An unforgetable Kids Trout derby

[BigPoppy]

We took the grandaughters to the wolf creek dam trout farm derby again this year. This makes 8 years that we have made a point out of it. We have fought heat, rain, and just about every thing else. We have never went and not had fun my 7 year old grand daughter caught her limit all of them very nice fish the older girl is 13 going on 21 and the guys were trying to catch her more than the fish. I hope to continue the trip every year if the good Lord is willing to allow it.
There is always something that makes each trip special, and this year that one thing happened in the las 15 minutes on the campground. We were leaving on sunday and after we were set up to pull out a little boy about 8 or 9 stopped me on the side walk and ask my name. I told him and ask why he wanted to know and if he was ok, thinking he may have lost his way on the park. He said yes I am ok but sad, so I ask him why he said you look just like my poppy, and he had just died a couple of weeks ago and when I saw you for a second I thought you were him, I had been wishing he could come back to be with me for the fishing we did here he brought me every year. I walked away after a talk about God and how he could still talk to him and that his poppy would answer him in ways that some of us would not understand and that his Poppy would be waiting for him in heaven when it was his time to join a long time from now. This little boy's name was John Paul Crane, so when you get a chance pass a prayer on say a small one for him, I walked away with a tear or two running down my face wishing there was more I could have done. You know I think God must have known that this child needed a little something extra this year, God knows I am not a good looking man but he gave that few moments with a boy who had just a few questions and I hope they made him feel better for having met me, I know that will never forget John Paul.

[ConfederateKnowHow]

That's an awesome story! Sounds like you had a very blessed weekend. Thanks for sharing!

[Gulpfan]

We took the grandaughters to the wolf creek dam trout farm derby again this year. This makes 8 years that we have made a point out of it. We have fought heat, rain, and just about every thing else. We have never went and not had fun my 7 year old grand daughter caught her limit all of them very nice fish the older girl is 13 going on 21 and the guys were trying to catch her more than the fish. I hope to continue the trip every year if the good Lord is willing to allow it.
There is always something that makes each trip special, and this year that one thing happened in the las 15 minutes on the campground. We were leaving on sunday and after we were set up to pull out a little boy about 8 or 9 stopped me on the side walk and ask my name. I told him and ask why he wanted to know and if he was ok, thinking he may have lost his way on the park. He said yes I am ok but sad, so I ask him why he said you look just like my poppy, and he had just died a couple of weeks ago and when I saw you for a second I thought you were him, I had been wishing he could come back to be with me for the fishing we did here he brought me every year. I walked away after a talk about God and how he could still talk to him and that his poppy would answer him in ways that some of us would not understand and that his Poppy would be waiting for him in heaven when it was his time to join a long time from now. This little boy's name was John Paul Crane, so when you get a chance pass a prayer on say a small one for him, I walked away with a tear or two running down my face wishing there was more I could have done. You know I think God must have known that this child needed a little something extra this year, God knows I am not a good looking man but he gave that few moments with a boy who had just a few questions and I hope they made him feel better for having met me, I know that will never forget John Paul.

You were his Grandpa for a few minutes, God bless you and that child

[WaterWings]

BigPoppy I am an admin on another web site, lakecumberland.com.
Could I have your permission to copy and paste your post on our web site?
We try to promote the Kids Trout Derby at the Wolf Creek Hatchery and this is such a great story I think a lot of folks would love to hear it. We have a lot of readers there that are not fishermen and therefor probably don't log on here.

If you had rather not that is OK. I will understand.

Ohhh and thanks for being a great "Grandpaw" to your granddaughters and John Paul Crane. The world needs more like you.

[riverrat12]

You were his Grandpa for a few minutes, God bless you and that child

Amen great story. Chuck