God is in CONTROL

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Pappa is 92 today!


For as long as I have known my father-in-law, Artie Bell, I have respected him as a kind and loving man with a sweet smile. I always saw him as one of the strongest men I knew. I watched the way he cared for Wanda, my mother-in-law and marveled at the way he never complained at the turn of events his life had taken the last 25 of their 51 years of marriage. He was an outdoorsman to the core - he loved to "rough it" by sleeping out under the stars, fishing, hunting and mining for gold.

But then with Mom's illness, Pappa became cook, caregiver and house-husband. They were always a team. She gave him cues on how to make her pies for thanksgiving, when to put the turkey on and stuffing in the bird. He, on the other hand, could make the best cornbread, homemade vegetable soup and thick juicy chuck steaks on the grill.

Charles Artie Bell was middle of 10 children and grew up in the sand hills of Southeast TX. He most always had some sort of pet and could catch and tame any critter. His older sisters made sure that he and his brother Calvin kept in line and did their schoolin' so it was no accident that he and Calvin both went on to graduate from college. Pappa lettered track at TX Lutheran, went to the war and then later graduated from Pepperdine University lettering in track there also. He had to work different jobs while in college and keeping up with sports, a marriage and his academics was time-consuming.

Artie served his country in WWII and then retired from the military in 1964- having done overseas tours of duty, one in Japan with the whole family. Wherever they moved (there were 30+ relocations) Pappa made sure that the family first found the Church, sometimes even starting one in their own home. He would get the family in school and settled quickly. Terry said he and Mom made all the moves seem like new adventures.

Pop, as I often called him, is very different now --living in a retirement center for those with memory problems. His body seems frail, but he still has the same sweet smile. In February, Terry was visiting with him and was trying to touch the parts of the past that Pop could remember. It would go like this, Terry would bring up an incident and Pappa would add his part to it and then he would laugh and say "We sure had a good life, didn't we?"

Yes, Pappa, YOU made sure we ALL did!

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