When Kim told me of Grady’s death on December 5th,1996, I was stunned. I had been present at the
hospital and was as up to date as anyone with the seriousnes of his illness. However it didn’t seem possible
that Grady could be taken from us.
My first reaction was anger, now iI feel incredible grief, especially for Delbert, David, Karen and John. I
guess I feel cheated that Kim and I have been deprieved of the love and friendship , the antics, the laughter
and most of all the SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Grady, althou a quasi relative landed smack in the middle of our family in 1985. When Kim and I bought our
property.
Our property was once part of the Bush farm, and for all intents and purposes we became instant
family...Grady probably caused that, using , you guessed it...THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
The first thing Grady had to do was help clear the land, next of course was to oversee the building of a
house, and then...Grady;s favourite...the landscaping. The trees were planted,flower beds dug, and sidewalks
built, you guessed it all with THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
You may think that a lad of five or six couldn’t be capable of all that. Well, you would be surprised what
Grady Bush learned in his few short years on the farm. Rubbng shoulders with his Grampa Delbert. He even
learned Delberts expressions. Ont time, Grady found the perfect limestone flat rock I was looking for, we
tried moving it, just the two of us. Grady struggled with the weight and said, if my Grampa was here, he’d
say this rock is heavier than two dead preachers. You guessed it...THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
After two or three years of building we fnally moved in and started the serious stuff with Grady. Like
fishing, I guess i was his first fishing buddy. Karen rarely let Grady out of her sight, but she agreed to let us
go fishing. Grady came back to his mother with a horrible sotry of how I suggested a real fisherman could
bite the worm in half and then bait his hook, I’m not sure if he did it but Karen wasn’t too happy. you
guessed it.....THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Kim and I live so far off the road, and with no street lights, we would only get one halloween visitor. Moms
pick- up would drop Grady off and he would appear at the door in a home made costume. He and Karen
would spend weeks researching and preparing the costume, then he would use the old charm to fill uphis
bag, Mostly with, you guessed it.....THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Each Christmas Grady’s family and ours would get together, sometimes to sing carols,sometimes to open
gifts. It was a special time for Grady because he usually got a new tractor from Grampa or Uncle John.
Grady had them eating out of his hand, using, you guessed it....THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Abut this time,my daughter Valerie came to spend a year with Kim and I. Grady must have been ten, he fell
in love. Val was about twenty and she gave Grady so much attention he was just beside himself. In one short
year Valerie developed as much affection for Grady as i had, and he did it all with...you guessed it...THE
SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Grady was only allowed to stray as far as our house and finally it came to the first sleep over at Kims. The
first time he lasted till ten p.m. and mom had to come and get him. The scond try he wasn’t doins so well
tillhe conned me into coming to bed with him till he fell asleep, using, you guessed it....THE SPARKLE OF
GRADY BUSH.
Grady , continued....at school he would consistantly win an award for the public speaking contests. I was
never able to attend each contes, but it didn’t matter...Kare would get Grady to do the speech for Kim and I,
a command performance. Grady managed to do this while maintaining high marks and the adoration of his
teachers, using......you guessed it...THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Grady and gramps Delbert were a real team. They talked the same, waked the same, and had the same
disposition. The one time Delbert got in hot water was when he was teaching Grady to play blind mans
bluff...Grady blindfolded himslef, spinned aorund...then walked promply into the iron pump stnad and
knocked outhis front teeth. Karen was incensed at the stupidity of Delbert...but Grady calmed it over
with..you guessed it...THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH
Grady was a farmer, through and through. He took all the city slicker gals that came to our house on tours
of the farm. He showed them the barn, the dairy herd, the heifers, the horse...and on and on. Especially his
miniature toy tractors. Every lady that took the tour fell in love with Grady...he did it for course...using you
guessed it...THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Grady grew to be a great tease. He and Kim had a continuous kibbittsing going on. Kim would do
something silly...llike taking the boat our without the gas tank. or running the lawn mower out of gas a mile
from the house, ordriving the ATV into the side of the truck....Grady would appear and be the
tease...using..you guessed it....THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Since Grady went to high school, I haven’t seen somuch of him.He’s geting new friends, some of them
girls.Now he’s on the internet doing me favours...checking the chinchilla farming information for Kim and I.
He still keeps tabs on things, coming down to check the chinchillas, driving around in Delberts ATV and just
having a visit. He does this best at chore time...he always has a visit and says...well I’m supposed to be
cleaning calf pens, Ibest get going...the should be finished soon...using you guessed it...THE SPARKLE OF
GRADY BUSH.
This fall when Delbert was a little slow, I went to help David and Grady get the docks and the raft in. David
was working dilligently at the shore while Grady was terrorizing the habitat with the new sea doo that
Grampa bought . He and David teased me in vain,..there was no way they could get me in thewater...Grady
did his best showing off all the stunts he had learned on the sea doo and successfully ignored all the requests
form the shore...using you guessed it...THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Withe winter approaching Grady and I got together helping mom and dad cover the bailed hay with
tarps...the four of us had a few laughs, Grady managed to get mom pretty wound up---using you guessed
it...THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
On thanksgiving weekend past the Bushes had their annual Threshing Day, after all of that, the silo had to be
cleaned and checked, as ill as he probably was Grady climbed to the top of the silo to check things out.
While he was there of course, he had to serenade our house, with he and kim shouting back and fourth
across the pasture.
That scene remains in our minds. We look up the field over the grazing cattle toward the house and barn.
Grady isn’t there. Kim thinks there is a crack in the picture we are looking at. The crack won’t be fixed till
Grady returns.
Since Grady’s illness, and before his death. Kim and I talked about Grady, we were so confident he would
come home and be with us. We spoke of his strength, his desire to live, his smile and his laugh...and of
course THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
Now it’s December 11th and Grady is gone. Kim tells me all sorts of things to get me to accept his death.
Kim and I have decided each time we look up the field to the farm we will see Grady...and of course...THE
SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH.
The three dozen pigeons that habitat the top of the silo fly around the farm and over our house. Have the
style and smile of Grady. The dairy herd and young cattle move about the field all the time being herded by
Grady. Kim has pointed out the last few nights we have looked up at the farm we can see a halo...some
might say it comes from the dusk to dawn light...but we know its Gradys HALO.
THE SPARKLE OF GRADY BUSH
GRADY WILL BE IN MY HEART AND IN MY MIND FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
HE IS THE SON I NEVER HAD.
BOB ADAIR (friend,neigh.,third cousin)