The World's Best Grandpa

          This is Grandpa.  He's one of the loves of my life.  A man I've always looked up to and adored forever.  He gives the best hugs.  He makes you feel important and special and I know would do everything in his power to make you happy.  He gave me the nick name "Tizzy" when I was a little girl.  It's always stuck!  I love his laugh.  I love the twinkle in his eye.  I love his mischievousness and love for teasing and joking.  He has the best poems and songs to share.  His family is the most important thing to him.  He honors my Grandma, puts her on the pedestal she belongs on.  Loves to be silly and play and enjoy nature.  He's fish 24 hours a day if he could!  He's wonderful with his hands, building and crafting, fishing and puzzles, holding and hugging.  He used to rub his prickly whiskers on my cheeks when I was a kid after I'd give him a hug and a kiss.  I'd pretend not to like it, but I secretly did.  His yard in Springdale, Utah was incredible.

         
 He took such pride in making his house a home.  He honors the Lord.  Is a fabulous Husband, Father, Grandpa, Great Grandpa, Brother and Friend to anybody he meets.  He loved joking around with anybody who would listen.  Always had a smile.  In the last few years I'd ask, "How are you doing Grandpa?"  He'd chuckle and smile then say "Fat, Old and Ugly."  Signing the whole thing too.  He always tried to understand our words though he couldn't hear.  He was a fabulous lip reader.  I wished he could hear me sing and play the piano when I was little.  Sometimes when things got loud and crazy with tons of grand kids and great grand kids I knew he was jokingly happy he couldn't hear the chaos!  I have a rocking horse he made for Lorenzo, a bird house he made for me, and a sweet little doll house he made when I was little still in Elsie's closet. 

           I wish miles and miles living 3 states apart didn't separate us the last 8 years of life.  I know my place has been here in Washington but I still wish I could've been in Utah too.  I'm glad my kids and husband got to know him a little bit.  He was always so good to the great grand kids!  So many of us now!  My heart aches that it will be years before I see him again.  It aches for those of us missing him and wanting him back on Earth.  But my heart swells with the Spirit and peace knowing if we do our part we will see him again and be an eternal family.  It makes me want to do better each day, so we can all reunite soon!  He's with his oldest son Kraig now, his parents, some of his siblings, and many other loved ones.  We talked about our dog Jack Jack running up to meet him in Heaven with his doggie triangle ears. 

          I've been grieving for weeks now, knowing this was coming since he had his stroke on April 29.  Now that it's final I feel thankful he's not in pain and he gave us a few precious weeks to be with him and say our goodbyes.  Even though my goodbye was on the phone miles away.  He told me last week, "Is that my Tizzy?  I love you Tizzy!"  Even though his voice was slurred due to the paralysis from the stroke it was words I will cherish forever.        

Keith E. Cowdell 

 9/1/1927 - 5/22/2012

  I love you Grandpa.  I miss you.  I know it will be so soon in the eternal realm of time that we see each other again.  You'll be laughing and singing and whistling and hearing!  You're free of pain and suffering.  You're with our Savior and Father in Heaven.  I know you'll be doing awesome missionary work soon from the other side.  Even though you're not physically here, you're always here in my heart.

"Right on Baby!" -his favorite sign language phrase

Love you,

Your Tizzy