I’m not sure of the chronology of some of these memories but I wanted to write down as many memories of Grandpa and Grandma Polatis I can remember.
When I was probably 5-6, Grandpa and Grandma came to visit and I noticed that Grandma had a $50 bill in her pocketbook. I told one of the twins about it because $50 was a ton of money. I remember telling one of my friends that my grandparents were rich because of it.
Grandpa used to always carry around his video camera. It was an old one that a ton of wires/cables that went a long with it. I think he always had some big backpack that went along with it. In my teenage years I remember watching videos of Grandpa filming us when we were younger. One time that I remember Grandpa filming us is he asked each of the kids to come in the living room at Mom and Dad’s and he asked us some questions. He asked me what my favorite scripture was. I think I was 4-5 and so I had no idea what to say. I just said “last verse in the Book of Mormon”. Grandpa asked me some questions about it, which I didn’t know the answer to. He guided me along with the context of the scripture while he filmed me.
I remember riding home in the car with him one day from Church. Our house was only ½ mile from the church and so it was a really short car ride. Grandpa loved to tell stories about our ancestors and started telling a story on the way home. It wasn’t enough time to finish the story so we sat in the driveway while he continued to tell the story. After 3 hours of church I didn’t really want to sit in the car and listen to his story. I just wanted to go inside and get out of my church clothes and play. Half way through the story, I told Grandpa that we better go inside. He got upset with me and said something like, “We don’t need to go inside, you just want to go inside”. I think I hurt his feelings because he was telling a story that meant a lot to him but I just wanted to play.
One time we went up to Idaho and Grandpa took us fishing. We went to one of those ponds that is stocked with fish and you pay for whatever you catch. Grandpa helped everyone with their fishing poles and helped us reel in the fish when we caught them.
When I was really little we went on a long family road trip to visit Grandpa and Grandma in Nebraska. I remember their little home. It was almost like a double-wide. It was probably plenty of space for just the two of them, but for all 8 of us kids it seemed small. I remember going in the spare bedroom and watching tv with my brothers. We watch the incredible Hulk Tv series. Grandpa and Grandma took us to Wild Bill’s and I got a fake bow and arrow that I played with for a couple weeks after. One day Grandpa took us fishing in a river close by and one of the brothers caught a big catfish. We didn’t think they were good for eating and so we just threw it back in the river.
I remember staying in the same house years later on our way home from Nauvoo Illinois. Grandpa and Grandma were out of town this time, but let us spend the night at their home while we were driving back.
When I was 9-10, Grandpa and Grandma were at our house in Highland. I don’t remember how it all worked out but they were going up to a relative’s cabin in Island Park, Idaho (Uncle Dan’s cabin) and my brother Clint and I were invited to go with them. I think Cliff had some type of obligation with scouts or baseball and so he couldn’t go. Clint and I were really excited to go on a trip with Grandpa and Grandma. We drove up to Island Park and stayed at the cabin for 4-5 days. I remember a few of our other Polatis cousins were up there as well for a couple of the days, and we were alone with Grandpa and Grandma the other days. I remember riding out on Randy’s ski boat and watching Uncle Steve water ski as well as riding the tube. We stayed for a couple days after everyone went home with just us and Grandpa and Grandma. One day they took us up to Yellowstone National Park. I had never been there and I don’t think Clint had been there either. Grandma took us to a souvenir shop and gave us some money to spend. I used the money with Clint to buy my Mom and Dad birthday presents since we were going to be gone on one of their birthdays. (Can’t remember who’s birthday we missed). My Mom’s present was a little wooden box with a kind poem, and my Dad’s present was a lighter for the bbq grill. At one of the stores Grandma told us we could pick a treat. They had some small “penny candy” and she helped us get a little baggy and told us to get as much as we wanted! Clint and I filled up our little bags with candy and at the candy over the next couple days. That was a big highlight!
That night we stopped and got some fried chicken at a grocery store and ate it for dinner. As we sat around the dinner table and before we took a bit, Grandpa wanted to teach us some manners. He looked at the pile of chicken and said, “When you see a plate of chicken like this, which one should you take?” I quickly said, “The smallest” thinking that was the correct answer. It wasn’t the answer he was looking for and so I said, “the biggest?”. I had always thought take the smallest of something and leave the bigger pieces for other people. That was the kind thing to do. Maybe that’s just what I always thought because I had bigger older brothers. Between Clint and I we couldn’t come up with the correct answer which was “the Closest”. Grandpa taught us that we should take the closest piece of chicken. I’ve always remembered that lesson I think because I was slightly embarrassed that I didn’t answer it correctly in the first place.
When I was an early teenager Grandpa and Grandma went on a mission to Connecticut. They were good examples for me and helped me want to go on a mission. The Christmas while Grandma and Grandpa were gone, they sent a package with presents for us for Christmas. It had things like T-shirts and toys. I remember the T-shirt being about 3 sizes too small and the toy being for a much younger kid. I asked my Mom, “Does Grandma and Grandpa think I”m still a baby?” My Mom kind of laughed and said, “Well you have grown a lot since they left on their mission”.
When I was a teenager, Grandpa and Grandma had a big reunion in Idaho. I think I was 11-12 and I was really involved in my baseball team during the summer. That year, my Mom and I had decided that I was going to stay home in Highland with my friend Andrew so I could do my baseball games while the rest of the family went up to the reunion. Grandma had put a lot of effort into the reunion and really wanted everyone to be their. Aside from the people serving missions at the time or off at college (Jon, Tim and Derek, I believe) everyone else was going to be at the reunion. I think Grandma was upset that I wasn’t coming and she even wrote me a letter and told me that she would really enjoy it if I came. I didn’t end up going. I know it hurt Grandma’s feelings and I felt bad that I didn’t go. At that time in my life baseball and summer work was just mor important to me.
I remember when I was a sophmore in high school we went to Grandma and Grandpas house in St. George for Thanksgiving break. Cliff, Clint, me and Tyler were the only kids left at home. We all stayed down in the basement of their home. Tim came into town from California one day as well to hang out with us for Thanksgiving. I remember watching the movie Shrek downstairs in the basement. One day while we were there we went to Zions. I had never been to Zions and it was a fun trip. We did a couple hikes and just enjoyed the park. I remember leaving Grandma’s house early one morning and ran over to the Sun Bowl just a couple blocks away and snuck into the stadium. I was training for football and so I went down into the “bowl: on the grass and ran wind sprints.
When I got into high school, I remember staying with Grandma and Grandpa with my friends. We had been in Panguitch working on a cattle ranch with my friend Shea’s family. After we’d worked for a couple days, we decided we wanted to go down to St. George to get some warmer weather. It was spring break and so we were hopeful we would see some girls as well. I called Grandma to ask her if it was ok if we stayed at her house and she was happy to have us. Shea’s dad drove us down and dropped us off at the house. Grandma had prepared a large meal for us with chicken, potatoes, corn, etc..It was like a big “Sunday Dinner”. I still remember one of my friends declining the corn and Grandpa responded, “If we still lived in Nebraska we’d make you eat it.”. We all laughed partly because it was funny and partly because Grandpa hadn’t said much to that point and so it was unexpected. Grandpa had just finished the basement and he had put in a giant whirlpool tub. He was excited to show it off and at dinner recommended we take a bath. Grandma suggested he adjusted the hot water heater so there would be more hot water available. Grandpa responded with a suggestion that we all just take a bath together. When he saw that we all got a little hesitant he quipped, “What’s wrong, you don’t trust each other?” Which made us all laugh again. Grandma smirked and told him to adjust the hot water heater. Grandpa must have adjusted it the wrong way because only one of us got a bath with hot water. I remember I went 2nd and there was none left for me. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to be a pain, it was still fun to sit in a big tub and soak in lukewarm water. We all crashed on the floor/couch that night and had a fun time watching TV in the basement. Grandma had her old blue car that they gave us the keys to and we drove it around town a little bit looking to meet with girls. I don’t remember if we met with any. But we had fun.
I stayed with Grandma a couple times over the years. I always made it a point to visit them when I was passing through or in town. I later went to Dixie State College after high school and Grandma was very hospitable to me. The first week I got there and didn’t have a job yet, Grandpa hired me to help him with the apartment he was finishing. I worked with him for 3-4 days and earned enough money to hold me over for a couple weeks until I could find a job. I was really nervous about finding work. I had been applying all over the place and so Grandpa’s money was really important. One day that I was helping Grandpa I was fasting. I wanted to fast to find work. I remember Aunt Jolene had come into town to have lunch with Grandpa and Grandma and they were preparing a large lunch. I felt bad that I wasn’t going to sit down to eat with them and told them as we were washing up that I was fasting and asked if I could pass. I don’t remember when it was but later during the work, Grandpa recognized my efforts by saying, “I didn’t know you were working hungry today.” I did get a job a couple weeks later at the local sporting goods store, Rebel Sports.
I stayed at Dixie State for only a semester. I remember one day Grandma knocked on my apartment door and said she wanted to surprise me by taking me out to get groceries. It was so nice of her. The one caveat, was that I would need to drive her car for her. She had been in a car accident recently, where she was either rear ended or someone rear ended her. She still needed some time to pass before she wanted to do a lot of driving. We want to WalMart and I think we spent about $40. I usually only spent $20 when I was going on my own and so I felt like I got a LOT of things. Grandma noted how little I got and said, “Wow you are easy to shop for! I can take you more often if this is all you get.” Towards the end of the year I got in an accident with my motor scooter. I was hit by a car and it ended up destroying my bike. I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance but walked away an hour or so later. It wasn’t bad enough that my parents even came down to St.George. I missed a day of work but was otherwise perfectly fine. I didn’t think much of it, but I guess my Mom never told Grandpa and Grandma and the next time I saw them Grandpa was upset with me for not saying anything. I was taken aback because I didn’t think it was a big deal, but I guess they found out from Randy or someone and were upset that they were never told. I asked my Mom about it and she didn’t want them worrying and so never brought it up either.
Over the years I always made it a point to visit Grandpa and Grandma any time I went to St. George. I remember multiple times sitting at the kitchen table with a large dinner spread made out for me and my friends and we stopped in to say Hi. We always knew we were welcome and that we would have a home cooked meal.
I remember taking Madison down to meet them when we were dating. Madison stayed in the pull out in the basement, and I slept in the basement apartment next door. We got in on a Saturday and went over to Chuck A Rama for lunch with Grandpa and Grandma. I had told Madison that we would be going to Chuck A Rama at some point, which Madison laughed about because her Grandpa would always take her to Golden Corral. After lunch Grandma told us to spend time together and so we went to the community center and swam for a couple hours and hiked up to Dixie Rock. Madison and I weren’t formally engaged yet and hadn’t told our parents yet that we were going to get married. We thought it would be fun for Grandma to be the first to know and so we told her as we sat with her in her living room. She got so excited to know that she was the first to know! I remember hearing from my Mom that she had talked with Grandma on the phone later and Grandma had said to her, “I sure hope Madison joins the family.” Grandma had prepped for us coming by purchasing some berries and fruit to make a smoothie because she knew Madison liked smoothies. The next morning (Sunday) Madison helped Grandma make a smoothie with her little Bullet blender. It was fun to see them bond together and how cute Madison was with her. We went to church with them and then left afterwards back up to Salt Lake.
Grandma and Grandpa weren’t sure they would be able to make our wedding later that year in September but they were both there in the temple. Grandma sat right beside my Mom on my side in the sealing room.
A couple years later we went down to St. George before we moved out to New York City. Charley had just been born and we wanted her to meet Grandma and Grandpa. We did a quick weekend trip down and this time instead of Chuck a Rama we did a little upgrade to Cracker Barrel. We sat outside and enjoyed the weather this time.
In 2015 our daughter Bergen was born and we named her Bergen Colleen Ellingson. We felt honored to name her after Grandma. We had an Ellingson family reunion at Bear Lake that summer and we broke away for an afternoon and made the drive up to Blackfoot to visit with Grandma and introduce her to Bergen. We wanted to make sure they met each other. We had a good visit and then took Grandma to lunch. It just so happened that same time period Grandpa died as well. We were really lucky to be in the area to attend Grandpa’s funeral as well. Madison’s sister got married the day of Grandpa’s funeral and so she went to the wedding while I attended the funeral.
The last few years I’ve been traveling out to Driggs Idaho to go duck hunting. I always make sure to visit with Grandma when I’m out there. I’ll typically book a later flight back home to NYC on Sunday night so I can spend the afternoon visiting with Grandma. She always has a lunch prepared for me (and whichever friend is with me) and we enjoy chatting. I love seeing her and hear her tell family stories and update me on how many grandkids are in college, missions, military, expecting babies, etc. Her pride and joy is in her posterity. It brings her a lot of happiness to have her family. I like to take videos of her with my phone to send to Madison because Madison loves how cute and sweet she is. Every year she says this is the last year that she’ll see me, but every year she’s still there. She always make sure I know where the Manila envelope with her will and funeral plans are stored. She’s been planning her funeral for at least 10 years. I think all the people passing on in her St. George ward got her thinking about death too much. She always would say, “I don’t want any adjectives at my funeral. Just state the facts”
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