My Grandpa...

Herman Schul
September 19, 1916 ~ November 30, 2009

My Grandpa was so many things …


He was a handy man… Always busy fixing and building whether its shelves for grandma, working in the basement or in the garage. He built the family home in Waterloo.

He was a gardener… he and Grandma had gardens full of Roses, Vegetables, and Fruit. I can’t recall the number of varieties of apples he grew on one tree but I can remember how good they tasted.

He was a fisherman… He taught each of us how to bait a hook with a worm, how to put the bobber on, the difference between a cat fish and a perch and when it was time to reel the fish in.

He loved nature, camping and traveling. He could identify many birds, fish and animals and had a profound respect for their surroundings.

He was in the War… I know this but I never heard him tell any stories about the War; so I can only imagine his memories were too painful to speak about.

He could speak German… and loved every opportunity to do so.

He had an incredible memory. I remember one of the last visits I had with him before our move to Alberta and the conversation turned to property taxes and he could recall how much property taxes they paid on “the farm” after the cottage was built.

He was a good friend to many people from many different places. I know this because I have met so many of them through the years and they always had wonderful things to say about him.

He liked to have a drink now and then. He liked to spike the punch at Christmas and quietly guide those that were old enough to the glasses that contained the spirits.

He was a very proud family man. He loved to spend time with his family, and rarely missed a reunion. I always felt his pride in his family.

But most of all, what I will always remember about my grandpa is his sense of humour and his laugh. He loved to hear a good joke and he loved to tell a good joke. I loved to hear his laughter. It was a high pitched “hee hee” kind of laugh… I love his laugh. I can still hear his laugh. And, if you knew him, I bet you can too.