Meet my Grandpa, John Smith.

Photo on the left taken at age 20 in 1956,

and photo on right I took this August, 60 years later. 

He will be turning 80 on the 30th of this month.

"Your Grandma's mother wanted me to take my picture in a fancy suit,

so I did that, then I took one in a black sweater because that's what I always wore."

The photo captivated me

so I got the idea that we should remake one now,

coincidentally 60 years later; funny how things work out. 

A little bit of his story:

He grew up in South Bend, Indiana.

During his childhood his family was very poor and there were 10 children.

My grandma mentioned to me at one time that they were not allowed to call his dad "Dad"

because they were so poor they didn't want people to know how many kids he had. 

Him and his brothers were called "poor white trash" and other kid's parents didn't want them

playing with the Smith kids because they were undisciplined.

(Funny mentioning now of course, because of the kind of person he became and who I've always known him to be.)

He married my Grandma, the late Nancy Smith, at the age of 19.

Her mother told her they wouldn't last.

Throughout their journey together they had 7 children (4 adopted)

and they also fostered in which they believe to have had up to 21 children at one time.

They currently have 16 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.

When I asked my Grandpa how he would describe he and my Grandma's journey together,

his face lit up. He describes it as "an adventure, loved it, wish it would've continued until I was 100."  

He worked construction for over 60 years, and for many years he worked for himself, "John Smith Construction". 

"It was hard work, I went in earlier than everyone else and I stayed later than everyone else, but I liked to work for myself.

There isn't a place in the town that I haven't built something."

As a father, his daughter Penny describes him as "amazing, self-sacrificing, and hardworking.

He worked construction, he coached an umpired league, pony league, soccer, and flag football.

He was a great example as a father even though he did not have an example." 

As a previous boss, Dave Frost described him "as a great man. I never heard him yell, curse, or lose his temper.

He gave me my first job at the age of 18." 

As a Grandfather, to me he was not just that, but an amazing and exceptional human being,

a hero in many ways, and one of the greatest Christian examples that I have seen.

When I was younger I read a paper from a kid who was required from a project/assignment about a hero in their life,

in which he wrote about my Grandpa.

 It was then I realized that it wasn't just me who had come to know the kind of hero I got to spend 

time growing up having him as my Grandpa, but there were so many other people who looked up to him as well.

And just as a little testament, over the years we have known a handful of people to have named their kids after him. 

I asked my Grandpa what was one piece of advice you would give blog readers.

He said it would be what Winston Churchill said..

"Never, never, never give up."

Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa!