Rex Shumway

We have had more than our fill of funerals these last few months. First my brother in law then my father in law and now my Grandpa. Grandpa was 86 years old a war veteran, father of 5 kids, married over 50 years and a sweet heart! He always would ask about the kids and family. he loved to hold babies...wouldn't ask to hold them but his face lit up when you asked HIM if he wanted to hold them. He always gave me a hug and a smile when I saw him. He worked on the Santa Fe Railroad in Winslow AZ for years and years. He went on a mission to the AZ temple with my Grandma. He loved to go to the temple and serve there. He loved to play golf with his sons. He married my Grandma when my Mom was just little and adopted my mom. Said she was the sweetest thing and she always looked so nice in the little dresses my Grandma would sew for her. He took care of his kids and wife all his life and I never heard him complain. He liked to tell jokes that he would get out of the readers digest magazine...he once was reading one to all of us at thanksgiving dinner and when he got to the punch line he turned it over only to realize that he had not cut out the punch line...we've laughed about that for probably 20 years! He loved to play cards and games. I think one of his favorites was Hand and Foot. We would all sit around after thanksgiving and play it for hours. When I was small my family would travel up to Winslow every thanksgiving. While waiting for dinner to be ready I would ask Grandpa to play a game with me. I always wanted to play battle ship because it was only 2 players and I could have Grandpa all to myself !! He was a known cheater at games but I would never let his cheat with me. We would play for hours and he never got mad when I won...which I usually did...I'm not sure if he let me win or if he just enjoyed playing with me but those times are some of my fondest memories. I am so glad that he was able to hold everyone of my babies, came to all my baby blessings, child baptisms...he was a witness at all of them I think, came to family parties and always treated my Grandma like a Lady. Last sunday he was in the hospital and I went to see him. At that point we thought he would be there for just a few days and be out again. I held his hand and we talked. I asked him a lot of questions and got in trouble with the nurse for having him talk too much. He was quite tired but kept answering my questions and smiling at me. He asked about the kids and Roger of course, he really liked Roger and would have long chatts about Snowflake and Shumway where he grew up with him. He asked what I was up to and listened as I told him about my crazy life. He asked about Rhea and how she was. I said she was good. He got serious and said that she needed to come back to church and get re-baptized if she needed to. She needed to get he life in order and be with her family in the church. I told him that Rhea might not be wanting to do that. He said that he had been down the path that Rhea was on and that at one point he thought it was pretty "Swell" as she probably does. He said that one day he realized that all wasn't as "Swell" as he thought and so he changed his life and started doing what he knew was right and he has never wanted to go back and do any of those things that he was doing before and he's never looked back. I asked him what had made him change his mind and life and he said with a tear running down his cheek that it was when he met Annabelle. He knew he would have to be better for her so he changed. Grandpa was always soft spoken as long as I knew him. He had hearing damage from the war and always wore a hearing aid. I think we all took it for granted that he was just the quiet one and we may have left him out of some conversations since it was hard for him to hear. I am glad that he is now somewhere that he doesn't have the restraints of the flesh and can be perfect once again. As I left his hospital room I leaned over and gave him a hug and kiss. I told him that I loved him. He said I was a sweet heart and that he loved me very much ...don't know if he ever said that to me before...I'm sure he did but it meant a lot just them...and even more now. I'm glad I got to see him just one more time and that he knew me and could talk to me. I'll miss you Grandpa and I love you now and forever.