This am My Mom Skyped Me to Let Me Know My Grandfather Merle Milliman Had Passed Away.

Early this morning my Step Dad visited my Grandfather to check on him. When he opened the door he found him slumped over at the kitchen table with a bag of bird seed. You see my Grandfather loved nature and one of his favorite pass times was feeding the birds.

About a year and a half ago my Grandmother passed away. I felt bad for him as I know he was alone. The great thing is that my parents and my Uncles lived nearby so they frequently visited him. He recently let my Mom know that he was ready to go. Sad as it is I am actually relieved for him.

My Grandfather was a guy that kept fighting through life, never giving up. He survived a heart attack when I was in high school which prompted him to give up smoking and drinking.

He loved to hunt and fish. The guy absolutely loved the outdoors. My best memories with him are when he would take my brother and I fishing on the Erie Canal. We would sit there catching nothing but just spending time with us was priceless.

The History of Merle Milliman.

He grew up on the Southern Tier of New York from a town called Leon. This area is very rural and is well known to be Amish country. Growing up on the farm he learned how to work with his hands. After graduating high school he joined the US Marines and served a few years here in Panama guarding ships as they passed through the Panama Canal.

Me Mimicking His Picture.

He Was an Absolute Character!

When I told him I was moving to Panama he said, "You better make sure your girlfriend is not related to you, she might be your cousin!" As you can imagine my Grandmother gave him the look of death. Every time I talked to him over the last six years he reminded me.

One time I showed him a picture of my condo here in Panama and the view from my balcony. He said, "there is no way in hell that is Panama, they don't have glass there". He was right, during the 1950's the glass in Panama was a luxury.

This was the Picture from My Balcony.

Of course I wish I could have seen him one more time. I think most of us feel that way when someone we love passes away. I hope he finally has that peace he has been searching for his entire life. Thank you for being there for us when we were young Grandpa.