This morning another cowboy rode off into the sunset and Heaven gained another amazing man!
My Grandfather, Kenneth Bly Hatch, passed away peacefully in hospice care here in Mesa, Arizona after a courageous, hard, and valiant four year battle with cancer and heart disease.
When he was diagnosed in the early summer of 2011 the doctors told him that he would be lucky to have 18 more months. But in true form he laughed it off and set out to prove them wrong, which he did and we cherished every extra second we got with him!
In those extra seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years we got with him he was able to see one granddaughter come home off her mission, a grandson leave and come home from his mission, two more granddaughters leave on missions,three granddaughters get married (myself included), welcome six new great grandbabies (Rondalynn included), and in those finally months help us celebrate and get ready for Little Bean's arrival next February! He also got to travel to other states and continue to trap and do those things that he loved to do everyday!
His life was full, no doubt about it! He was married to my grandmother and his sweetheart for 56 years, had five wonderful kids, was blessed with 21 unbelievable grandchildren, and was again blessed with 11 and 1 on the way amazing great grandchildren!
I thank the Lord so much that for almost 30 years I was honored and proud to call this man my grandfather! Whenever I thought of a cowboy he was what came to my mind. He taught us the importance of hard work and dedication, loved the land, nation, his faith, his family, and Father in Heaven, loved to laugh and play jokes, would be one of the first people to nap up the baby when he came into a room, and was an amazing example in so many more things that I could never fully list!
Below are some of the pictures I have found of him on my computer today.
I'm not sure if I can caption all of them because it took a lot to get through this post.
Snacking while waiting for Brittany to come out of the Temple after getting married!
After his back surgery he had this back brace that we named "The Turtle Shell" at our family gathering that summer all the grandkids and great grandkids colored pictures and wrote messages on his shell!
At our family get together Summer of 2011!
Grandma and Grandpa at their 50th Wedding Anniversary!
Papa and Emma playing with a balloon while waiting for Brittany's plane to come in after her mission!
Grandma and Grandpa at Konner's Priesthood ordination.
Opening up gifts at one of his birthdays!
Talking to my Grandpa Larson at Konner's Ordination.
More pictures of him and my grandma at their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Loving and "Stretching" baby Emma!
Grandma and Grandpa at a Christmas party!
Grandpa "Pumping it up!" at physical therapy after his back surgery!
Another family Christmas party! This is an old one because I was still in high school and this was at Shanna's house in Peoria!
Dancing at Brittany's Wedding Reception!
He was sick when Ron and I got married and couldn't be there in person even though him and my grandma where there in spirit. So Ron and I went up to see him a couple days after our wedding on the way to our Honeymoon in Vegas!
Grandpa the Warlock at a family Halloween party!
Grandpa telling stories at a Hatch Reunion one summer!
Stretching Baby Zeke after his blessing!
Ron, me, grandma, and grandpa at the family Christmas party 2012!
I will cherish these pictures forever! This is grandpa "stretching" Rondalynn after she was born! He admitted she was so tiny he was a little afraid to hold her but as soon as she got in his arms she stretched right now in a content sleep with a huge smile on her face!
Grandpa was known for "resting his eyes" pretty much anywhere he sat down! This time it was on my parent's couch with a rabbit for Rondalynn!
Even though these are blurry I still love them! Grandpa playing with Rondalynn!
In my many catch up posts I will post about this picture as well as have more pictures but this was too sweet not to share!
And so was this one!
Enjoying his famous biscuits and gravy with my dad at one of the Adam Reunions.
Grandpa and my mom at a Hatch reunion one summer!
Here is an oldy but a goody! Grandpa and me playing video games when I was little!
Lastly is this priceless picture of him at a family Halloween party! I love this picture!
He will forever be missed and every family event will have that little empty spot!
I love you grandpa and will miss you!
But I know that families are forever and this isn't goodbye but until we meet again!
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