Journal entry by Mady Espeland —
It’s been a long year since my grandpa fell, and yet it feels like it’s flown by. We’ve honored him in some of the best ways, and we wanted to share that with everyone who followed our long journey last year:
- Grandpa was an organ donor, but due to his injuries, we only donated his skin. His skin went to about 20 patients in the burn unit at Iowa City.
- Grandma and the kids put in some new landscaping and a beautiful new American flag & Bear Creek flag near the hole 1 tee box as a tribute & in memory of Grandpa
- The Chain Gang had shirts made in honor of their Captain
- Lots of golfing from the whole family
- Bear Creek renamed their Screwdrivers to “Lappers” and we, as a family, have had lots of these (and in some cases, maybe a few too many - but as I told Grandma when she asked if I thought Grandpa would be proud of how I felt one morning, “oh I know he’d be proud.”)
- We also honored my grandpa last year at the annual Hope for Liam Golf Tournament and the Pro-Am Tournament at Bear Creek. My grandpa was heavily involved in creating both of those tournaments, and we loved being able to remember him on what had been some of his favorite days of the year.
While it’s been a hard year, it’s also been a year of compassion, laughter, & sharing memories. Birthdays and holidays feel a little different than they did before, and his absence is especially present during the big occasions (new great grand babies, engagements, graduations, etc.) But we’re fortunate enough to have a large family that’s closer than most and honoring Grandpa in various ways helps to feel a bit more at peace 🤍
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