Remembering Uncle George

By Suzie Francis Groves

You may have known my Uncle George in a variety of ways. Some of you remember the delicious doughnuts he used to make fresh every day at the Pomeroy Pastry Shop. Some of you knew him as the fantastic mechanic who could fix just about anything, especially small engines. Some of you knew him as the trash man who kept your homes from piling up. Some knew Uncle George as a good ole boy who would give you the shirt off of his back. Some knew him as a faithful follower of Jesus, who served  people on behalf of his Lord. Aunt Gail knew him as the love of her life. If you knew Uncle George in anyway, you may have only known an aspect of the man he was, or knew him with one of the many hats he wore. These are some of the things I knew and loved about my uncle George.

 

He was a scavenger. Many would look at something of little or no value and consider it trash, but not Uncle George. Once he learned of my desire to find old treasures he brought me many things…an old child’s rusted wagon, a broken down school desk that had a hole for an ink well and attached bench, galvanized buckets and tubs, a wooden whiskey crate and my newest “treasure”--a wooden  Velveeta cheese box. Not only could he find value in items people disposed of, but he saw value in people others might reject. Knowing what rejection felt like, Uncle George would always look for the best in people. He always gave people a fair shake. He helped anyone he could any hour of the day or night. He was a man who didn’t always think he could make a difference in other lives. His humility was like a badge of honor we could all recognize from far off.

 

He was compassionate. Uncle George loved people. I don’t believe I ever heard him speak a harsh word to or about anyone. He was a man that lived by the principle “If you have nothing good to say…don’t say anything at all.”

 

He wore a watch, but wasn’t  ruled by it. He always had time to talk, always had time to listen, always had time to tell you what he knew to be true, or to give you advice, and he made too much time to worry about the ones he cared for.

 

He was a fixer--not only of machines, but of people, also. Many times he told others with tear filled eyes how God fixed his life. Of all the rejection Uncle George had experienced, he never rejected others. He prayed for others faithfully. When he said, “I’m praying for you,“ you could believe it.

 

He was a father, not to his own children by birth~ but to many God trusted him with. There were the kids every Sunday who picked his shirt pockets for candy treats. There were the youth group kids who playfully ran into him, saying he was like a brick wall that didn’t budge. Then there were his “adopted” kids whose burden he took on himself. You never knew who he would adopt, but he prayed for them and one thing was for sure…they knew he loved them. And who  could forget  all of the  children whose eyes lit up every year at

 

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“Well done good and faithful servant!”