He was 80 years old and just as healthy as a horse.
He was still living in his home and actively farming with my uncle Lon.
He loved to fly his airplanes and had a pilot's license for over 40 years.
He logged over a million miles of flying time over the years.
He rebuilt many airplanes in his day.
He served in the United States Army during the Korean conflict.
He loved to go to Canada for his yearly fishing trips.
He loved his mid morning pop breaks
He had a slim fast and an apple for dinner every night
He loved to dance the polka with my grandma
He was married to my grandma for 57 years
He enjoyed attending gun shows with my dad and built up quite the collection over the years
He drank a special coffee that came in a little tin can with white and red labeling called swiss something...
He called me "sis" and it still makes me tear up when I remember what his voice sounded like when he called me that. He also called me "crusty" which is not the most appealing nickname to have, but there is a story behind that one....
you see, when I was younger, maybe like 10 years old or so....I was not a big meat-eater. I actually really hated meat. I was with my parents and my grandpa and grandma Tweeten and we were at a horse auction with some other extended relatives if I remember right. After the horse auction we went to Pizza Hut or Godfather's to order some pizza for lunch or dinner....and of course I was the only one that wanted to order "just cheese" pizza, so I didn't win the vote. My parents always always always either ordered italian sausage and mushrooms or meatlovers, bleck! So I HAD to remove all of the meat pieces and of course the mushrooms as I am not a mushroom fan either. And by the time I was done I had a piece of crust and a few strings of cheese on top! When my grandpa watched me pick apart my pizza he said, "well looks like you just like the crust!" hence, he coined the nickname....crusty.
My grandpa and I had a very special relationship. I could just call him on a whim and he would be all ears. Since grandma tweeten has had alzheimer's disease for the past 12-15 years she has required some extra care. When I was attending nursing school in Sioux Falls, SD she was hospitalized there in the memory care unit. I would go weekly if not more frequently to check up on her. And, with my grandpa having his pilot's license he would fly his plane to Sioux Falls once a week to visit her as well. He called me weekly to coordinate our lunch date at KFC! KFC was conveniently located on the same street as my grandma's memory care place, which was relatively close to campus as well. We became really close over those years and developed our close knit bond. That is when I really began to understand his love for my grandma. Their love story almost mimics the movie The Notebook to a tee. He was so dedicated to visiting her every.single.week no matter what the distance was. As my college graduation slowly approached he decided it would be best for her to be in the same town as some other family members as I was planning to move far far away. At that point in time he moved grandma to Marshall, MN where my mom's sister, a nurse, and her family live.
Over the years it has been agonizing to watch grandma wittle away to the alztheimer's. Grandpa always said he would rather have grandma alive, the way she is, to be able to hug and kiss her, than to be without her. His love for her was just.so.amazing. He was an amazing grandpa.
On October 21st it was a beautiful day so he decided to take his airplane the Baron out for a flight. He was seen by some bystanders just flying overhead when all of a sudden his plane took a nose-dive and started spiraling down down down to the ground. Grandpa was most likely taken on impact. How scary those last few seconds had to have been. The FAA (federal avaiation association) had to investigate the plane crash per their regulations and his accident was found to be due to a left engine failure, just as my uncle and cousin predicted.
Grandpa always always said he wanted to leave this life in his plane, and that is what he did. Just six days prior when I got to see him and hug him and give him a kiss on his cheek he told me he lived a good life, and he was ready to go when his time came. Selfishly, I didn't want to hear him say that because I wasn't ready for him to leave. I wanted Maya to really know him. But, in Maya's short time that she has been here, she was loved on by Grandpa twice, and for that I am so THANKFUL!
I am also so thankful that we don't have to witness grandpa's agony when grandma goes to Heaven. It would have been unbearable. Grandma was recently diagnosed with stage III breast cancer, so it won't be long before she joins her Prince up at the pearly gates. I take so much comfort in knowing he is there with my cousin Brandon and his parents.
As soon as we heard the devastating news we booked our flights and flew right back home. Jason was able to take some unpaid bereavement leave from work (which was a miracle since he is only contract he doesn't actually accrue any vacation/sick time). I was slated to work my friday, saturday, sunday night shifts but called to talk to my managers and they took me off the schedule without a blink of the eye. I am so glad I didn't use every last bit of my vacation time during my maternity leave, because I was forced to use it so unexpectedly. Maya and I were able to stay from Saturday thru Thursday and were the last of the grandkids to go back home.
All of my cousins, brothers, aunts/uncles and children were so thankful we took the time last March to get together to celebrate Grandpa's 80th birthday We were able to reflect on that time and realize how important it is to make a point to get together under happy circumstances. Every single one of my cousins and their significant others came back for Grandpa's memorial service. It was such a special time. We laughed and cried and reminisced about our time spent out at the farm. I wasn't ready to say good-bye to that farmhouse, and hopefully my uncle will be afforded the opportunity to have it passed down to him and his family.
Grandpa had over 200 people attend his memorial service. It was amazing to speak to some of his friends, the people he has known most of his life. Grandpa had some of his own sayings that he said, his words of wisdom he has left us all with...
As Grandpa Sees it
If any of this makes sense to you, you better have a long talk with Dr. Susan Tweeten, Psychologist
If you follow too close, you're gambling with someone else's life
If you're passing a semi, step on it, do you really want to travel three feet from 80,000 lbs of steel in a 3,000 lb car made of tin?
When driving, always listen to Pasty Cline. (If under 50, Google her)
If you hvae something that doesn't work, take it apart. If someone put it together you can take it apart. If you can't fix it, at least you learn how it was intended to work.
If you see something you would like to try, go for it. The sin is not to fail, but not to have tried.
If you have never failed at anything not only have you never tried, but you haven't lived yet.
If you try something and it goes well, you haven't learned anything, but if you failed the first time, you will never forget it. We only learn from things we have failed at not the things we were able to do.
To wake up in the morning without anything to do is the worst thing that can happen to a person.
To love someone and have them love you is the greatest thing in life.
If you have a disagreement or argument with someone, ask yourself, will it make any difference a year from now. Let it go. Life is too short.
If wisdom comes with age, I must be a lot younger than I thought I was.
Years ago Jolaine told me, you listen to me when we have a problem, but nothing ever happens. We never do anything about it. Can you relate to this?
Find a church, any church. You will not believe how much faith helps when things go bad.
You never hear anything when you are talking...
Love is like a flower, you have to feed and water it every day or it dies.
Wasn't he such an amazing, insightful guy!
Lastly, this poem was written for him and given to him last year on his 80th birthday:
The Flying Farmer
Down from Leland, IA this farmer came.
Arden Eli Tweeten was his name.
A really good neighbor it is true
You will find busy with so much to do.
He loves working with planes in a shed on his farm
In all kinds of weather, even when it is warm.
He took a newly fixed plane up for a spin
Flying up in the clouds, his face had a grin.
This guy just loves to fly
We all look up as he goes by.
He works with their son Lon and his grandson Corey
I bet over the years they could tell a good story.
To Forest City to farm you do go
Taking lots of machinery to and fro.
The color orange is the machinery he once had.
Now he has some green and that is not all bad.
Arden's lovely bride is named Jolaine
Yes, he married the girls of his dreams.
Four kids Lori, Linda, Lon, and Larry.
When the families get together their house is so merry.
They are all married and had girls and boys
Remember shopping for Christmas for all those toys.
Was told Corey had miniatrue toys and they were lookers,
When asked what he wanted for Christmas he said just some hookers.
When I am going into town sometimes Arden would pass
In a hurry to pick up some more Slimfast.
At the Woolstock Hall long ago did all take a chance
As Diane and Marlin took the task of teaching us to dance.
One of Arden's favorite things to do
Is fly to Jolaine, spend some time, just you two.
80 years, how fast did fly
Everyone thinks you are quite the guy.
Your kids planned this party with some of your friends
I know in my heart our friendship will never end.
Written by Barb Jacobson
