Grandpa Had Faith

My grandpa, George Byer was, above everything else, a family man. His family was his top priority. Nevertheless, he and my grandmother, Hattie Byer were also givers, and over the years of their lives, especially during the Great Depression, my grandparents fed more people that even they will ever know. The Great Depression found so many people without work, and therefore without food. I don’t know exactly how it got started, but very few days went by without an extra mouth or two at the table. It wasn’t that my grandparents had a ton of money for extra food and no one else did, because that wasn’t the case. They would just add another potato and some water to the soup, and somehow no one ever went away hungry. The only explanation was that it was a miracle.

Grandpa was a man who understood miracles for sure, and he was a Christian man. He; his brother, Cliff; and a number of his kids even helped to build a church in North Casper. They always felt like that was their church after that. Putting your “blood, sweat, and tears” into a building like that would have the effect of a feeling of, if not ownership, then at least connection. Grandpa knew about construction and especially cement work, so it made sense that he would be one of the people involved, but this was not a hired job. It was a volunteer job. That takes a different kind of person…a person who is willing to work without pay to accomplish something for a good cause. That was the kind of person my grandfather was. It wasn’t a money matter, it was a faith matter, and Grandpa had faith. That showed in how many people he and Grandma fed over the years.

Grandpa was a man who knew that when you have a big family, and money is tight, you have to find innovative ways to entertain your kids. You also need innovative ways to gather things like herbs and such that will help feed your family. Grandpa and Grandma knew all the right things to gather, and the kids were taught not only the right herbs to gather, but also the value of working together toward a common goal. In addition, activity was different for them too, but there isn’t a one of them who didn’t feel blessed by the activities that got to participate in. My mother, Collene Spencer loved rocks all her life, as did all of her siblings. The family went rock hunting for fun, and it was very fun for all of them. They always felt like the most blessed family on the planet. Today is the 132nd anniversary of my grandfather’s birth. Happy birthday in Heaven, Grandpa Byer. We love and miss you very much.