Grandpa

I drove up to Wausau today and met up with my mom and Grandpa for lunch.  It was a good, but short visit, and it got me thinking about what a substantial life he has lived, and how many people he continues to impact.  He was 18 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked, shortly after which he joined the Marines.  He fought with his regiment in the South Pacific, including Guadalcanal and Okinawa.  When he returned home, he met and married my Grandma.  The two lovebirds went on to have TEN kids, who all managed to turn out alright (the verdict is still out on Ruth though... ;).  Ervin and Dorothy moved all their kids up to the middle of nowhere in North Central Wisconsin (outside of Marathon) and lived on and operated a veal farm for much of their lives.  After all the kids grew up (for the most part) and moved out, my grandparents moved into a house in Marathon proper, and then later into Wausau.  One of the silly things that I will always thank my grandpa for - my appreciation for sardines packed in olive oil on saltines.