Closure...sort of

Lots of loss in the past year and so I remain in processing mode.  Some days it goes better than others...today isn't a great day...but it is time for this blog to wrap up.  It's closure...sort of...but not on the Kinast family that read this.  It is merely a closure on this chapter of our family's story.  The book is still being written.

 

So, it is time to close the page on this blog with a final remembrance of the Grandparents who influenced us so heavily.  They were the reason for the blog so they could stay connect to us as we spread out all over the country.  I know how much both of them enjoyed this.  I have to admit I wasn't always as good at keeping up on my blog posts...life seemed to get in the way.  But I never missed an opportunity to hang out with either of them if it was within my power.  I was blessed to tell them my stories in real time. And I know they were blessed to hear each of your stories from a far.

Mom suggested that I included some Facebook posts I made about Grandma and Grandpa K.  I only found the one I did about Grandpa and one that I did a month after the fact.  

Here's the one about Grandpa.

Yesterday, I lost a giant of a man in my life. I was named after him. My Grandpa, Charles Kinast returned to his maker last night, surrounded by his wife and daughters. I was honored to be on hand helping coordinate his medication management, offer council to my Mom, aunts and Grandma as Grandpa began to slip and finally, holding his hand as he was on his journey home. I love all of my family (and close friends are family to me) fiercely. It was a trait that my Grandpa instilled in his daughters and one his daughters instilled in me. Although it's a quote from Walt Disney, I believe more passionately than ever that "The Most Important Thing is Family". 

 

But with that passion comes profound heartache. After Grandpa was taken to the funeral home, I remarked how empty the house felt, like all of the air was gone. It is that feeling and that night that I will feel forever. Charles was a great man. He was kind, passionate, stubborn, faithful, deeply caring, a veteran who taught me skills that I still use. They were skills that helped me build Stage 9 into what it was, that helped me get through some of my hardest struggles. But the skill I'm most proud of is how he showed us to love and to make family the most important thing.

 

Of course, part of this family was his creator. I'm comforted by the fact that he's in heaven creating a place for all of us. And while it might be tomorrow or 54 years from now for us to join him, it will be a flash of an eye for him. He'll be ready to present that sparkle in his eye and the cute laugh he had in a life that is free from earthly bounds. And it will be a joy to experience with him.

In the meantime, Grandpa has left a hole. But an inspiring one. My love now gets to spend more time on other family. I'm so lucky for all of them to be in my life. Especially my Grandma, parents, aunts, siblings, cousins, nieces, nephew and Nate.

 

Here's the post about Grandma

 

It's been a month of not calling you, not visiting you, not hearing your warmth and your love.

As I have decorated for Christmas, your favorite (something we shared deeply in common), some of your precious Christmas has made its way to our house to be cherished. But somehow, it's not the same without you. Grief is a funny thing...it comes in waves. And tonight, it breaks the beach in my tears. I'll be fine...but...

 

And from past experience, the but never goes away...living with it just gets more normal.

I'll see you in Christmas always. Just so sad to not see the joy on your face this year.

 

 

 

 

 

I also felt it was important to have Grandma and Grandpa's obituaries included.  Because as Grandpa in genealogist mode would say, these are the documents that live on.

Here is Grandma's

Imogene Kinast, 89, died October 24, 2023, at Hospice House, Hutchinson.  She was born September 1, 1934, in Ellsworth, to William C. and Mathilda (Stratmann) Janssen.

Imogene graduated from Lorraine High School, and attended Kansas State University.  She retired as a full-time administrative assistant at Hutchinson Community College in 1997.  Imogene later worked for the Reno County District Court part-time, retiring in 2007.  She liked the simple things in life like sewing, gardening, and volunteering at the Hutchinson Zoo. Imogene was a lifelong Lutheran, and currently a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.

On June 4, 1954, she married Charles R. Kinast, in Holyrood, KS.  He died April 2, 2020, after they shared almost 66 years of marriage.

Imogene is survived by:  daughters, Vicki Shook (Timothy) of Wichita, Pamela Johnston (Randolph), and Laurie Givan (Tim), all of Hutchinson; 10 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by:  her parents; a sister, Agnes Scott; and a brother, Donald Janssen.

Memorial service will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, November 3, 2023, at Elliott Chapel, with Pastor Henry Blickhahn officiating.  Private family burial will take place prior to the service in Fairlawn Burial Park, Hutchinson.  Friends may sign her book from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Elliott Mortuary.

Imogene loved the deer at the Hutchinson Zoo.  Therefore, in lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Hutchinson Friends of the Zoo (to benefit the deer habitat), in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS  67501.

Here is Grandpa's

Charles R. Kinast, 88, of Hutchinson, died April 2, 2020, at his home. He was born March 3, 1932, in Hutchinson, to Albert and Louise (Guhl) Kinast.

Charles graduated from Haven High School, Kansas State University with his bachelor’s degree, and Wichita State with his master’s. He worked at PMS Foods Inc., until he retired in 1997, and part-time at Legacy Foods, until 2007. Charles served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict and belonged to the American Legion Lysle Rishel Post 68. He was also a member of Friends of the Public Library. Charles was a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Hutchinson.

On June 4, 1954, he married Imogene Janssen, in Holyrood, KS. They shared 65 years together.

Charles is survived by: wife, Imogene Kinast, Hutchinson; daughters, Vicki (Timothy) Shook, Wichita, Pam (Randy) Johnston, and Laurie (Tim) Givan, both of Hutchinson; ten grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; brother, Phillip Kinast, Pretty Prairie; and sister, Marilyn Hurst, Sylvia.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Virginia Woertz.

A private burial will take place at Fairlawn Burial Park, followed by a private funeral service at Elliott Mortuary.

Friends may sign the book from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to Lutheran Hour Ministries, Hutchinson Public Library, or the donor’s choice, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.

Words couldn't adequately describe the loss I feel.  Words also can't adequately express the joy I have for having had them in my life for so long.  That is a rare gift.  May all of us cherish it as we grow and write the next chapter.

Rememberances

Both of these were from my Facebook posts, shared after Grandpa and Grandma passed away-- April 2020- On Thursday last week, we said good bye to my Grandpa. The girls and I were able to call around lunchtime. Grandpa had the ability to show love unconditionally, he was kind, loved his family, and made you feel welcome each time you visited. No matter who you were. He greeted you warmly and always had a current event to share...often snuck into the conversation with an “incidentally”. He had a love for family, books/knowledge, Grandma (whom he’d been married to for 65 years...he asked her to marry him shortly after they met), KState, history, the pasture(family land), tractors, and anything sweet. I can remember him&Grandma spending time playing with us grandkids growing up. He was handy and made several things for me and other grandkids. He grew up in the Lutheran church and in the Haven area, and loved to talk about both. He grew more liberal as he aged, which was neat to see and reminds me to consider different view points. He really enjoyed hearing Olivia play the piano and the girls gave him a concert(Olivia on piano, Kinley on guitar, and Emily improvising) for his birthday celebration at the beginning of March. I am grateful for his example on how to love, his love, and his passion. He’s home with Jesus now, but we will miss him here on earth. November 2023- Yesterday we celebrated the life of my Grandma. She was 89. This picture is from 2017, but it captures her smile and she’s mid sentence. Chuckling over something someone said at one of our big family gatherings. So many wonderful memories…she always had a craft for us to do(painting, leaf collages, sewing, bracelets, shrink a dinks….), she was patient, kind, and welcoming. She always asked you about something specific…your job, school, your hobby. Growing up she always had a half stick of gum for us during the church service. I have a very vivid memory of spending the night at her house and her hair being up in curler rolls. She had Donald Duck orange juice for us. She also always had a snack for us in the bottom “snack drawer”. That drawer was still found at her house until she moved to assisted living this summer. As kids, we got to go birthday shopping each year to pick out what we wanted. (Even as we got older.) The outing always included an out to eat meal of our choice. She was Sunday school director when I was in grade school. And she loved to sew. One year we had matching Christmas jammies. I had many homemade dresses, costumes, a quiet book, and doll clothes. We’d go to the store and pick out a pattern and material. Once I had kids of my own, I enjoyed bringing the girls for visits because Grandma (and Grandpa) took a lot of joy in just watching them play and enjoying their presence. They’d also play with them. When we left Grandma and Grandpa’s growing up we always got hugs…and that held true for every visit when we got older too. Grandma is the Imogene that Olivia is named for. Grandpa passed away in April 2020. They were married nearly 66 years and I loved to hear Grandpa recount how he met Grandma. We missed getting family together then, but all but one cousin was able to make it back yesterday. It was a beautiful fall day, which Grandma would have loved. Grandma and Grandpa, you are dearly treasured and loved. Rest well. ❤️

Learning in Love

There are so many things to remember about grandma and grandpa. My closest memories are some of my last with them right now. December 2019 I remember seeing grandpa and thinking that this could be the last time that we saw one another because he wasn’t doing so well. When you live so far away, you just try to ask the important things more often or quicker, so I asked grandpa whether or not he was ready to be done here, ready for the next thing, and he told me with some pause that he really thought he was. 

Likewise, when I saw grandma for the last time, we took her out to the pasture with mom and Aurora. Enjoyed a drive around. Grandma even got out and sat on the cabin steps with us and we took a generational photo that I’ll cherish for a long time. She seemed so happy there and so content watching all of the birds and the animals from the car like she did every time that we rode anywhere with her. It was so healing to have that time with her. Hopeful.

As for younger memories, I’ll always remember Grandma making our Halloween costumes, Christmas pajamas and cookie dough balls for the freezer. Taking us shopping individually for birthdays so that we got time to bond with her. How she taught me to sew with such patience and how she sadly said to me as I grew into my profession that she wished she would have known that was something she could have chosen to do. Little glimpses of the adventure and ambitions that she thought about from time to time, immediately replaced by her love and devotion to Grandpa or the joy that she got from spending time with all of us.

And memories of Grandpa, always making sure that he shared the important pieces of family history, pasture going’s on and good will in conversation. I’ll also always remember him as being no nonsense at church when we were little; you had to be on your best behavior when he was around. Darn was always a bad word, so don’t even think about something worse than that and how he loved doing the booth at the fair where I always loved getting Happy Times from him.

Growing up in this family has always felt like a built in support system. We all make mistakes and falter from time to time, Grandma and Grandpa being no exception to this rule, but love wins out. As we all grew up it was notable how big our conversations got, how much deeper we delved into the world and how much growth this allowed for everyone. That’s not all families and that makes us pretty special.

Know that we love you all and that you always have our support in whatever way we can offer it. 

Here is what I (Cassi) shared in the Kinast Cousins Remembering Grandpa Facebook page on April 7, 2020:

Thank you for including me in this. I don't feel that I have as much to offer because I wasn't raised knowing Grandpa as my own grandpa, but he allowed me to call him "Grandpa", like everyone else did, for the last 16 years. Half my life.  

And I'm grateful because he didn't have to do that. He could have asked me to call him Charlie, but that's not who he was. I have a slightly different perspective than some here because I didn't know him until I was a teenager. 

He was always one of the first to say hello when I walked in the door. He always had something he wanted to tell me; a connection he wanted to make.

When he knew Adelynn was taking dance at Judy's, he told me Judy's whole life story. When he put together that my cousin owned Kauffman Seeds, he was quick to tell me about all of their rural community connections. If he would drive by the Yoder church and see cars, he would ask me what was going on. Anytime he would hear of someone in the news with a Mennonite last name, he'd ask me about my connection with them - and it wouldn't even offend me! Quite the opposite, actually. And he would hang on to this stuff for weeks until he would see me to check in. His value for connection was apparent.

Although I didn't get to know Grandpa for my whole life, we get to hold those memories close forever. I can see his legacy in each of you. I can see how you love your spouses and intend to love them for 65 years and on into eternity because of the way your grandpa loved your grandma. Kate, I see that stubborn fighter in you that I saw in him - and I mean that wholly in a positive way. Charles, I see your strong sense of family he had. Mary, I see your fierce love like his. Hannah, I see the gentle touch you have the way he had. Sarah, I see his strong faith in you. I see the exact same ornery ornery twinkle in David's eye that Grandpa always had in his. What everlasting gifts he left.

"People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

As I said before, I don't have the childhood memories of Grandma & Grandpa, but as an adult, I am thankful to have items of theirs to remember them by. Watching Ollie play with Grandpa's tractor and trucks is a joy. I have Grandma's washboard up in my laundry room to brighten up some long days of continuous laundry. Adelynn has her bears and windmill on display in her bedroom. Ava chose a lighter that Grandma had that stored pins. Dave noticed the lighter as being Grandpa's, so he bought new insides to make it work as a lighter again. That tiny lighter just brought to mind that even though the two of them had differing views on an object, that didn't make it any less valuable. I also see that continuing through Dave's and Ava's thought processes, which just reminds me that unconditional love is a family trait. 

Seeing these girls wearing her jewelry to her celebration of life was so fitting. 

This is what I imagine them doing now.

Knowing how much Grandma loved family and nature, I will end with the last sentence of what I shared on social media on October 25, 2023.

"Feeling grateful they chose the time together,
especially as the air reminds us of the briskness of life."