Those I Never Knew

I've always been jealous of people who know their Great-Grandparents. I feel like I've missed out on something somehow because the last of my great-grandparents died in 1992, a mere four years before I entered the world. I realize that I am blessed to know all four of my grandparents, and I love them dearly, I truly do, but I also sometimes feel like I am missing out on something because I never met any of my great-grandparents.

This week I had the opportunity to delve into the life of my Great-grandfather, John Lynn Esplin. He was the first of my Great-grandparents to die when he died in 1947. Although I haven't yet delved very far, talking with my Grandma about a father that she barely remembers was enlightening and I loved every moment of it.

John Lynn Esplin (1904-1947)

My great grandpa always said that he was born 100 years too late. He loved the outdoors and the range and would rather be out with his sheep all day than in the city. Grandma said that he was out to herd a lot, because he loved it and "If it wasn't for mama he would stay out in the hills all the time."(Jeanette Hugh, May 27, 2015)

Grandma told me that Great-Grandpa had a lot of integrity, and always would see a job through. She also said that the first thing Lynn (Grandma assures me he went by his second name, see comments below) would ask when getting home from being with the herd was where her Mama was.

In 1947 Lynn came down with pneumonia and went back to the herd when he wasn't fully recovered and so was in a weakened condition. Grandma said that one day her Daddy and Lynn (her then 14-year-old brother) went out, but only Lynn came back in, great grandpa didn't come back. It was two days before they found his body at the bottom of the cliff that he fallen off of. Two days, and Grandma was only 10. Grandma wasn't the youngest either, what about Verla, Carol and Jerry? They were all younger, how well do they remember their father?

I was reading through more of my grandma's old blog posts and read how "Daddy read a lot and was especially interested in national and international news, politics, government leaders and national events" (Lynn Esplin, "I Remember May") and thought to myself "So that's where I get it from!" I mean I know a lot of my family is interested in such things, but my parents aren't as passionate about as I am. So now I know. I get it, at least in some small measure, from a man I never knew. 

I never got a chance to meet Lynn. I think I would have loved to sit and chat with him. I think I would have loved to get to know him. I know I would have loved him, and I know that I do love him. I sit here writing with tears of love in my eyes, because I can feel him, feel his love for the great granddaughter he never met in this life, but the great granddaughter he will definitely get to meet in the life to come. 

I sometimes still feel jipped that I didn't get to meet my great-grandparents. But I also realize that because of the great Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ, I will get to meet them and converse with them and all the others who have gone before. 

And I also realized a couple of months ago, that I don't truly know the grandparents I have now. I was talking to my Opa and had no idea that in college he had majored in biochemical stuff and zooology. So I guess what I'm saying, is perhaps we should treasure what we have and endeavor to learn from those we have in our lives now. The eternities will take care of themselves. And a forever family, is just that, forever.