Grandpa Hill's True Stories

Category: Faith & Family

Stories about relationship and religion

  • Hospital Check – Grandma Saves the Day

    Hospital Check – Grandma Saves the Day

    In 1979 Grandpa and Grandma Hill, were proud parents of their first child, Patricia Kay.  The huge $1900 hospital bill had just been paid.  Grandpa Hill was broke!  In a few days he would be at a to-be-determined-address 500 miles away with no money, no job, and full time college classes to attend.  The very next day the good news came in the mail.  The health insurance from Central Foundry was going to cover all of the hospital bill.  Grandpa went immediately to the hospital to get the $1900 back.  The hospital had already cashed the check, and, couldn’t give him the money!  It would be weeks before they would get the check and the address to send it to still wasn’t known.  All of the back and forth of getting the money would have to be done by mail and expensive phone calls.   The situation looked bleak, but, then Mary Lee (Grandma Hill) took over.

    It took some sitting, some talking and a lot of patiently waiting and then it happened, Grandma Hill saved the day again.  Grandpa was so proud of what she had done, and grateful for the money.  “Honey how did you do it?”  Was his frequently asked question in those early years.  Grandma had truly saved the day!

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music & Art by David Richman

  • The Insurance Commissioner – Grandma Saves the Day

    The Insurance Commissioner – Grandma Saves the Day

    Grandpa Hill tells this true story to give credit to one of the unexpected talents that Grandma has for peaceably settling disputes and disagreements and issues.  Don (Grandpa Hill) wasn’t so good at that sort of thing.   Before Don would get into the arguing, the run-around and the frustration of handling difficult issues he would wisely turn it all over to Mary Lee.  It would seem like a miracle to Don, when somehow Mary Lee would get the issue settled.

    Mary Lee (Grandma Hill) was a stay at home mom in the early 80’s in Columbus Ohio.   With two little children and one on the way money was tight. There had been a wreck, the car was damaged and the insurance company wasn’t going to pay.  Mary Lee gets the insurance carrier to reverse their decision, cut a check, and, pay us for our loss.  The check was in Grandpa’s hand about five hours after Mary Lee had started to address the issue.   The money was greatly needed.  She got it done, and fast.   Nobody mad, nobody sad, and several hundred dollars available to fix the family car; she truly saved the day. 

    Mary Lee’s special talent has served the family well these past forty four years. Don is so proud of and in love with Mary Lee.  

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music by David Richman

  • Grandpa Leaves for Mexico

    Grandpa Leaves for Mexico

    Come Home Son, is the story about how the simple honest love of Grandpa’s Father changed and saved his life. 

    A special story for those who do not love themselves and for you dads who love your children.  Grandpa has just left the Air Force Academy in Colorado. His dreams, and his plans, of who he was going to be were broken and gone. Rock Bottom. He took a job with some nasty people in “sales,” and was too ashamed to go home.  Grandpa walked out and started hitchhiking south.

    He headed for Mexico to find good work on the oil rigs, but before going he made collect call from El Paso to his home in Rochester Michigan, to let his parents know where he was going.

    Grandpa’s dad wanted to talk to him, and he asked his son one simple question: When are you coming home? Three times he asked When are you coming home?  His dad’s love got through to him and he decided then and there, and told his dad he would come home.  

    If you are not home: go home. Just go home. Figure out a way to get better make amends, whatever it is that has kept you separate from your father, and you might just be surprised how much your father loves you, and wants you to come home.

    Love yourself, live a life where you are thinking, laughing, loving and living!
    It can happen. It has happened.  It has truly happened to me, Grandpa Hill.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music & Art: David Richman

  • The Fruitful Decision

    The Fruitful Decision

    Grandpa Hill’s True Faith and Family Story of what truly happened to him at the Latin Mass in Latrobe Pennsylvania was possible because Donald and Mary Lee made a fruitful decision, to open the womb 33 years ago. They offer to everyone their story of deciding to reverse their sterility, and, proceeding to go from a “large enough” family to a much larger family.

    Grandpa realized recently in a sudden rush of emotion that the path they chose, although less traveled, not popular, and, considered risky and ill-advised has truly made all the difference.  Grandpa Hill is not a theologian, nor doctor, nor expert on fruitful decision making.  He is just a good critical thinker, and problem solver.  It’s what he does.  When Grandma has a good thing she shares it with everyone she knows and that’s what she does.  Grandpa and Grandma believe that their decisions, acting on those decisions,  what they love, and how they love is what makes them who they truly are.

    Please enjoy this story and share it with others as you think laugh and live. Go to grandpahill-stories.org to contact us. We want to be our best at loving and caring and sharing Grandpa Hill’s True Stories with you. Your comments, stories, and needs become part of why we exist.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music: David Richman

  • Love Hurts #1 — The Squirrel

    Love Hurts #1 — The Squirrel

    Grandpa tells a story of his love for Grandma, and a massive flying squirrel. Grandma gets very hurt. In the darkness of the new couples bedroom there is shouting, then they are crying, then—as the story comes out about the squirrel—they are laughing.

    Love Hurts #1 is the first in a series of mishaps that Grandpa and Grandma have loved each other through, in holy matrimony since 1978.  Love Hurts #1, truly happened to us!

    We hope this series of stories is especially valuable to teenagers, those dating, those betrothed, and those living in holy matrimony. Might these stories encourage you to love your spouse (or potential spouse) more deeply, laugh a little more, think, and live.

    Christ was willing to die for His spouse the Church, we likewise must love our (potential) spouse unconditionally. Unlike Christ, as sinners striving to be saints, we make mistakes, and sometimes for the best of reasons… namely Love. For love is self gift and a gift returned, but it is also a total willing the good of the other.

    Grandpa Hill was willing to sacrifice himself to save his wife from the incoming squirrel. Unintentionally he slugs Grandma, but upon awaking and finding what he has done to his wife begins crying with her, then laughing with her at dream of the flying squirrel.

    Afterwards Grandma and Grandpa reconciled, and learned a little more how to think, laugh, and live in the early years of their marriage.

    We wish you Peace on your journey,

    שָׁלוֹם, Shalom

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music & Art: David Richman
    Audience: Grandma, David, Leah, Anna, and Breandan

  • Navigator Brian

    Navigator Brian

    Brian the Navigator, Grandpa Hill’s True Story about one of his son’s amazing ability to know where he was and which way to go at the age of five. This story recounts what really happened to Grandpa Hill and his family in the summer of 1985.

    There was a heated discussion, between the parents of a young family, while in an overheated car, on a hot day, in a hot congested snarl of traffic.   Brian’s excellent navigation skills got the family out of a jam.  It was smooth sailing from there.  From a pending disaster in downtown Chicago the family vacation trip was rescued by Brian’s keen interest in maps.

    At the end, Gorf and Marshmallow are lost too, and discuss the importance of studying maps, and to be helpful in your own situation.

    This story on how the Hill family dealt with the tension. It is for Grandpa Hill’s 8 children, his 22 grandchildren, and all children.  Grandpa’s goal is to help the listeners  get out of their own tense situations and figure out ways to make it easier to think more, laugh more, and live abundantly.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music: Michael Steele,
    Art: David Richman,
    Grandchildren: Joseph, Catherine, and Lizzy

  • Our First Homeschooling Day

    Grandpa Hill, that’s me, Don tells this story for his children, his grandchildren, and all children.  The 6 Hills go to bed on a summer night in Savage Minnesota determined to not watch the TV anymore.  This drastic change in their life was preparation to start homeschooling in the fall.

    It was Friday night. It was 1989. In just 11 hours, Saturday animation would be no more.  The TV was in the closet!

    In the morning Grandpa wakes and soon sounds the alarm to Grandma, the children are missing!

    This unexpected start to their homeschooling days was a clear sign to them that replacing TV time with family time and great activities, was the best choice, a key opening the door to their success with their eight children being taught in their home.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music: David Richman
    Art: Amy Steele

  • Lost With The Kitties

    Lost With The Kitties

    In this Grandpa Hill Slightly Wiser True Story, Grandpa loses a child at the Columbus Ohio City Zoo.  Grandpa Hill had a system to make it easy for a lost child to find him.  He wears a yellow shirt. The yellow shirt system failed and Brian, the lost child, had an adventure while lost with the “kittys”.  To this day no one knows if Brian ever petted the “kitty”, with spots. It just so happened to be as tall as he was.  From Gorf and Marshmallow we learn that Grandpa Hill does improve the yellow shirt system. With his improvements he didn’t lose children very often after this incident.

    As always Grandpa Hill encourages you to listen, subscribe for notifications of new episodes.  Let us know if you or your family or friends find it a little easier to think, laugh and live from these stories.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Gorf: Grandpa
    Marshmallow: David Richman
    Music: Michael Steele
    Art: Amy Steele
    Grandchildren in the audience: Joseph, Catherine, and Lizzy

  • Baby Torticollis

    Baby Torticollis

    Amy, Grandpa Hill’s daughter, had a droopy face, a crooked neck, and her eye wouldn’t open all the way.  Grandpa and Grandma Hill (Don and Mary) wanted her torticollis to be fixed but were not ready to have Doctors do nerve surgery.  Grandpa was praying and sharing with others at work about Amy’s situation. Right there, right then, the man praying with Grandpa Hill, started telling him about an Osteopath that he thought would be good for Amy.  Grandpa Hill had never heard of such a thing!  What would they do to their little girl?

    Many would say this was just another lucky circumstance.  Grandpa thinks differently.  He believes it is God’s nature to listen, and, to consider and provide what is best for him and his family.  He prayed during that lunch hour. While there he was face to face with a man he hardly knew proceeding to tell him of a special Osteopath, a leader in his field, that he thought could help Amy.  So, Grandpa listened, he investigated, and prayed again with Grandma. The decision was made to start manipulations of baby Amy’s skull. Today, we are glad to have to a happy and beautiful Amy, with relieved, grateful and joyful parents.

    If Grandpa Hill’s true story about how he quickly took effective action against a serious problem helps you in any way please let us know.  Of Torticollis Grandpa knew very little.  Of Osteopaths Grandpa knew very little.  He did ask Jesus to help him figure this out, and he thinks that Jesus did exactly that.  Grandpa Hill says think, pray, laugh and live. 

  • Why Did I Say That about Her Baby?

    Why Did I Say That about Her Baby?

    Julia was trying to start a family and she had just found out about another miscarriage. Inexplicably Grandpa Hill (Don) thought her baby was still alive, and told her what he thought.  Julia needed to hear that, and so did her baby.

    To this day Grandpa Hill doesn’t know why he said that, but he did say it.  Sometimes we don’t say what what we know we should, but what an impact there can be when we do.

    This story changed Julia and her family.  This story changed Grandpa Hill and his family.  It is Grandpa’s hope that this story will change you and your family.  (The story is as true as Grandpa Hill can remember it.  Names have been changed.)