Obituary Examples for a Grandfather

Harold Eugene "Gene" Franklin, 90, of Springfield, Illinois, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Gene was born on November 3, 1935, in Decatur, Illinois, to Floyd and Hazel Franklin. He married his sweetheart, Joan, in 1957 and worked for thirty-five years as a lineman for the power company, climbing poles in every kind of weather so the lights would stay on for everyone else.

He was a patient father and an even more patient grandfather. He taught his grandchildren to fish, to drive a stick shift and to shake hands like they meant it, and he never missed a chance to slip them a butterscotch candy from his shirt pocket. He loved the Cardinals, his vegetable garden and a cup of coffee at the diner with the same three friends every morning.

Gene is survived by his wife of 69 years, Joan; his children, Steven (Carol) Franklin, Diane (Rick) Adams and Paul Franklin; nine grandchildren; and twelve great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Ruth and Betty.

Visitation will be held Monday, October 12, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Maple Grove Funeral Home, and the funeral will be Tuesday, October 13, at 10 a.m., with burial to follow.

Our grandfather, Joseph Lee "Granddaddy" Washington, 86, of Savannah, Georgia, passed away on October 10, 2026. His grandchildren wrote this for him, because he spent his whole life showing up for us.

Granddaddy was born on April 30, 1940, in Brunswick, Georgia, and worked for thirty-eight years at the port, where he was known as the man who never missed a shift. He married our grandmother, Ella, in 1962.

He came to every game we ever played, usually with a folding chair and opinions about the referee. He taught us to cast a net, to fix a flat tire and to look people in the eye. On Sunday afternoons he grilled for whoever showed up, and when we were sad, he would put on a Sam Cooke record and dance with whoever was closest.

Granddaddy is survived by his wife of 64 years, Ella; his children, Joseph Jr. (Denise) Washington and Patricia (Calvin) Moore; his grandchildren, Marcus, Jasmine, Andre, Kiara and Caleb; and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Samuel.

A homegoing service will be held Saturday, October 17, at 11 a.m. at New Covenant A.M.E. Church, with repast to follow.

Walter Lee Brandt, 93, of Fargo, North Dakota, died on October 12, 2026. A retired high school shop teacher and a longtime Lions Club member, he is survived by his children, Karen and David; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marlene. Funeral services will be held Friday, October 16, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, with lunch to follow.

Delbert Ray "Del" Hoffman, 88, of Ames, Iowa, passed away on October 4, 2026, at the farm where he was born.

Del was born on June 18, 1938, the only son of Otto and Frieda Hoffman, and farmed the same four hundred acres of corn and soybeans for more than sixty years. He married Lorraine Schmidt in 1959, and together they raised four children and kept a big garden and a kitchen table that was never empty at harvest.

His grandchildren grew up riding in the combine beside him, learning to read the sky and to fix anything with baling wire. He drove his tractor in the county fair parade every summer until he was eighty-five, and he could tell you the rainfall for any year since 1960.

Del is survived by his wife of 67 years, Lorraine; his children, Dale (Sue) Hoffman, Janet (Bob) Nelson, Kevin (Lori) Hoffman and Brenda (Jeff) Carlson; thirteen grandchildren; and eighteen great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be held Thursday, October 8, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, with burial in the church cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the county 4-H.

Edward Francis Kelly, 95, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, passed away on October 9, 2026.

Ed was born in Scranton on February 11, 1931, one of nine children. He enlisted in the Marines at nineteen and served in Korea from 1951 to 1952, an experience he rarely spoke about but never forgot. Back home, he worked for forty years as a postal clerk and married Margaret Walsh in 1955.

He was a quiet man who said the most with a wink. His grandchildren remember the Marines' Hymn he whistled while he worked in the yard, the five-dollar bill he tucked into every good report card, and the way he stood for the flag at every parade, cane and all.

Ed is survived by his children, Margaret (Jim) Doherty, Edward Jr. (Ann) Kelly and Thomas (Kathy) Kelly; eleven grandchildren; and fourteen great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Margaret, and eight brothers and sisters.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, October 14, at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick's Church, followed by burial with military honors.