My grandpa Reed G. Bills

My grandpa's health has been deteriorating. Last night my dad called to tell me that the nursing facility called and they could not wake him all day. He had a fever and showed signs that the end was near. This morning, I drove to Provo to visit my grandma and grandpa. I had a nice visit with my grandma. Today she knew who I was, and she also seemed aware that my grandpa's end was near (her clarity and memory are spotty at best...last time I visited she didn't know who I was at all). A few minutes before I left, my grandma's sister, my great aunt Joann, came to visit. I left and I guess only minutes later, my grandpa passed. I am glad that I was able to say goodbye. He never woke, but I am still glad that I was able to kiss him on the cheek and whisper that I love him.

My grandpa is truly one of the best men I have had the privilege to know. On the drive there, I was listening to a fireside given by Sister Emily Watson Nelson and Sister Sheri Dew called The Savior Will Heal Without a Scar. They talked about the power the Savior has to heal... To heal us spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. To heal us completely so there is no scar, to help us overcome our sorrows, our trials, our weaknesses, our sins. They talked briefly about death and that if we live right, then there is really no such thing as premature death...but that to us left here to grieve, death always seems as if it came too soon. There is truth to that. I am grateful that my grandpa has been released...that he is reuniting with his parents and others that he loves. But I am sad that such a great man, one that I love so much, is gone. I am so grateful for the plan of salvation, for the Savior's gift of immortality...that we will all be resurrected and that if we live righteously and we repent of our sins, then we can live eternally with our Savior and our families. I am grateful that because He has engraven us on the palms of our hands, because of His Atonement, we can be healed without a scar. I want to try a little harder to do what is right, to draw nearer to the Lord, to follow the example set by my grandpa.

My grandpa was a gentle man. (This is especially impressive to me, because from what I understand, his father was not gentle or kind but rather harsh. My grandfather overcame his difficult childhood and became such a wonderfully kind person.) He was calm and composed and forgiving and loving. He was both intelligent and wise. He read a lot and knew a lot, but he also really understood a lot about life and how to be happy and how to counsel others. He had big, strong hands and he was a very hard worker.

As a little girl, both of my parents worked and so we spent a lot of time at my grandparents' home. My grandma picked us up from school every day and we spent our afternoons with her. We spent most of our summers at their home. We also went there for family gatherings, Sunday dinners, and other events. When my parents divorced, my mom and sisters and I moved in with them (even though they are my father's parents.) I know my grandfather really helped my mom during this difficult time, helping her to forgive my dad so that she could be set free from her pain and anger. My grandpa was a Bishop either before I was born or when I was very little. Even years later, people often called him Bishop and many people came to him to receive counseling. As I said, he was very wise...and he was a great listener.

My grandpa was also a lot of fun. My cousins, sisters and I can all remember swimming in the pool and having him pretend to be a drain monster that would try to catch us. He would also put us on his feet and dance around, singing, "You can have her, I don't want her. She's not right for me." Or "You can't have her, I do want her. She's just right for me. She's just right, she's just right, she's just right for me." My grandpa also sang a song about tuppence a lot. "Oh, I've got six pence, jolly, jolly six pence. I've got six pence to last me all my life. I've got tuppence to spend and tuppence to lend and tuppence to send home to my wife... Poor wife. No cares have I to grieve me, no pretty little girls (often he's substitute one of our names...like no pretty little Jennys) to deceive me. I'm happy as a king, believe me, as we go rolling, rolling home. Rolling home. Rolling home. Rolling home, rolling home. By the light of the silvery moo--oo-oon. ..." Then it would start over but with four pence, then tuppence, then no pence.

My grandpa loved to tell jokes. He had a unique sense of humor, with his favorite joke being the joke about the brick. Perhaps the strangest (and maybe not the funniest) of jokes, but one that my whole extended family loves.

My grandparent's home was always open...to their children, grandchildren, even neighborhood children. My grandma often gave snacks to neighbors and gave them a safe place to play after school, especially for a few whose homes were not very safe. Most of their children moved home at some point in time for various reasons, and they were always welcomed.

I always felt safe with my grandparents. And loved and cherished. I am so grateful for their example.