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Verbal Assassination

My Grandfather
1914 - 2006

By Ron Lee
The Verbal Assassin

Bill Lee, my grandfather, was a great man. To have known him has been an honor which transcends the bond of blood relation and he will be missed.

Over the years I grew to see a strength of character in him unrivaled by most men of my era who run from their responsibilities and/or engage in life as if it were a material possession game.

Some might call him a "simple" man, but there was nothing simple about his life. Every day he worked as hard, if not harder than the day before. He rose to meet the challenge of providing for his family through toiling in the desert farming community of Fallon, Nevada. Balancing work on the family ranch with other jobs, he and his wife raised their five sons instilling in them the same quality of character and virtue with which he lived by - that anything worth having needs to be worked for, with all of your effort, and with an unwavering commitment to doing what is right. Because of this my uncles and father are all great men who, I am sure, my grandfather took much pride in.

While he rarely wore his emotions on his sleeve you could just tell that his family meant the world to him. Oftentimes it's the things that are not said that are the most powerfully profound.

While many misunderstand men whose emotional support comes in the form of intensive labor, his wife of 68 years, Josephine, knows, too, the labors of family and life, and is the epitome of the old adage, "behind every great man, is a great woman."

Her smile, loving way, strength and her own hard work lit up my grandfather's life (as well as everyone she meets) and I am sure she was the sparkle in my grandfather's eyes.

My grandfather was a man whose "simple" life should be a lesson to us all, for it's not the things you attain in life, but how you live it and ultimately how you will be remembered.

I, for one, will remember him as the great man that he was.

Please read:

Nevada Pioneer Award Recipient Passes Away

About the Author: Ron Lee has been a freelance and published writer since 1985. He attended Richmond University in London where he focused on theatre arts, and the University of Nevada Reno where he dual majored in criminal justice and psychology. He currently spends his time helping the US~Observer's clients with his no nonsense investigative reporting style. Ron may be reached at ron@usobserver.com. Favorite quote, "The truth shall make you free." --John VIII. 32