To the BEST Pop, We Love You

For those of you who do not know, I have had the privilege and honor of calling Ken Saine, my grandfather, or POP for the last 32 years. 

When people pass away, you always get the joy of hearing others share stories and memories of the person.  This has definitely been true over the past few days.  Quite a few things stick out in my mind, when I think of Pop, but I’m going to try my best to honor the amazing husband, father, grandfather, veteran, co-worker, and firefighter that he was.  Pop was dedicated and loyal to so many things including his Navy Ship and their Reunion, to the Boger City Volunteer Fire Department, his dry cleaning business and the customers, and being a family man.  Anyone who knows Pop, would tell you he had a great way of sharing old stories and making you laugh.  His mind was sharp, he was passionate, and he was a hard-worker.  He was so very proud of his grandchildren, but he was so thrilled when he got promoted to Great-Grandfather.  Something he said the other day, has resonated with me… He told someone this past week that he really hopes John Austin remembers him.  John Austin is not quite two, but I can promise you his children and grandchildren will remind John Austin of what a great man Pop was. 

He loved so many things, but one of the things to always stand out to me was how well he loved my grandmother.  They had so much fun together and truly were best friends.  She has been gone for 5 years, but he never wavered in his love for her.  They enjoyed beach music and shagging and I am pretty sure he taught all of his granddaughters how to shag.  They even showed us the dances in the kitchen.  They played golf, traveled, and enjoyed “the program.”  Not sure who made who watch the Young and the Restless, but Pop even watched it after Mom passed away.  This past Thanksgiving, I was driving him back home and he said, you know sometimes I will be sleeping and wake up and realize I was dreaming about her.  He said, “I think she has been gone for five years, but I still miss her.”  Luckily I had on sunglasses, and he couldn’t see that I was crying.  One thing is for sure, I want a love like theirs. 

He loved his kids and like any good dad taught them many different things.  My aunt Paula said one, time he tried to teach her how to drive a stick shift, and she got really upset and ended up choking the car in the middle of the road and ran inside the house.  He didn’t yell at her, he just got out and finished driving the car to the driveway.  Moma said he taught her how to ride a bike, and she was so scared he was going to let go, and kept yelling please don’t let me go, don’t let go… but little did she know he had already let go.  Moma also said that she took his car when she was 16 and had a wreck.  She was so scared he was going to be so mad at her because she was not where she told them she would be, but no… he just towed the car out of that creek.  Paula reminded Moma that he was only mad about the battery that turned over in the trunk and spilled battery acid on his fishing pole. 

Pop was the type of man that would help others, without asking for praise or acknowledgement.  Beth and Nicole lived beside my grandparents for many years.  Pop was the type of man that would run outside in his shorts and shotgun to scare off whoever was knocking on Beth’s door late at night.  As Beth said, I am sure Pop scared the mess out of him, so he took off.  He also mowed their grass many times; again helping her out, but really I am pretty sure he hated looking at grass that needed mowing, so he just did it.  Another neighbor of his mentioned a time when he told Pop he was going to start riding his bike, but first he needed a new cushioned bike seat.  The next morning, his neighbor got up and of course Pop (who would never take credit for it) had put a brand new cushioned bike seat in his carport. 

He really enjoyed giving back by being an active member of the USS Salisbury Sound Association and even served as the president for a while.  He looked forward to the reunion every year; it was definitely a highlight for Mom and Pop.  They visited so many places in the US on these reunion trips, and we all loved hearing his stories of how he got to reconnect with his Navy buddies.  He loved showing us pictures of the trip and telling us all about their adventures.  On one of the last reunion trips they were able to take, to Reno, they also celebrated their wedding anniversary.  I wish I could have been there to see this, but according to Pop, he had a dozen roses delivered to her at the reunion and the dance floor cleared when the DJ announced it was their anniversary.  My grandparents took the dance floor and my grandfather loved that moment.  He said, “She always was the best dancer.”  I’d like to imagine that Heaven’s gates created a similar scenario and he again was shagging to beach music with his beloved bride.

Another way my grandfather served and gave back was through his 50 plus years of serving as a Volunteer Firefighter and even retired Chief.  He was even President of the Board of Directors that aided in building the new station.  He put countless hours into this position and helping with the financing, but he was so proud once the building was completed.  He would gladly take any of us on a tour.  The other day, Louis Fletcher said, your grandfather was such a special man.  He said, “I’ll never forget the first day I met your grandfather… it was 1979.  He hopped in his first fire truck, and Pop said, “I’m Ken.  Who are you?  He impacted so many at the fire department.

Many of you know that Mom and Pop ran Boger City Dry Cleaners with Bob Keener.  Even though he retired many years ago, he would still talk about the customers they traded with.  Obviously they took very good care of their clothes, and moma said they never did laundry… Mom and Pop did it and magically it would just appear back in their closest pressed and ready to go.  I can speak from personal experience, as in college my laundry got stolen from the laundry room.  I must have told my grandmother about it, and so she said, “well you just bring home your laundry and we will take care of it.”  Every time I made that trip from Chapel Hill to Lincolnton, I brought my laundry and on Sunday when I was leaving to go back to school, they would hand me all my clothes pressed and hanging on hangers.  I even had ironed pajamas, not many college students could say this.  This was a skill they had, and they never once complained.  I know this was just one of the many ways they showed me how much they loved me.  Pop tried to teach me to iron, several times, but I’ll never do it as good as him or spray enough starchJ

Lastly, Pop made a lot of people laugh.  My aunt Paula told me about a trip she took with Mom and Pop.  Mom did not want to go on a particular ride, as it was too high, but Pop and Paula were riding. Paula said he looked at her and said, “You might as well ride it, because you won’t want to be here if something happens to us.”  So, as you can imagine, she got on.  He knew what he was doing.  This past Monday night, I decided to take the night shift.  Randy came by earlier in the day and reminded Pop what day it was and that Monday Night Football would be on.  Pop had Paula set up the remote to change it easily to MNF.  I got him to bed about 7:55pm, and he looked up at me and said, “What time is it?”  I told him 8, not thinking, and he said, “Oh, well I need to go back to the couch, MNF is on. “  SO, back to the living room we go… he laid on the couch and shut his eyes.  About an hour later, he sat up and said, “You may not think I am watching this, but I am listening.”  I started laughing and told him he had been doing that for 20 years.  On Saturdays, Pop enjoyed going out to lunch with his family.  A few months ago, Pop had his cane and we were walking out of lunch at BBQ King, and he was not moving very fast.  He said, “I’m going at top speed, don’t you know?”  I loved his humor even in the little things.

During his battle with cancer, he always made friends with the nurses.  He especially loved the “cute ones,” as he called them.  He had such a great attitude despite the fact that cancer continued to rear it’s ugly head.  I took him to some of his chemo appointments, and I rarely heard him complain.  As long as you took him to J&S or the Chinese place, he was a happy man!  Well, that is, if you got him back to his house, so he could take his nap on the couch in a timely fashion.  When Pop was ready for that nap, not much could get in his way.  We especially want to take this time to thank all the people who brought food, he visited Pop, who took him to treatments, and helped out in whatever way during his last few months.  We want to especially thank the Hospice of Lincoln County for their love and support during his final days.  Lastly, we want to thank Shelia at Dr. Prinz’ office, who was a God send to his family during these past few months.

There are not enough words I could say about what a great Pop he was, but every time I look at my wooden clock or bank box,  pull out a gold coin, see a piece of pottery he loved, or even see a Nascar race, the Panther’s game, or golf on TV,  I will be reminded of him.  Not to mention, every time I go to the mall, I will definitely think of him (and mom too).  That man, loved to shop and he definitely passed it on to me.  I can promise you if there were pants on sale at Belk, he was there as soon as he saw the sale.  Not to mention, how he would find things at local flea markets for his kids and grandkids.  You just never knew what he might find and think was good for you!  I am so thankful that every Sunday of my childhood and even to this day, that Sunday afternoons at mom and pop’s watching the race or the football game was a tradition.  I know we have so many memories of all of us piling in their living room, eating sweet treats, drinking coffee, and taking naps.  While most of his grandkids do not live in Lincolnton, I know it was a highlight for him to see us when we could visit.  He was so proud of every single one of us.  I am so thankful for the memories, and that he knew we loved him so much.  I am so thankful that he is in Heaven with Jesus and mom.  Dance all you want to now, Pop.  WE LOVE YOU and WE WILL MISS YOU, SO VERY MUCH.