Two Great Men

Two Great Men
By Mark L. Yetter

I don't remember them well, but of what I do remember, I can tell.

Two men of different upbringing, their lives were brought
together in a real way. A marriage of their children
marked the day. The life and love in the marriage
brought forth offspring. After two, the third was me.

Back to the point; the two men were so very different,
and though I know a little of their background, the
memories of which I speak are mine.

I will introduce them one at a time...

The first is Ben. He was one of the most caring and
compassionate people in the world. But through
the eyes of a child he was all business. I never
realized the depth of his relationship with God
until I was in my teens. He didn't have much time
for nonsense, though he was quick to smile.
He Loved his wife and children deeply, and his
commitment to them was unending.
Though he tried, he did not understand me, and it
took me years after his passing to understand him.
His skill in the use of tools was amazing.
In retrospect, I see now that he had prepared
himself to be able to do anything he had to in
order to care for his family. I admired him as
a man, and as a Christian, but there was something else...

The second man is Ted. He was an extraordinary man.
A craftsman of incredible skill, he had a patience
that I can only hope to have. He loved his wife and
family unwaveringly. I'm not sure of his religious
beliefs, but I know that his wife is a devout Christian
to this day. However, I do know that he loved little
kids. When we would visit, no matter what he was
doing, he would take us along. He was an accomplished
hunter and fisherman. He had a sense of ingenuity,
and he smoked a pipe. I liked the smell...
I admired him as a man, a sportsman, and a craftsman.
But there was something else...

On a combined note about both of them, I will say this.
They both raised a garden of gigantic proportions,
this was always amazing to me.
I love and miss them both. In this writing I called
them Ben and Ted. The law knew them as
Benjamin Franklin Yetter and Theodore Allen Briggs.

I called them both Grandpa.....