“ Hey goofy come give me a kiss and I will give  you a dollar”. This was a saying that most of the grand and great grand kids heard every time they saw Donald Earl Brummel. He was a noble, respectable, and honorable man that kept his word. He would help anyone who asked, gave advice to anyone who wanted it, and showed support to anyone who needed it. Donald Earl Brummel was also our Grandpa.
 August 10 of 2009 was a day that our family thought came way to soon. A day full of sadness, grief, and sorrow. A day of unhappiness, depression, and remorse. The day Donald Earl Brummel…..Grandpa passed away.
 He left behind sons and a daughter, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. But the person who felt his loss the most was his wife of 68 years, Lila Effie Brummel. Before my grandfather passed away he was worried about who will take care of the woman he has loved for almost 7 decades.  It was to my surprise that my grandpa asked my grandma if I could stay with her. It was a strange and up lifting feeling to know it was what my grandpa wanted. Like when you get butterflies in your stomach before an event.
 I have been living and helping my grandma for almost four months. It might not be 68 years but I have learned a lot. Such as my grandma is very independent when it comes to doing things for her self. We have spent long hours canning peaches, and watching RFD, and polka on Saturday nights. We compromise throughout different activities. Such as she gets to drive when it is day light and its my turn when it gets dark. And I get to rake walnuts while she watches. She is probably one of the strongest people I have ever seen. Being incredibly strong throughout everything that has happened.  And I respect that. I respect her strength and her dignity. She is an amazing woman and I hope I can spend many more years making memories.
This story was written by Aggie Sturgess, 1st place winner in the November 2009 Student Caregiver Essay Contest.