Gayle Albritton
Born December 15th 1918 Died January 16th 2011
Of all the pictures of Grandpa, the ones where he is young and handsome, the ones where he is posing with family, the ones in uniform, the ones where he is making cranky faces with my dad, . . . of all of them, this is the one that I enjoy the most:
This is his great-grandson, Preston, using him as a convenient mountain to drive up and down. Grandpa never moved a muscle or let on that the driving woke him from his nap. He would always bring treats, loved to eat at Cracker Barrell (one of my favorites), loved to tell stories, and had the coolest riding lawnmower . . . ever.
I remember a couple of years ago I was visiting him in Waco, cleaning up a bit, and was saying goodbye as I was moving from Dallas to Washington, DC. At the time, the plan was that I would be driving alone. He wasn't thrilled about that and gave me a shotgun to take in the car. He wouldn't let me leave the house without taking that shotgun. It didn't matter that it was empty of ammunition or that I didn't know how (or want to know how) to shoot it. "You gotta look like you know what you are doin'. People won't mess with you then."
Grandpa was one of five boys. Older people always knew the Albritton boys. I remember going to the school counselor when I was a freshman at Lewisville High School to check my schedule. The counselor asked me if I was related to the "Albritton Boys" . . . and then basically gushed about a crush that she had on one of them.
Grandpa served in WWII and the Korean War. He always had stories to tell and was always eager to help with my school projects related to those subjects.
He read bunches and bunches. I knew that I could always find something interesting to read at Grandpa's house.
He knew *everything* about cars and plumbing and wiring. I remember helping Dad reshingle Grandpa's house in Marble Falls.
I remember cleaning Grandpa's house while my sister cut the bushes out front . . . she was so thorough she accidentally cut the cord on the trimmer with the trimmer . . . and he didn't bat an eye. He sat right down and rewired/taped it so that she could get working on the bushes again.
There are two objects that I will always associate with my Grandpa and Grandma. One is a glassblown paper weight. The other is a set of military medals. These were always displayed with honor on their mantel.
My Everett's middle name is Albritton. And, I chose it specifically because of how well the Albritton men always impressed me, particularly my dad, my grandpa, and my great-uncle William.
I will miss Grandpa. He was that family member that always seemed to be present. He and Grandma were at every major event. They always sent birthday cards or gifts.
I'll always remember the Thanksgiving that Grandpa hosted. I remember how suspicious the turkey "meat" looked . . . he cooked it in the oven on 190 degrees all night. How proud Grandpa was to have provided a major portion of the dinner! And, from what I remember, each of us ate part of that meat.
He, in his deep Texas accent, was the one that taught me how to use "o'er yonder."
Stories always seemed to start with,"Now, you know . . . ."
I love you, Grandpa!
