Byron (Barney) Grable Barney's Journey

ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS I EVER HAD FROM GOD; I CALL HIM DADDY. 

My name is Sherrie, oldest daughter of Barney Grable. I want to tell you a little something about daddy.  The man, the husband and  dad.

He was born, Byron Dawson Grable, in Petersburg IN, on January 31, 1930. His parents Audie and Victor also had another younger son named Robert. Daddy's  father was killed in a welding accident when daddy was only 11 yrs old.

I'm sure daddy was a precocious and 'I'm going to do things my way' kind of kid. Because when he was only 8 yrs old, he decided to take up smoking. Probably thinking it made him look older and tougher than he really was.  That habit eventually turned into a 3 pack a day habit of Pall Mall (strong, unfiltered) cigarettes. He did stop smoking at appx. the age of 43. But that gave him 35 verrrrrrry long years of carcinogens under his belt.

In his late teens, I hear he was quite a roller skater. So as the Lord would have it; one night at the local roller rink he 'stumbled' into a cute and scrawny girl named Mary.  On June 27, 1948 he married that scrawny girl, vowing to fatten her up in the process.  They had a 'darling' baby girl named Sherrie, in August of 1950.  Then 8 yrs later another almost as darling little girl named Brenda came along. Emphasis on ALMOST.  Just kidding!  Little sis got daddy's looks. I got daddy's dimple in his chin and his tough exterior. Praise the Lord!

Daddy and mother with girls in tow moved from Evansville IN to Indianapolis in 1959.  Daddy was a television technician for many many years. After he came to know Christ as his Savior he started working for Indianapolis Baptist Temple and went on to work at Eagledale Baptist Church. He and mother then were called to work for The Sword Of The Lord in Murfreesboro Tn. Operating and maintaining The Sword's retirement housing called, Sunset Square.  Before returning to Indy and finally settling in Noblesville IN.

As a little girl I remember being terrified of daddy, because he was a strict, make that, verrrrrrrry strict disciplinarian. And I know I always wished he would hug me and tell me he loved me. Due to the way he was brought up himself, it just wasn't his way. But as I grew into an adult I understood his way of showing he loved me. I look back on the Judo chops he always gave me on my upper arm, and being tickled so much I couldn't breathe.  Most of all I realized that the discipline and the fact that we always had a roof over our heads and food on the table was his love. And I love and respect him dearly for being himself. Thanking the Lord for the free flowing hugs of today and the time we spend together, and hearing him call me Sherrbear.

Well in June of 2012 daddy was diagnosed with squamous cell lung cancer.  It's a pretty large mass, and inoperable. He has lost abt 15% of his body weight and will start chemo and radiation soon.

Please pray for God's will for daddy's life and for peace, and strength for him and our family.

 

SherrBear

PHILIPPIANS 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.