This week my grandpa did what few people accomplish. He turned 90, and he is in pretty good shape. Few medications, and no walker. He goes to exercise class everyday and has taken a walk every day for the last 25 years.
He had many cards that people had sent him. A fruit basket came from his nieces and nephew in Oregon that he was quite proud of.
I think one of his best birthday presents was learning that his daughter was moving back to Pratt. She bought a house just a few blocks away from his apartment.
This is the same daughter that was born the day he was walking home from Oklahoma after being discharged from World War II. Can you imagine our troops being discharged and walking home?
After the war he started his farming career. Building many of the existing terraces in the county is one of his lasting contributions to this world.
He also built a grain elevator and had a seed wheat business. Many of the land owners he farmed for, my dad also farms for them, or their children.
It took some courage, but he went on a few overseas missions trips. He told me that he looked out the window of the plane and he felt like God made him a promise not to worry, that he would return home. Often times he still gets together with his Gideon group and still distributes bibles.
I think he is pretty happy these days because several of his lifelong friends are living at the some residence center, so they look out and take care of each other.
Alta Ross a lifelong friend and my grandpa, Anfred Smith visiting at his birthday party.
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