My Grandfather’s Favorite Song

A slightly different version of this story ran on Facebook on August 7, 2014.

In the spring of 1965, my grandparents—on my mother’s side—sold their farm just outside of Vevay, Indiana and bought a house on the outskirts of East Enterprise, Indiana. They got some new furniture for their new home, including a record console. It looked very much like the one in the photo at the top of this post.

I remember my grandmother enjoying music more than granddad, but he did have a favorite song. Whenever we would visit and whenever I was done playing the music I wanted to listen to on that record console, granddad would say, “Hey, Larry, put on that ‘Mary Ann Regrets’ song, would you?”

He never said it out loud, but my grandfather didn’t like living where he had moved. He could never really adjust to no longer having his farm. I’m convinced this is what killed him. He had a heart attack and died when my twin brother and I were blowing out the candles on our birthday cake. This was May 1^st, 1967. We were 12-years-old.

I remember every detail of his death like it was yesterday, but I haven’t thought of this old Burl Ives song in years. I’m sharing it and thinking of granddad.

I shall return here on Wednesday.

(Photo from WordPress)

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