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I'm sad to share that Chuck---Ladd's dad, my children's grandpa, and my one-of-a-kind father-in-law---passed away Friday morning. I waited a couple of days to share here because we needed to communicate with extended family, take a few breaths, and shed some tears...but since you all have seen photos and read stories about Chuck since the beginning of my blog, I knew I wanted to share with you. He had been declining over the past two months and we knew his time was limited. He died peacefully in his sleep, thank God. After feeling pretty miserable for the past two or three months, he was finally ready to go.
Many of you know Chuck as Pa-Pa, which is what we all called him. He raised three sons, taught them all he knew about ranching, then did the same with his six grandchildren. He has seen everything, and packed so much living into his 79 years. He was happiest working, and all the grandkids knew that you should never, ever, ever say you're bored around Pa-Pa...because he'd give you enough work to do to cure you of boredom forever!
Chuck had a gravelly voice and could come across as gruff, but the truth about Chuck is that his heart was open and generous, and his family meant everything to him. He kept up with extended cousins, organized family reunions, and made sure connections were maintained through the years.
My father-in-law was so kind to me. In the twenty-six years Ladd and I have been married, we've never had a moment of conflict. He gave out my cookbooks to everyone he encountered, he watched my segments on QVC, and when we opened The Mercantile, he mingled and greeted visitors for hours and hours. I'm grateful so many people got to meet him in person. (That's him on the far right.)
We will all miss Pa-Pa, but Ladd and his brother Tim will feel this loss most acutely. They lost their older brother, Todd, in high school, and their mom five years ago. I'm glad they have each other, and the bank of fifty-plus years of memories of a dedicated father who probably worked them a little too hard as children by today's standards, but who taught them valuable lessons about hard work, business, and life. He was proud of his sons, and would do anything for them and their children.
I will post more photos of Chuck once we all get a chance to look through the albums and albums that he himself assembled through the years, but here he is with Nan on their wedding day. I don't know what happens after we die, but I like to think their souls are somehow reunited and celebrating.
We love you so much, Pa-Pa. Thank you for living such a full life, and for letting us all be a part of it.
I’m a desperate housewife, I live in the country, and I’m obsessed with butter, Basset Hounds, and Ethel Merman. Welcome to my frontier!
