
One hundred years ago today, one of my favourite men was born: Walter William Rasmussen. My grandpa is the namesake of my son, William Walter; the patriarch of all things witty; and my connection to Norwegian heritage and baseball.
At his funeral nearly seven years ago, one of my cousins recalled how Grandpa was the first person in the community in the 1980s to install a satellite dish (about the size of a small house). He did this so that he could watch NASA and follow space exploration. I can’t help but think how big of a fan he would have been of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.
A few months after Grandpa died, I wrote a piece that was published in the Globe and Mail‘s Lives Lived column.
It is my pleasure to share it with you today so that you might know a tiny bit more about the man who taught me to laugh and to love.
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Happy 100 years, Grandpa.
I remember your grandpa very well with his quiet sense of humour and that twinkle in his eye. He would always ask me how my fastball was going and I know that he was genuinely interested. He truly was a gem of a man.
When my son was working on the Bethlehem Garden project for his heritage fair project Walter was one of the very few of the original homesteaders in Dacotah he could interview. Your grandfather was so happy to answer questions, be interviewed, and provide photos. A truly kind man!
Your grandpa sounds like one amazing man! Sounds like he made quite an impact on your life!
Beautiful.
When we were young Uncle Walter and Dad combined together. I have great memories of Mom and my sisters and I making a late dinner and waiting for Dad and Walter who would be covered in dust and tired to come in the porch. Walter was always witty and made us laugh. He was also sincerely interested in each of our young lives wanting the best for us. He was truly a gem!!! Donna
What a great guy….. you cannot compare that generation with anything else. They were tough and they were survivors. My Dad passsed away in March of this year at the age of 92. He, too, lost his wife to Alzheimers and ended up in extended care. I so identify with your family.
“The horses were smarter….” Cracks me up!
What a beautiful tribute to your Grampa.
That was a beautiful tribute to your grandfather and made me miss both of mine even more. Thank you for sharing!