He wasn't Grandpa Bob, but he was a great Grandpa Stevens!

Harry is known to our grandchildren as "Grandpa Bob."  He tells "Grandpa Bob" stories when they come to spend the night.  The stories always include chocolate milk and Milanos too.  He is becoming pretty "famous" with the kids - and they love the stories.  (One time Esme asked him to repeat a story - he was at a loss - he just makes them up as he goes - and doesn't think about repeating them!)

My own Grandpa Stevens was not a story-telling man, but apparently he hung up diapers - as least he did one time when this photo was taken.  But I have some great memories of time spent with him.  He had a 3-hole golf course in his back yard and would let us "play golf" with him when we were there.  He'd let us help him water the garden too.  He worked for GM and got a new car every year.  When they came out to visit, he'd give us and our friends rides around in whatever new car he had then.  Riding in a new car was pretty special - especially the year it was a Cadillac convertible.

One special memory from my childhood was the Christmas he and Grandma gave me roller-skates.  Our small house was surrounded by concrete sidewalk - not sure why, it was just built that way.  He had me put one hand on the wall of the house and he held my other hand.  He walked with me around and around the house until I was steady enough to skate on my own.  I was maybe 7 or 8 and I can still feel the stucco of the walls under my fingers.

I was visiting with my mom today, and she shared a story I've never heard.  She said the year she was 5 or 6 she got a tea set and small table and chairs for Christmas.  She said she can still remember her dad sitting with her and having a tea party that day.  It was water and crackers she said, but he stayed with her and played for quite a while.

There are other stories about my grandpa:  he said children should be seen and not heard, he said women didn't belong in college, he said my mom shouldn't have had so many kids, and he often said that if she and my dad would just stop paying tithing they could get ahead!  (He was pretty critical about our church membership.)

After he died, my grandmother went to his clubhouse to gather up his golf clubs and other personal items.  Several of the men there asked her how her grandson was doing.  She asked which grandson they were referring to, since she had 8.  They replied, "The one who's on a mission for the Mormon church.  Harry talked about him all the time and admired his diligence and service."

Sometimes I guess you just never know everything there is to know about a person!