Huston Gaddy 1895-1979

My grandfather on my mothers side was a store keeper. He made a very good living for my Grandmother Irene Gaddy. He was drafted into the army and fought in world war 1 in Germany. He was a tall red headed man. Always on the heavy side. He managed to squeeze every dime he made and provided Grandma with a nice home with nice furniture and good cloths.he worked on cars , fixed flats, and sold food in his store at Denver Ar.He had electricity before 1940. He took a model t engine and installed it in his basement, ,with a bank of batteries and they had electric lights and a refegerator and an electric radio. This was long before his peers had such luxuries. My sister says he never did anything for us and this is true. He always did do what ever grandma wanted. They sold the store in Denver and moved to Ridgeway AR. Because that was what grandma wanted. There he continued his store along highway 65.he paid in socical security on grandma and himself in a day when most people his age thought it was a waste of money.He bought a television when they first began to appear in our area. You had to have a long pole with an antenna at the top to get a picture.Grandpa took a pair of old metal bed springs and climbed to the top of a large oak tree in his yard. He tied the springs in the tree and wired his TV to that and was able to get a good picture.When he was 62 years old they sold the house and store and moved to Harrison AR. Again because this was what grandma wanted.There he lived until one day when he went to his bank and had a stroke. He was unable to walk and had trouble speaking.They placed him in a nursing home . One day I told my husband I should go see grandpa, we did. Here he was in a wheel chair, a shell of his former robust self. I didn't know if he would know me but he did and he began to cry, the tears rolled down his cheeks and I was lost for words.He cried and cried. An aid came by and spotted him and went to get the nurse. She came in and ask "Mr Gaddy what is wrong, why are you crying?"then she looked at me as if I was to blame. I told her that I was grandpa's oldest grand daughter. She went out side and told the aid, who was still standing by the door, it ok, Mr. Gaddy is emotionally involved with his visitor. I thought it was strange that grandpa was emotional involved with me. He never showed my brothers and sisters any love or concern in our lives. Mother went bare foot and thread bare for years and he never offered her any help.His other two daughters never had children so we were his only grandchildren.I didn't know what to say to him, finally I told him, "grandpa I am sorry that you are in this condition and I know that there is a better place in heaven for you." I will pray that soon you can go there and have a new body and a new life.My grandmother told my mother that when she would go see grandpa he would tell her he was going to heaven.I suppose grandpa heard what I said that day.So in the end what can you say about Huston Gaddy, He did his duty as he saw it.If he never learned to show us his affection it was his loss not ours.My father showered us with love and we never lacked for his affection.That was the greatest gift he could give us.