COCO

Coco and Pam

This isn't the best picture - it was taken about 1967.  There wasn't much time to take pictures, there wasn't the technology there is today - it does however serve a purpose here to write about a childhood memory.
This picture is of a little girl and her dog.  The dogs name was coco and I remember like yesterday how much I loved him.  We lived in town in a trailer house, back then you could let your dogs outside, they would run around and then return to your doorstep at which time you would let them in.
One of my best friends had a grandpa Herman and he was the town cop.  One day Herman drove down the street with coco in his back seat and returned him to our home safely.  This was the day I remember thinking what a wonderful man he was, I remember thinking he must love me to bring my dog back home.  I believe that this experience has shaped how I feel about police men.  I believe they are good honest men, trying to help people live in harmony with one another, and once in awhile they do something wonderful that makes a difference in the life of a child.

Coco traveled with us also  when we went to see the relatives in Lavern and WillowLake.  Once when my gramma Meyer was in the hospital in Lavern we parked in front and left the window open so the dog would have fresh air.  Well, coco decided it was time to check things out in this neighbor hood and see what he could find. When we came out coco was gone... not to be found, no nice cop bringing him to our door.  I remember driving around looking for him and then my dad drove back to the hospital and I'll be if that little brown dog wasn't sitting right there where the car had been parked, waiting for us, tail wagging!  When we stayed in Lavern we sometimes stayed at my dad's sisters house.  My aunt was a little younger than my dad and her husbands name is Ronnie.  He would always bark like a dog and made it more than clear that he did not like dogs.  One time he scared coco and the dog lifted his leg and peed right there on the carpet of his living room floor. I thought for sure it was the end of the dog, and myself.   As I got older I realized that Ronnie was probably one of the most soft hearted men I would ever know, that he really did love me and dogs!  They would always say about him "his bark is worse than his bite!'.  I realize him letting us stay at his house and bring the dog was his choice.  Ronnie was the town barber, stood up for what he believed in and tried to help people live in harmony with respect for one another.  He grew to be a wonderful grandfather, loving his children in away that I don't see from a lot of men in my generation.  I believe he helped to shape how I felt about family.  I believe he is a good honest man, trying to make a peaceful loving life for his family  and once in awhile he did something so wonderful that it made a difference in the life of a child.

In approximately 1967 we moved from the trailer to a farm out on the brewery road.  I imagine that coco was quite happy roaming the country side as he pleased.    I remember being outside with coco and him never being to far from me, inside it was the same story... he usually sat by me on the couch or chair, and sometimes in bed.  As far as other stories I do not remember a whole lot of him, but I do remember when he died.  He had been very sick and was not coming back into the house.  My mom went outside and found him, carried him back in and made him a bed by the oil burning stove in the living room.  It was here that he died.  It was my very first experience with death, being quite young I am not sure how I handled it.  I do know that I remember sitting on the side of the house and crying my eyes out... I imagine I was wishing that grandpa Herman would bring him home again.

Sandy's Grandpa!

Coco and I at Grandma Meyer's house