My Dad
Everett Albert Campbell
Born: July 18, 1926
Died: October 23, 2013
Age: 87
Dear Liliyah:
So, what can I tell you about my Father....your Great Grandfather, and your Dad's Grandfather. You never got to meet your Great Grandmother because she died at a much younger age. However, you got to meet your Great Grandfather, and he was so in love with you. You called him Grandpa Grape! My Dad's heritage was Scottish and French. My Dad was the oldest of 9 siblings. Although my Dad was born in Massena, New York, my grandparents moved when my Dad was just a baby, so he and his siblings grew up on a Dairy Farm in Clarendon, New York.
This is a picture of my Grandmother holding my Dad when he was a little baby
Just like my mother, my Dad grew up during the great depression. There was not much money, but because he grew up on the farm, they always had food to eat and milk to drink. AND, both my grandfather and my grandmother hunted for food so they always had meat on the table. My grandfather was very stern and strict with the children. My Dad learned how to run the farm at a very young age. He was milking cows and taking care of pigs and chickens at age 5!
One story that I remember my Dad telling me about. When he was only six years old he was working in the barn and he got his finger caught in a piece of machinery and it cut his finger right off. My grandfather took the finger and wrapped it in a moist towel and put my Dad in the truck and drove to the hospital. It was a blizzard outside and was snowing very hard. The hospital was in a town called Batavia, which was over 20 miles from the farm. My grandfather was so busy with the farm that he pulled up to the front of the hospital and just dropped my father off with his finger wrapped in a towel. My Dad had to go into the hospital all by himself and have a doctor sew his finger back on. My grandfather told him to wait for him to come back and pick him up. However, Grandpa once again got so busy with the farm, that my Dad finally couldn't wait any longer and walked outside and started walking home in the blizzard. It was dark before my grandfather headed back to the hospital to pick up my Dad. They found him half way home on the road, a stitched up finger and a bandaged hand, covered with snow, and partially frost bitten. Whenever my Dad told me this story, I would always get tears in my eyes to think that a little boy of only six years old had to go through that. He must have been so scared.
Here is my Dad with some of his brothers and sisters. He is the tallest one because he is the oldest. In this picture, I think my Dad looks very much like your own Dad (my son). They have the same face.
My Dad was responsible for helping to raise all of his brothers and sisters. He worked hard to teach all of them to be good, responsible people as they were growing up. Despite the hardships, my Dad always had fun stories to tell about growing up on the farm.
Here is a picture of the biggest barn that was on the farm. They had other barns too, and a big old farm house. When I was little, I use to climb up in that barn and sit with my legs hanging out of that very top window up by the peak of the barn. That little gray part of the barn was the chicken house where they hatched all of the new chicks. One silo was full of corn and the other one was stored with hay for the cows. Even after my Dad married my Mom, he still went over to the farm every day to help milk the cows.
My Dad met my Mom on this farm. My Mom got a job helping on the dairy farm and that's how they met. They were married on April 24, 1050. Here is there wedding picture, with the writeup about their wedding that was in the newspaper.
When I was growing up, my Dad worked hard. He was a field supervisor for Birds Eye Foods, and stayed with that company all his life. This company processes lots of frozen foods. You can find them in the grocery store. So, whenever you see frozen vegetables with Birds Eye on the label, you'll remember that is where your Grandpa Grape worked. He was responsible for the harvesting of all of the crops. Spinach season was the hardest because he had to get up every morning at 3:00am and he didn't get home until 9 or 10:00 at night. We didn't see very much of him during that time.
BUT, I loved it when he would come home with cases of Cool Whip! Did you know that for many years my Dad was only person in the world who knew the formula for Cool Whip? One time he had to go into the hospital for some back surgery. The Birds Eye company was very nervous because if something serious happened to Dad during surgery, they would lose the Cool Whip formula. So they sent several top managers and lawyers into my Dad's room before his operation so that he could give them the Cool Whip formula.
Here is a picture of my Dad feeding me when I was first born. My Mom and Dad had lots of trouble trying to have children; and they were so grateful when I was born.
One of my favorite memories of my Dad is when I was around 3 or 4 years old. My Dad would come home from work, and he would always have a Hershey Bar in his pocket for me. He would pick me up and I would grab his shirt pocket to find the candy bar. Then he would put me on his knee and bounce me up and down and sing songs to me while my Mother was finishing making dinner and I was making a total mess eating my Hershey Bar. When my brother got bigger, he would come home with two Hershey Bars, and bounce both of us on his knee. My favorite song that my Dad use to sing was call "Young Charlotte Lived on a Mountain Top". It was a very long ballad. I searched many years on the internet to find the words, and one day I finally found them. Here they are below. Surprisingly, my Dad could sing this whole song!
YOUNG CHARLOTTE LIVED ON A MOUNTAIN TOP
Scottish Ballad
Young Charlotte lived by the mountainside, In a lonely, dreary spot; No other dwelling for three miles round, Except her father’s cot. And yet on many a winter’s eve, Young swains would gather there, For her father kept a social abode, And she was very fair
Her father liked to see her dressed, Just like some city belle; She was the only child he had, He loved his daughter well. Her hair was black as raven’s wings, Her skin was lily fair, And her teeth were like the pearls of white, None with her could compare
At a village just sixteen miles off, There’s a merry ball tonight, Although the air is freezing cold, Her heart is warm and light. And there she watched with an anxious look, ‘Til a well-known voice she heard, And driving up to the cottage door, Young Charles in his sleigh appeared.
The mother to her daughter said, “These blankets round you fold; For it is a dreadful night, you know, You’ll catch your death of cold.” “Oh, no! Oh, no!” the darling cried, She laughed like a gypsy queen, “For to ride in blankets muffled up, I never could be seen.”
“My silken cloak, it’s quite enough – You know it’s lined throughout. Besides I have a silk mantle, To tie my face about.” The gloves and bonnet being on, They jumped into the sleigh, And away they did ride o’er the mountainside And the hills so far away.
There is music in the sounds of bells, As over the hills they go; What a creaking wake the runners make, As they bite the frozen snow. And away they then go silently, ‘Til five cold miles were passed, And Charles with these few frozen words, The silence broke at last.
“Such a night as this I never knew, My lines I scarce can hold.” With a trembling voice young Charlotte cried, “I am exceeding cold.” He cracked the whip, he urged his steed Much faster than before, Until at last five other cold miles, In silence they rode o’er.
“How very fast the freezing air Is gathering on my brow.” With a trembling voice young Charlotte cried, “I’m growing warmer now.” And away they did ride o’er the mountainside, And through the pale star light, Until the village inn they reached, And the ballroom hove in sight.
When they reached the inn, young Charles jumped out, And gave his hand to her, “Why sit you there like a monument, And have no power to stir?” He called her once, he called her twice, She answered not a word; He called all for her hand again, But still she never stirred.
He stripped the mantle off her brow, And the pale stars on her shone, And quickly into the lighted hall, Her helpless form was born. They tried all within their power, Her life for to restore, But Charlotte was a frozen corpse, And is never to speak more.
He threw himself down by her side, And the bitter tears did flow, He said, “My dear and intended bride, You never more shall know.” He threw his arms around her neck, He kissed her marble brow, And his thoughts went back to the place where she said, “I am growing warmer now.”
They bore her out into the sleigh, And Charles with her rode home, And when they reached the cottage door, Oh, how her parents mourned! They mourned the loss of their daughter dear, And Charles mourned o’er her doom, Until at last his heart did break, Now they both slumber in one tomb.
When Dad would get home from work, my brother, sister, and I would always begged him to take us swimming. Sometimes he was too tired, but sometimes he would give in and take us to the quarry. Dad was a great swimmer. He could dive in the water and swim under the water for a long time. We would watch for him and all of a sudden his head would pop up way over on the other side of the quarry. I loved it when he would pick me up and throw me up in the air over the water. He could throw me pretty high!
When my Dad was age 16, my grandmother made him quit school to help my grandfather run the farm. So, it wasn't until many years later that my Dad decided to go back to school and get his high school diploma. In fact, he didn't go back to school again until I was in high school. So, he actually went to school with me for awhile. His classes were at night and mine were during the day; but we both had the same homework; so I would help my Dad with his homework. His best subject was history, but he was terrible with English and spelling. We both worked hard and my Dad finally passed all of his exams and got his high school diploma right before I graduated from high school.
Dad was also a firefighter and an EMT (emergency medical technician). When the fire whistle would go off, my Dad would take off to help someone who may be hurt, or whose house might be on fire. He also got involved in politics and ran for the Councilman for the town of Clarendon. He always won, every year, because everybody knew that he would be honest and fair.
My Dad loved to hunt and fish. He hunted deer, bear, elk, turkey, rabbits, squirrels, and pheasant. He taught me how to safely use a gun and use to take me hunting with him. My Dad was with me when I shot my very first deer; and he was so proud of me. He raised beagle pups to take hunting with him. My favorite beagle was Sparky. Sparky was great at hunting rabbits. He was my Dad's best friend. He had another beagle named Penny who was also lots of fun to play with.
When my mother died, my Dad became very lonely. He had to learn how to do all of the things that my mother did. One time my Dad tried to make a meat loaf for himself, but he didn't know how much to make. He ended up with 10 pounds of meat loaf, which is enough for 20 people! He was eating meat loaf for a long time. It was during this time that I felt that I really got to know my Dad even more. I always talked to Mom on the phone, but never had a chance to talk to my Dad very much when I got older. During this time, I was able to help my Dad do the Christmas shopping, taught him how to cook, helped him balance his checkbook (which he was terrible at), and helped him with his paperwork and taxes. He would call me every morning at 7:30am and we would talk for about an hour. If I didn't answer the phone, he would call me several more times in the morning and would worry about me if I didn't answer. So I learned to block off my time every morning to talk with my Dad.
Every Tuesday, my Dad and all of his brothers and sisters would meet at a restaurant called The Mill House for breakfast. This was a great way for me to be with my Dad and see all of my Aunts and Uncles; so many times I would drive to the Mill House and have breakfast with them.
When Dad was 87 years old, he tried to climb up on a chair to get something that was on top of the refrigerator. He fell off the chair and broke his rib. We had to take him to the hospital. When people are older and they break a bone, sometimes the bone never heals. Dad's ribs hurt so much that he had a hard time getting out of bed to walk. I would go into the hospital and help him eat and go to the bathroom. One morning at the hospital, he was having breakfast. He coughed and his heart stopped. It was called a pulmonary embolism, which is like a blood clot. It happened because he was still unable to get out of bed and move around too much. I was sad and still miss him so much, but I am happy that he lived a very happy and long life.
Your Dad has some of my Dad's traits. Your Dad looks very much like my Dad did when he was younger. Your Dad is also a very hard worker, and my Dad was a very hard worker too. My Dad also taught me right from wrong and how to be tough and survive in this world. I think your Dad also does a very good job with that with you.
This was the last kiss you gave your Grandpa Grape. It was the last time you saw him.
Love.....Nana
