Look at a photo of a person, What do you see?????
Before me sits a photo of an old man standing amongst some birch trees. The white hair which you can see sticking out from under the blue and grey cap that he is wearing. His eyebrows are still thick and dark of color, which I would guess indicates that in his younger years his hair was dark brown. His thin narrow face is carrying many wrinkles and a half sorta smile. Even thought the photo is only from the chest up you can tell that he is a small man, by the build and shape of the shoulders. When asked who is this man in the photo, I reply that is my GRANDFATHER................
Oh, Grandfather, that indicates that he is the father to one of my parents. Also a son, brother, husband or friend to others. Yes, all of those things are correct. But, when I look at this picture, oh I see so much more. A man of patience, loving, caring, hard working, honesty, perseverance and stubborn. The list could go on and on................................
This man looking back at me with the half sorta smile is a man whom I never will forget. There are so many memories that go along with this picture, it would take a lifetime to tell about them all. So I am going to try to high-light the man I see. I remember him having one arm that was smaller than the other. I was told that as a young boy he had had polio. Even though the arm was smaller in size, I didn't see that it made any difference in how he worked or what he did. I always remember him as having the white hair and looking old. Although I did watch him get more wrinkles and look older as time went on.
Clarence Bagley, my grandpa was a hard worker. I never recall him having a regular 40 hour a week job. He was always working though, now that I am older and looking back it was what we refer to as seasonal jobs. The seasonal jobs that he did weren't easy. Guess that has something to do with the wrinkles upon his face. He had been a woodsman, clam and worm digger, and blueberry raker these are the ones I remember most. Mainly because these were the jobs that he taught me to do. Woodsman, well my learning of that was how to split wood and stack it properly in the woodshed. Yes, believe it or not there was a right way and a wrong way to stack wood and needless to say it had to be his way. Not sure if it was the right or wrong way, but it was the way he wanted it done. He was kinda stubborn like that.
Being the first grandchild and all, I spent a lot of time with my grandfather. I recall living with them one summer, oh I was 12 or 13 years old and my job that summer was clamming with my grandfather. It didn't matter much what the weather was, we were clamming. Didn't matter much what time the tide was we were clamming. I can still remember the words he would say to me, "Early tide in the morning, I will call you about 4:00 am. Only going to call you once, I won't wait for you, cause the tide doesn't wait for me." Rain, fog, sunshine didn't matter we were clamming. If nothing else it taught me to me on time.He would laugh at me when I would almost fall in the mud.
I recall that he a lot of patience. In the summers he would gather up several of us kids, and taught us all how to rake blueberries. He expected you to work and not goof off. Oh how many times did he send us back because we left patches of blueberries. He would say, "You have to rake the good with the bad. You can't leave them, now go back and clean those up." He taught us all to be responsible for our own equipment, rakes, buckets, lunches and to make sure that all of our boxes of berries were labeled so that we would get paid for them. He was kind of funny though, cause even though he tried to be rough and gruff at the end of the day he would help us top off boxes if needed. He also taught us to work together to help each other out but only if we all had did our share throughout the day.
He was the caretaker of most of the summer homes on the point. It didn't matter what time day or night there was a problem they would come to him and he would go help them out. Known by all of the towns people and the summer people as they would come and go. Have a problem, oh just go see Clarence Bagley, he will help you out. Family was very important to him, he bailed us all out of messes more times than I can count. But, each time he bailed you out, trust me there was a lecture that went with it. If you borrowed money, you know it was to be paid back. He was honest and trusting and you were going to be also. He would say, "A man is only as good as his word."
I remember the good times of making homemade ice cream. The ice cream maker was a hand crank. We would have to add ice and snow and rock salt and churn and crank and churn and crank. It took time but oh was it good stuff. I remember that we would all gather at my grandparents house for the holidays love and laughter would ring though the house. Wow, I miss those days. As things are no longer the same. He and my gram were married for over 50 years. There are so many things which he stood for. I can't begin to tell of the many, many times which he gave of himself to someone else. He was the sound, firm and steadfast rock of our family.
It was Dec. 3, 1991 one of the worst snow storms that year and one of the worst days of my life. My brothers arrived at the Ames Dept. Store in Skowhegan, where I was working as an Assistant Manager, to tell me in person that the idol and rock of my life had left us. Yes, he was out putting the plow on his truck to go plow people out and had a massive heart attack.
What were we going to do? I thank him almost daily for the lessons which he took the time to teach me, and for the love and guidance he not only gave to me but also to so many others family, friends and strangers.
I LOVE YOU, GRANDPA.......I will miss you always!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
