The following story is part one of a three part series that illustrates the life of “Big PawPaw”. The story is told to us through the memories of his grandson and his family members. I met “Big PawPaw” a couple of times and each time I was in awe of his physical stature and his generosity. His laugh was contagious and his spirit was inspirational. I miss having dinners with “Big PawPaw”. I hope you enjoy this man’s wonderful history.

“Big PawPaw”

My grandfather’s name was Henry, and we all called him “Big PawPaw.”  He was a brilliant giant of a man, six and a half feet tall, with broad shoulders, size 15 shoes, and hands so large that the palms could cover my entire face until I was 12 years old.  His sparkling sense of humor and wit were legendary.  As is often said about elephants, he never forgot anything, and he could tell you the weather or stock market changes for any day in the past 50 years.  He was married to my wonderful Granny, Elizabeth “Betty” for 62 years.  They had 6 children and 16 grand children.

In 2003 PawPaw lost a long hard fight with cancer, and his lifetime is remembered through the eyes of his big family; a family that he loved dearly with his whole over-sized heart, and who loved him right back with bear hugs and admiration.  My mom, Mary Jane, was the 4^th child in the family, and I was the 11^th grandchild—my name is Justin and I’ve collected some true stories about Big PawPaw.

1. His Shoes

Granny:  “When your PawPaw went to fight against the Germans in World War II, I was awfully worried about him.  Sometimes I also worried a little bit about being home all alone.  I had a pair of PawPaw’s giant boots that I would put by the doorstep each evening, and take back inside the house each morning.  Those boots guarded the house like a pair of faithful watchdogs. No burglar would dare to risk entering a house with someone who might fit in those shoes.”