and icebox watermelons! I think the best cantaloupe I've tasted to this day are the ones that came from my grandpa's garden. Maybe it was the love he poured into them…I don't know, but they were always good. And who could forget the poppy seed plants he grew….nothing like tasting poppy seed kolaches made from homegrown poppy seed! Any Czech (and non-Czechs too) know that! That was my grandpa…the gardener.
Two other things that I admired about my grandpa, that to me I think go hand & hand, was his strong faith and he and my grandma celebrating their 70 th wedding anniversary before my grandma passed away. When I was younger and they were both well, I remember seeing Grandpa and Grandma in church together-usually holding hands all through the mass. And daily they would pray together and especially pray the rosary together. There was no doubt my grandpa was a praying man and his faith was important. My mom said even up until the end he prayed the rosary and even the day he died he made the sign of the cross. And to known a couple that was married 70 years, in this day and age where it's amazing if people seem to stay together long enough to celebrate their 10 th year anniversary …to me that's amazing! I've heard a saying that goes 'Those who pray together stay together', and to me my grandparents were a testament to that. So that was my grandpa…the devout husband and devout Catholic.
There are other things I will remember about him too…like how feisty and stubborn he could be, which is probably where I get it from, and how set in his ways he could be on a subject …and I would never want to have been on the opposing side of an argument with him because I think he would always win.
And to be able to live until 97 and not have had to be hospitalized much and up until recently was still pretty independent! To me that's amazing. And Just to think of what he saw in his lifetime…the changes to society, the changes in the way we live, as well as how many grandchildren and great grandchildren he has held and kissed, the number of weddings he's attend, and the number of funerals he's been to – including those of his wife, children, & grandchildren. That was my grandpa – the man who saw a lot in his time.
All these things were what made my grandpa who he was….the grandpa I knew and will always remember. That's my grandpa!
Right now there is really no where else I would rather be than with all of you, there, celebrating my grandpa's life and praying that he's in the place he's been longing for…in heaven, looking down on us all, away from all the pains of aging. Unfortunately I can't be there physically, but please know I am with you all there spiritually and my thoughts are there with you. Living in Italy, I am starting to learn some of their customs. And one that is related to funerals that at first I found a bit odd, but now I think it quite interesting is that at funerals, the Italians break out in applause in celebration of the life of that person. Although if my grandpa was still alive he might not approve since he was very much into being traditional, despite that I still think it is fitting at this time that we take a minute to celebrate his life and all that he was and celebrate his being now with the Lord by applause…for my Grandpa…Mr. Ivan Minks, Sr.
