My Grandfather was Gilbert Sr. his nickname was Tobe (Tőb). He was born on Sunday October 27, 1912.
He lived to be 83 years old. He died Thursday December 21, 1995, but not without leaving all of his 13 grandchildren
and 12 great-grandchildren with the knowledge and love that he had. He was a brilliant man and spent most of his life as
a farmer. He had six children with his wife Katie, and even though the times were tough, he made sure that
they had what they needed. He had a sharp wit and a sence of humor that sometimes caught you off guard.
I wanted to make him a corner on the internet. Even though he never even got a chance to see what all the hype was about.
I am sure that with this page, people can get a laugh or just learn something he taught to all of us.
I guess we should start out with a story that I thought was a sign of the times he grew up in.
We'll call it The Trade.
The Trade
My Grandfather was just a young boy and his father was going to trade
someone a mule that he owned for a horse that the other man owned. He sent my Grandfather to do the trade. Here is
the story as he told it.
"I got on the ole mule and started to ride toward town. There weren't to many streets,
mostly dirt roads, that lead from our place to town. I rode for what seemed like days, and finally on the ridge I saw
someone riding a horse in my direction. I didn't know what the man looked like or even his name, but as the man got closer
I got off my mule and he got off his horse. Without a word I got on his horse and he got on the mule and we rode away from each other again."
When my aunt asked how it was he knew that this man was the man his father had traded with my grandfather simply answered..
"He was the only one commin'" and smiled.
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