Grandpa was born in Grant City, IN Sept. 4rd,1927. Grandpa said he started hunting when he was old enough to carry a gun. Grandpa talked about always having a dog around the house that would hunt with him. Most of these dogs were "cur dog", as he called them (no hound in them), they would hunt for anything. Grandpa really enjoyed the hunting but especially liked the dogs working with him. Through the years he always seemed to having a dog that would run something, fox, squirrel, coon, rabbits, etc. Grandpa also had a love of guns and spent many hours studying the calibers and ballistics of them.

He also thought it was very important to teach his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren about guns and gun safety. He took each of us out , at one time or another to shoot, mostly at homemade targets or cans. Grandpa enjoyed coonhunting as much as any sport he was involved in and had gotten several, if not all, of the family members in the woods at one time or another.

Grandpa coonhunted up until it was too hard on him to walk through the woods, then he just drove or rode around and listened to the hounds work. He also spent may hours in his easy chair reading his coonhound magizines. Grandpa's favorite hound was a non-registered bluetick he called "Blue" Needless to say "old Blue" didn't make many mistakes and was at least equal to the best hunting buddy he had through the years.

I was the only grandchild that stuck with coonhunting and I spent many hours the last few years of his life hauling him with me pleasure hunting and going to the local competition hunts. Usually my dad, grandpa, and I would turn a dog loose for 2 or 3 hours and listen to grandpa tell us several of the same old stories about his experiences coonhunting throughout his life. He was one of, if not the best, storyteller there ever was!

Grandpa also enjoyed his horses & mules, collecting knives, and figuring out how to improve on something. He was very innovative and seemed to have a knack of being able to figure something out or re-engineer something to make it better. His mind didn't rest on a project until he thought of some way of doing it easier or better. This natural gift that he had brought a lot of people outside the family close to him as well. There always seemed to be someone down at the house asking grandpa how to do something or give them a hand doing something. Grandpa enjoyed this fellowship with others a great deal and took pride in helping someone with a problem or project.

Grandpa will always be remembered, at least in my mind, as one of the best friends a person could have. I was just fortunate enough to be one of his grandchildren and enjoy him for the time he spent with me here on earth! I know grandpa is now somewhere in heaven enjoying the same fellowship that he did here on earth.

I’ll MISS YOU GRANDPA!

Travis Gideon