Grandpa Hill's True Stories

Tag: true stories

  • A Superior Minnesota Vacation

    A Superior Minnesota Vacation

    This episode of Grandpa Hill’s True Stories took place in May of 1989 along the Western shore of Lake Superior.   Grandma and Grandpa (Mary and Don) take their four children on a long Memorial Day camping vacation.   The story is of five precious memories that make up the five chapters:  Mittens in May; Short Sheets at Gooseberry Falls; Cascade River Trout; Bears Bears, Bears; and Grandma and the Ostrich. 

    This story is being told to four little excited children about when their aunts and uncles were the four little excited children.  The story was told to them shortly after their little sister, Emma, our 23rd grandchild was born.  As you think laugh and live your life, maybe you will remember a story and tell it to your loved ones or share it with someone that hungers for or just enjoys the simple and beautiful family life.

    Please share Grandpa Hill’s True Stories far and wide.  It is a good gift you have discovered.  Pass it on!

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Grandchildren in the audience: Breandan

    Music: Michael Steele

    Art: Amy Steele

  • Grandpa Left His Body – Faith & Family Story

    Grandpa Left His Body – Faith & Family Story

    Grandpa left his body in 2003. He was 46 years old living in Iselin PA.  While on the operating table sedated as a surgery was being performed, he got the privilege of watching the Doctor examine the tumor he had just removed.

    As Grandpa Hill tells this story to his grandchildren, they have just as much trouble trying to understand Grandpa’s story as Grandpa did 20 years ago when he first realized he had left his body.  Grandpa believes that this was a bit of first hand evidence that he is more than just his body and his brain. He always believed he had a soul but didn’t really know what it was. This out-of-body, experience was proof to him that he was more than flesh and bones.

    Please enjoy the story, think about it, and go about laughing and living your life.   Share this story and of course tell your own stories to your children, your grandchildren, and all children.   Shalom.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Grandchildren in the audience: Breandan

    Music: Michael Steele

    Art: Amy Steele

  • Grandpa Sees an Angel – Faith and Family Story

    Grandpa Sees an Angel – Faith and Family Story

    In 1988 Grandpa Hill (Don) and his family were at a parish mission in Burnsville Minnesota.  Just before the priest called on Don to come up front for a demonstration about faith and trust, an angel came and sat down next to Grandpa.

    Grandpa really doesn’t know what angels are.  He calls what he saw an angel because it seemed friendly, calm, and all energy.   Whatever it was that evening he first sensed it’s approach, saw it for a second or two and then responded to the priest.  As Don left the pew to ‘volunteer’ for the demonstration in front of what seemed like over a thousand people, the angel was gone!

    Don describes the faith moment, his demonstration of the concept of trust, and, how interesting it was for one time in his life to sense and see some sort of being that he truly thinks was an angel, sitting with him.  Either Don had the wildest imagination in the world, or he really saw something, or both!

    In any case, please know that Grandpa Hill’s Stories are True Stories, as true as he can remember them.  This encounter with this ‘angel’ truly happened to him.  It was definitely a faith moment, and, has always been an inspiration to him when he is being reluctant or hesitant to do what he really thinks God would like him to do.

    Please enjoy and please share this story and this podcast.  It really means a lot to Grandpa Hill to share and teach to entertain and to make it easier for others to think laugh and live regardless of the troubles of the day or times we live in. Use the stories to remember and share your own stories of when you grew up or you learned something true. What you do matters, it matters to the whole world.

    As of today April 21, 2023, Grandpa Hill’s True Stories have been listened to in 28 countries, 173 cities in 36 of the United States of America.  That’s way over 33,000 minutes helping you and your children to think, laugh, and live.  Listen, listen, listen. Share Share Share. Thank you!

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music: David Richman
    Art: Amy Steele
    Grandchildren in the audience: Annette, and Breandan.

  • Grandma’s First Couch – A slightly wiser story.

    Grandma’s First Couch – A slightly wiser story.

    It was the fall of 1985, Grandma and Grandpa Hill had just got a new house in Savage Minnesota.  There was an ongoing disagreement about money and furniture.  We both wanted living room furniture.  Mary Lee wanted to sit comfortably in the living room with friends and family.  Don wanted to sit comfortably but had no money to buy furniture.  Buying a couch at that time was out of the question.    Even so Mary Lee, went and got a couch and much more.

    Mervin and Janette, Mary Lee’s parents were generous and bought the furniture.    Mary Lee negotiated a low price.  Don’s happiness and gratitude, was hampered by his stubbornness and pride.  Don has recorded this episode as a memorial to the love and generosity shown by Mervin and Janette Mack.

    By the way, Mary Lee saved the day again!  She turned the furniture buy into a dent and scratch sale!  She still advises buyers to just ask for that lower price.  “Frequently you will get it”.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill
    Music: David Richman
    Art: Amy Steele
    Grandchildren in the audience: Annette, Breandan, Eoghan, and David.

  • Patricia Puts The Baby First! – Grandpa Hill’s True Stories

    Patricia Puts The Baby First! – Grandpa Hill’s True Stories

    Patricia, Grandpa and Grandma’s eldest child, listens with her seven children, and Grandma Hill (Mary Lee) as Grandpa Hill tells the heart tearing and heart warming story of when Patricia, was seriously ill in Children’s Hospital of Columbus Ohio.   Patricia was not responding well to her treatment and medications for asthma.  After a day of no progress she is finally able to communicate what’s wrong… It is a problem with her “room mate” – a little infant girl.

    The infant that Patricia was sharing her room with had a problem of no spinal cord and was constantly crying.  The baby’s illness wasn’t a problem for Patricia. The baby’s constant crying wasn’t a problem for her either.  The fact that nobody was caring for the baby was a huge problem.  As we, Don and Mary, came to realize the source of Patricia’s agony, we cared for the baby and tried our best to the extent we could to comfort her.  At her request, Patricia was doing without attention. Patricia needed us to care for the baby more than anything else we could do for her.

    Grandpa and Grandma realized just how special, caring, and loving Patricia was, to put the baby first, ahead of herself.  

    Gorf and Marshmallow are back to help the young listener understand how beautiful it is when someone who deserves so much attention is unselfish and puts the cares and needs of another person first!

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Gorf: Grandpa
    Marshmallow: David Richman
    Music: David Richman
    Art: Amy Steele
    Grandchildren in the audience: Sarah, David, Leah, Anna, Miriam, Raymond, and Naomi.

  • The Great Michigan Bike Trip Part 3

    The Great Michigan Bike Trip Part 3

    Part 3: Day 4, Day 5, Day 6. Stuck in Marion Michigan.

    Grandpa Hill and his friends leave Wilson State Park, where their neighbors had taken them after their highly unlikely and very fortuitous chance meeting the day before. They headed out of the park on what would come to be known as the “disaster day.” The road was clear… until it wasn’t.  

    There is a tractor trailer truck in the opposing lane, going 70 or 80 mph. The gust from the speeding truck makes the bikes wobbly and some of them fall down. The bikers are a little scraped up, but even worse Bill’s bike is busted. It’s 3 miles to Marion Michigan, the next closest town. They’d have to walk.

    In Marion, after a catastrophic attempt to fix the bike, Grandpa Hill and his friends don’t have much to do, but they sure are hungry. There was not a crumb left of their lunch. The bikers run into a little trouble with the Police Chief and Fire Chief.  In their opinions the group of bikers were too friendly with the police chief’s daughter.  They had their ways of expressing their disapproval. Nonetheless, the girls did tell them about the park where they set up camp. Its raining, and the bikers find refuge playing cards in the town hall.

    Day 5 Grandpa and Bill hitch hike to Cadillac Michigan to get a new bike wheel, and they come back to accusations of breaking into the laundry-mat, and the bikers agree to leave town the next day. With Bill’s bike fixed they leave Marion Michigan behind.  Just before they go they witness an exciting chariot race.

    Grandpa and his friends met a lot of challenges in Marion.  They didn’t give up.  With rapidly emptying pockets, frequently empty stomachs, and a broken bike they kept on going.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced and Recorded by Grandpa Hill

    Art: David Richman,
    Music: Michael Steele,
    Grandchildren in Audience: Caleb, Corbin and Walter.

  • The Great Michigan Bike Trip – Part 2

    The Great Michigan Bike Trip – Part 2

    Comment below! And share with your friends!

    On The Great Michigan Bicycle Trip PART 2, Day 2 and 3,  Grandpa Hill has  a much better time than day one of this 500 mile adventure across Michigan by four teenage boys.  In Day 1 the Lapeer County sheriff deputy was called to question him and he was rescued and escorted by the North Branch police.  

    In Day 2, his friend Bill gets cut by Dean and his big bowie knife.  Later Dean insists on showing his knife as they pedal on MI-46 in downtown Saginaw.   The next morning little girls fix Grandpa’s hair, and the later that day, Grandpa meets a special person in a special place that rescues all the bikers from a loose-gravel road that was not taking them where they wanted to go.  At the end of Day 3 in Wilson State Park.  They rest well, and,  think they are ready for the  excitement that will come on Day 4 near and in Marion Michigan.   

    Part 3 is coming soon, it will start with Day 4, which started so easy.  MI60 was a  flat straight road, no traffic.  An 18 wheeler came barreling down the road, and the bikers just were not ready for what happened next.  

    Please share Grandpa Hill’s true stories with at least one other person.  We think you will be glad you did, and so will we.   Shalom!   Grandpa Hill. 

  • Sparky the Dog & Devil’s Night

    Sparky the Dog & Devil’s Night

    This story isn’t really about Devil’s night, a night of tricks and pranks. It is a story about an unfortunate—or rather fortunate—course of events that led to Sparky becoming the dog of Grandpa Hill’s family, way back when he was a just a boy of 11 years old.  

    It was 1967 on a foggy Devil’s Night in Rochester Michigan.  A prank was played on a most unfortunate family and their dog. The next morning when the fog was still thick, Grandpa discovered there at the end of the driveway the Devil’s Night Dog, a young black and white Smooth Fox Terrier. The sweetest and barkiest dog there ever was… maybe. Nonetheless, the situation needed to be remedied.  

    Grandpa’s family knew the drill.  They needed to find the owner and let them know what had happened to their terrier.  They tried and failed.  What happened next was a few years of fun love and happy times with Sparky. One day Sparky took off for his normal morning run.  He was normally back at the house within an hour.  That day Sparky was brought home dead.  He was killed by a neighbor’s dog. Gorf and Marshmallow help the young listener to think through Sparky’s death and how it may have shaped Grandpa Hill’s life and what lessons may have been learned.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Gorf: Grandpa
    Marshmallow: David Richman
    Music: Michael Steele
    Art: David Richman
    Grandchildren in the audience: Kyla, Lawrence, Eddy, and Levi

  • The Money Tree

    The Money Tree

    “Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees” Grandpa Hill (Don)’s Dad said… as it turns out money does sometimes grow on trees. Donald was a teenager in the 1970’s, and his Dad was explaining the folly of a purchase.  Don replied oh yes it does grow on trees! “Look right there!”  Right out side the living room window there was a money tree.  Grandpa’s Mom used to pick what looked to be silver dollars off the tree and exchange them for dollars.

    This seems unbelievable to the grandchildren listening to this story from long ago.  So, Grandpa takes them down the street to Ken and Cindy’s house in Latrobe Pennsylvania and right there in the garden is a Money Tree, for real!

    Gorf and Marshmallow discuss how to make money with the Money Tree, and, food, and doing the right thing when talking to your parents or are considering harvesting someone else’s crop.  We hope you enjoy this simple Grandpa Hill True Story, keep listening, sharing, and exploring the dozens of other episodes!

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Gorf: Grandpa
    Marshmallow: David Richman
    Music: Michael Steele
    Art: David Richman
    Grandchildren in the audience: Kyla, Breandan, Lawrence, Eddy, and Levi

  • Turtle Soup

    Turtle Soup

    This story is about Grandpa Hill and his grandfather, Grandpa Bonse.  “Donny Boy” got turtle soup for his birthday and learned to consider carefully what he really wanted in his life.  In this case he was very excited to get a special meal that he was sure was the best ever.  Grandpa Bonse had to make his regular visit to the garbage dump near North Port MI.  Then he had Donny Boy look in a barrel of turtles, then they enjoyed a great lunch.  Grandpa Bonse enjoyed teaching Donny Boy this way.  Grandpa Hill (Donny Boy) enjoyed learning this way.  He felt loved.  

    Gorf the frog  and Marshmallow the raccoon discuss the eating of frogs and turtles.  What you think about your food plays a big part in whether you will like it or not.  Grandpa did some thinking about his highly desired soup and then it wasn’t quite so desired.  Marshmallow mostly thinks about eating more not what it is that he is eating.  Gorf handles the whole story pretty well.  Gorf does get tense with all the talk about eating things like frogs.  Marshmallow reminds Gorf again that he won’t be consuming frogs any time soon.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music: Michael Steele,
    Art: David Richman,
    Grandchildren in Audience: Annette & Breandan