Kenneth (Kenny) Phipps was the man who became my father-in-law. He was so totally different from what I was used to. I was brought up in a Christian home, and not use to rough language. �Dad Phipps� (as I was asked to call him) brought his kids up with different values.

What I remember most about him was the way he treated his family. He loved his wife, kids, and grandkids. He would get them anything they wanted while he was with them. But, he wasn�t one to go shopping for a present, that just wasn�t him. He would rather just pick something up while he was out. My daughter remembers when the kids would spend the night, if he went out for a while, he would always bring them back Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. It wasn�t much, but they knew it meant he�d been thinking of them.

He would take his family on trips. And it wasn�t just his family. He would let anyone who wanted to come along go. I remember a month after I married his son; we all packed up and went to Florida: the family and some friends. �Dad Phipps� thought we could find work down there, and so we all took a chance that he might be right. There wasn't any work, but, while we were there we had fun. I got to see Gatorland, which is a place I hadn�t even known existed. And we even swam in the ocean on Thanksgiving Day! It was so pretty down there. Two weeks later, we were in Hayward, California, looking for work out there. Since I love to travel,(and because I was very young) this was all just a great adventure for me. But for �Dad Phipps�, it was his way of life.

�Dad Phipps� was a real homebody when he was in town. He rarely went anywhere except the �greasy spoon� where he�d meet up with his friends. It was pretty unusual to go to his house and not see him at the kitchen table having coffee with whoever stopped by. Both of my kids said that was one of the things they remembered the most, the way he would be sitting at the kitchen table smiling and happy to see them. He always told me what good kids I have. My son said: �What I remember about Grandpa Phipps is that he always had a great smile when you'd go to his house. It always made you feel welcome in his home. Even though you and dad were not together, I never felt like an outsider in his home. I remember he had a great sense of humor. He would make sure that people in his home were treated with respect."

His wife, Cleo(I never could get use to calling her �Mom Phipps�)left him when my kids were only around 3 and 4 years old. I asked them what they remembered about their Grandma Phipps. Unfortunately, they didn�t remember very much. Tammy said all she remembered, is what she saw of her after Grandpa died. She remembered the turquoise jewelry that her Grandma love to wear. And the way Grandma always tried to be made up so she looked her best. And she remembers how Grandpa built a special room onto the house for Grandma. It was filled with all of her knick-knacks. It was a room that no one was allowed in after Grandma left Grandpa. I had forgotten all about that room but it made an impression on a little girl. Denny said he didn't remember her at all. But I want the kids to know what she was like. So, I'll tell you what I remember.

What I remember about Cleo is the way she put up with so much. I loved Dad Phipps dearly, but I doubt I would�ve lived the way Cleo did while she was with him. She was a very strong lady. She made the meals and took care of everything around the house. She waited on Dad Phipps constantly. She even would comb his hair for him, and put his socks on him. She never complained about doing things for him. She loved him. She was grateful for everything he ever did for her, but things weren�t the way she wanted them either.

Since Dad Phipps was an asphalt worker who had his own business, he felt he should use the leftover asphalt on his driveway, and eventually even made a patio with it. It wasn�t what Cleo wanted, but it was great for a kid. Denny said, "I remember going to his house and before you even opened the car doors, you could smell the asphalt. I remember he had asphalt trucks, a boat, a bus, and tons of asphalt equipment lying around his property. It was always fun for a young boy to go run around the property." All Cleo wanted was a pretty yard with grass and flowers, and you can�t fault her for that. I think he thought he was doing what was best by making the patio, but I can�t remember her ever using it. I think it was a case of too little too late. It wasn�t too long after that that Cleo left her husband.

His life wasn�t always easy after that. He went through some real tough times for while. But through it all, his undying love for his family remained. And his family thought the world of him too.

Yes, he was different than what I�d grown up with; he definitely wasn�t someone you�d find in church, although he left a lasting impression on his grandson. Denny said, "I remember on his last day of life, he found God in his last minutes of his life."

And, yes, the way he lived was not the way most people choose to live. Most people want a fancier house than he wanted (what would he do with a fancy house when he was traveling all the time?). A lot of people wouldn�t see passed his rough exterior, but I did. I saw a man with a big heart, filled with love. I saw a man who didn�t know me well, but insisted that I call him �Dad� as soon as I married his son, and still considered me his daughter even after I left his son. I also saw a man who would help out anyone, anytime, and anyway he could. I never, in all the years that I knew him, saw him turn even one person away when they needed a place to stay. I saw a man who would stickup for me and protect me from anyone who thought they wanted to be mean to me. Like one time that Denny remembered: "I remember that frail looking, little old man and aunt Bonnie protecting you from Stevie Sanders on Halloween when, for whatever reason (I don't remember that) Stevie and you got into an argument that ended up being a battle. (I don't know how you could put that into a tribute, but I always admired Grandpa for that)."

�Dad Phipps� and Cleo have both been gone for several years now. They passed away before I ever thought about getting a computer. But, I still think of them often and I will always be grateful that they were a part of my life. And I will always be glad that my kids got to meet and make memories with their Grandpa. I wish they could�ve known their Grandma better. After Cleo left �Dad Phipps�, things were different around the house. She was gone about 7 years before �Dad Phipps� passed away. He never stopped loving her even though she never tried to come back to him. Cleo moved to Georgia and I never saw her again. I was told she ended up dying down there. Away from her kids and the grandkids who never really knew her.