Pap plowing his big garden before the first planting
Last week, July 16, was Pap’s birthday. We all still miss him terribly. April made 10 years that he’s been gone from this ole world. I can hardly believe its been so long.
Making a garden ever summer keeps Pap on my mind constantly since I first learned to grow things with him. He enjoyed the planting, harvesting, and like most people eating the fresh bounty his garden produced.
Paul made a delightful video in honor of Pap’s birthday. I thought it was so nice that he wore Pap’s old shirt and hat for the talking portion and I loved hearing the beautiful singing, but my favorite part by far was hearing directly from Pap at the end.
I hope you enjoyed Paul’s special birthday video as much as I do!
Tipper
Original singles released on Spotify.
Shepherd of My Soul (Album released in 2016).
The Wilson Brothers Words of Life Album released in the 70s.
Beautiful song & great singing-thanks for sharing. I will soon be 75 & I remember my grandparents using a stick toothbrush and growing up, I remember my Mom chewing on a stick toothbrush until she made a little mop on the end. Mom just did it for the novelty of it I think since we had toothbrushes. I would always want to do it, too. I think Mom told me that it was a black gum tree stick. I will have to ask her. Mom will be 100 yrs old in November & we are so blessed to still have her. Tipper, have you ever heard of using a stick toothbrush from a black gum tree? I don’t know what a black gum tree looks like.
This recording shot right into my soul! The harmonies were just magic.
I was not raised with this type of music, but I always have been searching for this style (my whole life!)
I was born and raised in central California, but my father’s family came from Arkansas and Oklahoma. I have memories of families gathering and playing old, old music (a jug and a washboard was always included too!) I left California in 2012 for Arkansas for what i thought could be temporary, but once I reached the Oklahoma/ Arkansas border I just KNEW I was home. I’ve gone back once to sit with my father for almost 2 weeks while he was dying and I’ve never gone back. That isn’t my home. The old ways are what I love.
Thank you for sharing this video and all your blog/memories. I can almost feel like I was there they are so vivid.
P.S. Once here I joined a church (researched & recommended by my California Pastor) and sang this song in the choir. My goodness your Pap had such a beautiful voice! (You too Paul)
My mama did not use a stick to clean her teeth in my lifetime because by the time I came along, she had false teeth. But she talked about using sticks with the fiber of the peeled part frayed out as toothbrushes when she was a kid.
Really enjoyed this entire video. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Tipper, Paul and Acorns. The video was very nice. TY.
Lovely old hymn, so well done. What a blessing to have these old recordings from Pap, Granny, Paul and the girls.
Something Paul said reminded me of something my Dad told me. As a child he often lacked a toothbrush and they would whittle brushes out of birch bark. Birch smells and tastes like root beer so it had to help when you brushed your teeth. I remember that he still had his teeth when he passed at almost 94. Course, they didn’t have all the sweets to affect your teeth. He told me that one Christmas during the depression he and his brothers and sisters each got an orange and a few pieces of hard candy. But he always spoke happily about his childhood and felt he was blessed to grow up in the mountains.
This was beautiful! One of my favorite hymns! Top 5, actually. The footage was all so inspiring. Pap was a man of God, you can tell. You can’t beat those country folks, is what my mom and her family would say! Thank you for your lovely posts and channel. I enjoy it so much!
Wonderful. Simply wonderful.
Thank you.
Such a beautiful tribute.
Beautiful! God comfort all of us who have lost loved ones. It is a loss that our heart never heals here on this earth. We simply wait, knowing we will be with them once again and only then will our heart be healed. God’s Blessings.
This was a wonderful tribute to your father. I enjoyed the hymn, all of the pictures and high mountain scenes , so beautiful, and his words at the end, words of comfort and hope! Thank you for sharing this.
The song and the singing was beautiful. I so enjoyed listening to your dad speaking after the song was over. Yesterday, I listened to a youtube video of my late son-in-law giving a testimony of his life. It took place about 1 1/2 years before he passed from this world. I am so thankful to be able to watch it anytime I want to. Listening to him declaring his complete faith in Jesus Christ gives me great comfort…as we all still miss him every day….but like your dad, we know where he’s waiting for us.
Great tribute to your father! I enjoyed hearing Paul talk about the song, the pictures/video, the singing and the testimony at the end. Perfect for my Sunday.
Such a beautiful tribute and so very special to hear Pap’s message at the end. May the Lord’s comforting arms be around each of us daily, for we ALL have those we loved and who are no longer walking with us in this ole world. I can relate to Randy’s words of “I feel like I am surviving but no longer living” for I feel that way too since my husband’s death – it will be 8 years ago at the end of November. Memories can be such a comfort and treasure – and we can be crying and laughing at the same time as we relive them.
God bless you Wanita!!
Wanita, I am very plain and simple, I often have trouble finding the right world to express what I mean. Yes I am glad for the many good and happy memories of my wife, daughter and the many other family members and friends. But these memories often times hurt and cut like a knife when I realize there will be no more of these good memories made on earth with these loved ones. It is not uncommon for me to lay awake during the night thinking of the memories and good times I once had with them. Maybe it means my salvation or faith is not what it ought to be, but I can not just brush their deaths away and go on my happy way.
After seeing Pap’s birthday date(year) it jumped out at me that my parents and your parents were the same age. I knew our moms were(my mom 1/21/40 & Granny 3/6/40) but also our dads. Mine being born 4/11/37. I’m guessing Steve and I are near the same age. These similarities and the fact that my dad/his family, hail from Adair Co, KY, part of Appalachia, are probably what drew me to your videos to begin with. In fact, the first time I watched a video I happened upon 3 or 4 years ago, made me stop and stay awhile because your voice and accent was so similar to my Aunt Joyce’s, it made me smile as I enjoyed watching. Somehow, I didn’t find another video til a couple of years ago. I was so excited and kept coming back til finally subscribing AND eventually made it here to the BPA♡ I’m forever grateful to being led to your beautiful, loving community. I loved the remembrance of Pap and Paul wearing his cap & shirt. Keeping Pap & Granny alive in spirit, video and song is indeed a precious tangible ♡ My 3 beautiful, young adult grandkids are experiencing some hardships so if you all could, a prayer to lessen their burdens would be appreciated. Happy Sunday, Acorns. Here’s to a beautiful, upcoming week, as July is rushing by.
Kim, thank you!! I will pray for your grandchildren.
Tipper I so enjoyed hearing your dads voice at the end I’ve never gotten to hear it. I wish so bad I had some of my dad I know you treasure all of the recordings you have, Paul does a wonderful job archiving all of it. Those little boys will get to hear their grandparents talk and sing and get to know them some and that’s just wonderful. I hope you enjoyed the hollyhock poem it made me think of granny. Always praying for the CA families and papaw Tony.
It’s hard to believe that Pap has been gone for ten years! I miss seeing him on your blog, as his way of speaking and dressing reminded me so much of my daddy. Thank you, Paul and Tipper, for allowing him to continue living on through the videos you share. Pap had one of the most amazing voices I have ever heard. After listening to him sing “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” I’m sure any listener would agree.
A simply beautiful tribute and video. Thank you for compiling it Paul, and for sharing it, Tipper.
Happy Birthday in heaven , dear Pap! Y’all certainly had a wonderful daddy! Oh that all children would be loved and raised by loving mothers and daddies what a nice world we would have! Every day I am getting Nearer my God to Thee. Last night it hit me I’d like to stroll all over heaven holding my children and grandparents hands forever more as we go up to the Temple to worship the Lamb. Won’t it be wonderful there?
♪ Having no burdens to bear?
Joyously singing with heart-bells all ringing,
O won’t it be wonderful there? ♫
This is a great video! I love to hear Pap sing. The words at the end are good too. He was a wise man. I know he was loved and is greatly missed. My Mom has been gone 10 years this year too. (March 9, 2016).
The video was wonderful about your Daddy. He was a great man obviously by the way he’s remembered. That speaks volumes about him. Today would have been my Granny’s birthday. She was like an angel on earth. If she isn’t with the Lord there’s no use in anyone else trying to go. I totally understand how you feel about your Daddy. My Daddy introduced me to Jesus and I love him so. Please keep him on the prayer line, Ricky Tuggle. My sister too, Angel Wooden,she has brain cancer.
I will keep praying for them and for you!!
Kourtni- I am sorry about your sister. I will keep you and your family in prayer.
Wow! What a powerful video and testimony. Thank you for starting my Lord’s day morning with this beautiful hymn and video.
God bless you and comfort you in Jesus name, I shared that video with my family, I do a lot of them, I send it to them in a text message
Remember there is no time limit on earthly grief. May God continue to comfort your heart for your earthly loss until your reunited again in His presence.
Yes, we will return to were we came from. “Nearer My God to Thee” is about that yearning and it grows over time, or the world fades or both happen. Anyway, as another song says, “the things of this world grow strangely dim.” Great tribute to Pap today, Paul. The way you all miss and remember him speaks volumes about him as a Dad, husband, friend, teacher and Christian. I had not realized before that he was a long-distance trucker. I have slowly learned through life that there is more to every person we think we know than we are aware of. Thanks for today. It makes an impression on me especially now as I will be going home before too many more years have passed.
This tribute was wonderful. Pap’s high harmony was so beautiful it gave me chills! Paul, thank you for all the amazing work you put into saving and restoring these videos. And Tipper, thank you so much for your blog. It truly makes my day every morning. Prayers for all your family and all the Acorns this lovely Lord’s day!
I fully understand your statement “We still miss him.” For me, my wife has been gone 5 years, my daughter 14 years, my daddy 33 years, mother 15 years, father in law 13 years and mother in law 6 years. There are many other family members I could add that have passed on especially in the last 20 years, ever since I was 50 years old. I still miss all of them, I still hurt but can deal with the grief from all of them except for my wife and daughter. My daughter’s and especially my wife’s deaths have destroyed my will to live. Ever since we started dating as teenagers, my wife was my life for very close to 50 years. I have woke up this morning feeling very depressed and wanting to go away and hide somewhere. I feel like I am surviving but no longer living. Sometimes it feels like I am just pretending to be living. I also know I can’t give in to these feelings and must go for my son and 2 grandsons but is so very hard to do. The hole these deaths have left in my heart won’t heal, it is like having a cut or sore that does not heal or get better. I have been told by doctors and other well meaning friends you need a companion, how do you make them understand when you loved someone like I loved my wife there can never be anyone else, I gave my heart to her, there is none left for anyone else. Her birthday August 3rd will soon be here along with my daughter death September 15th.
God bless you Randy!!
I am praying for you Randy. Being needed is so important, and I am sure from your comments that your son and grandsons still need you in their lives.
Wonderful video and yes the best part for me wss listening to Pap talk about the Lord. Missing hi. is understandable. My mother went home to the Lord on Valentine’s Day 1998 and the last words that passed between us was about the power of prayer. How her daily prayers for me changed my life. I in turn told her that I had been praying for her. We were blessed to be holding het as she went home to the Lord: her four children, their spouses, and het husband of 55 years. I still miss her today but I know I will see her in the future. Have a blessed day. We continue to pray for Tony.