Even though we never had the
chance to meet, I’ve thought of you often. My name is Brenda Rae Leyndyke, and
I’m the daughter of your son, Bruce. I live in Kalamazoo now, but I spent many years
in Battle Creek, where your sister Adeline lived and where your mother, Hattie,
lived for a short time. People tell me I look like Grandma Glover, and I take
that as a real compliment.
Your son, Bruce, my dad, lived
a long, full life. He passed away at the age of 93. You never met my mother,
Audrey, but she and Dad were married for over sixty years. They were a great
match, especially because they both loved sports. I didn’t inherit that sports
bug, though. I’ve always been more like you in that way.
Over the years, my dad shared
stories about his life growing up in Hazel Park, and about you and Grandma. One
story he told with a chuckle was about falling out of your Reo car. He wasn’t
sure who was more rattled, you or him. How did you feel when that happened? He
also told the story of the only time you spanked him, after he swore at school.
I’ve often wondered if that was something you wanted to do, or if it was just
part of being a good parent.
Dad talked a lot about his love
of sports as a kid, and I was always curious why you didn’t attend his games. I
wonder what kept you away. Was it work, shyness, or just the way things were at
the time? He did say you loved to fish. Did you have any other hobbies? I
imagine you out on a quiet lake, casting a line. I like to picture sitting
beside you in a boat, peppering you with questions. You’d probably have told me
to hush so we wouldn’t scare the fish!
One place where I feel
especially close to you is Point Betsie. I’ve read that you lived there with
your family, and I would love to know more about what your life was like during
that time. Were you able to be a teenager there, or were you expected to help
run the lighthouse? What was your mother, Hattie, like? I have her Bible, and
it’s one of my most treasured possessions.
You have a grandson, Neil, my brother, and he works as a cost estimator for PepsiCo. I discovered that you were a cost estimator too, for Chrysler Corporation. You probably wouldn’t recognize the car industry now! We even have cars that run on electricity!
Dad started his first teaching and coaching job the September you
died, seven years before I was born. He went on to teach for forty years and
coached for nearly fifty. I think he got that passion from Grandma. I even
found a photo of her on a high school basketball team.
Grandma lived fifteen more years after you passed. She married a former Marquette classmate, Ray Bell. Sadly, she died of cancer. I had cancer too, at age 22, thyroid cancer. I always wondered what kind she had. Dad said it was throughout her neck, and I’ve often wondered if it may have been thyroid cancer too. I wish I had gotten to spend more time with both of you. You could have told me many stories, I am sure. My dad was a wonderful man with qualities I am sure you and Grandma instilled in him.
I’m curious how you met
Grandma. Did you know her before you married your first wife, Emma? There are
so many things I would love to ask you. I’ve been researching your family
history for the past fifteen years. Did you know your grandparents, Samuel and Adeline Glover? I’ve learned some remarkable things about our family. Did you know you
have ancestors who came over on the Mayflower? You come from a long line of
patriots.
One of my favorite memories was
taking Mom and Dad to Marquette. We visited your grave, and Dad placed flowers
there. It was a quiet, powerful moment. Sadly, Grandma Glover wasn’t buried
beside you. Ray Bell was too cheap to send her back to Marquette, and she’s
buried in Canada instead. I have pictures from that trip that I cherish.
There’s still so much I’d love
to know. Dad said you were a reserved man, and maybe you wouldn’t have welcomed
all my questions. I understand that. I’m the same way. I don’t always like
talking about myself either. But maybe you would have told me stories about
your parents or your brothers and sisters. I especially wonder what it was like
when your brother, Merle, joined the Canadian army in World War I. He went on
to become a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. He must have made the family
proud.
My dad tells of the times you would take him to meet your brother, Claude, as he pulled into the Munising railyard. My dad made it sound like you were close to Claude. I'd love to hear more stories of you and him growing up.
Even though I never got to meet
you, I feel like I’ve come to know you through Dad’s stories and the traces you
left behind. You’re a part of me, of who I am, and where I come from.
Forever thinking of you,
Your granddaughter,
Brenda Rae
Photo Source: Photograph of Harry Glover from the personal family photo collection of Brenda Leyndyke, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Privately held by author.
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