This was wrote last year IN HONOR of Mr. Yeates. Now the the time has come that GOD has called him home, I am sending it to you IN MEMORY OF HIM.

One day my son came home from his daily run. His face was so animated and full of excitement. He told me that he had met a gentleman that was over 80 years old and had sat on his porch talking to him. Once my son began talking about this gentleman I knew exactly who he was talking about........

Over 18 years ago, a cat had ran across the highway and I had accidentally ran over it. I was not even a mile from my house and I was so hurt because I had a white cat at home named Frosty and would of hated for something like that to happen to him. Usually when someone runs over an animal, they will just leave it and go on there merry way. BUT I AM NOT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I thought of how, if it had been my pet, I would want to know what happened to it. I pulled over almost in a ditch, stopped my car, got out and preceeded to pull the poor kitty by his tail off the highway so that no-one else would hit it. Then with tears in my eyes, I got back in my car and drove directly across the street. As I approached the house, the man who owned the house and also the kitty met me outside. He knew who I was and also knew my parents. With true concern on his face he said: "Honey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
As I explained the situation and how terrible I felt, a smile came accross his face as he said:
"Thank you for your concern, dear. But let me let you in on a secret, that is not the first and probably will not be the last of my kitties to go across that highway and not come back. You see ( I was looking around me as he was talking and seen the other kitties that were roaming around his yard), I have other kitties at my home and will probably have even more the next thing I know. So missing one will be OK. You need not worry about it and put that smile back on your face. It was that Kitty's fault because he should have never crossed the road in the first place. Thank You though for stopping to tell me this. There are not many people out in this world like you."

Once I seen that he meant what he said, I was able to get in my car and go home. Once there, I hugged my kitty and prayed that we never should part.......
Now, 18 years later, MY SON also had the privilige to share time with this gentleman. Everyday that my son would go for his daily run, he would stop in and check on him and his wife. He would do anything to help them anytime that they would ask him. There were times he would come home with a few dollars in change or even candy in his pockets. When I would ask where he would get it from and tell him he shouldn't take things from people, he would explain. Like one day they needed help with the trash. And another day he washed their car for them.
My heart swelled with pride because my son was so much like me. We both would do things like this for others and expect nothing out of it. The fact he truly liked this gentleman and this gentleman treated my son with RESPECT meant even more. When I went to speak to the elderly man to make sure they were OK with my son coming down there. His face lit up with genuine kindness and he said he truly liked my son stopping by and checking in on them.
My son is the 8th grade football team. So due to practicing everyday and games, he has not been able to go down there since the beginning of school. This gentleman also has great-grandchildren that are also on the football team with my son.
To my surprise, I recently saw this genleman at the junior high homecoming game and had to tell him HI. As his daughter, who brought him there, spoke to me, MY HEART SWELLED WITH PRIDE ONCE AGAIN. Even though this gentleman is getting older and may have difficulties at times, he pointed MY SON out on the field and said "YOU SEE THAT BOY THERE, HE BELONGS TO A NEIGHBOR OF MINE". I just felt like I was going to explode with HAPPINESS. Not only had he touched my sons heart but undoubtably MY YOUNG MAN had also done the same with this gentleman.
This elderly man is not only my neighbor but he is also the GRANDFATHER of a few of my old schoolmates.

To the YEATES family and all of it's descendants:
I AM SO VERY THANKFUL THAT GOD GAVE US SUCH A KIND AND CARING MAN THAT YOUR FATHER HAS ALWAYS BEEN. BUT I AM MOST BLESSED THAT I CAN SAY HE WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE  A WONDERFUL MAN AND ALSO A TREASURED FRIEND.

WITH ALL OF MY LOVE & FONDEST MEMORIES

Pruitt, KK(Kathryn Swartzbaugh), Eric & Jennice Tanton

by Kathryn Tanton on Monday, October 12, 2009