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These are not in order. Letters were put in the book by order of birth (spouses were places in directly after their 'gregory' half)
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Grandpa,
It's hard for me to express or put into words how much you really mean to me and my family. I know my life would be very different if you had not been present while I was growing up. Not only because I know that you prayed fervently for me but also because of the enormous amount of Biblical teaching that you were able to pass along to me. As a child I would sit and listen to the biblical and theological discussions that went on amongst the family and learned so much from them.
I see so many families torn apart by divorce, bitterness and selfishness and our family has been spared from the unmendable breaking that comes from a severed family. I believe that the Lord extended His grace in that way to us largely in part through your leadership. As the head of our family you have always had a good grasp of what was going on with everyone because you made it your business to know (or grandma did...) :) Your wisdom is something that all of your offspring value greatly because we were raised to respect and understand the value of our elders.
Watching the latter part of your ministry has been such a joy for me. To see you be such a strong man of God with character and integrity is humbling. I loved knowing that you were praying for me and if I ever needed anything you were very eager to help. I have been able to see the promises of God played out in your life, from your consistent reliance on the Lord's provision, to being blessed for holding to what is right regardless of what man says, to your Godly heritage given to you graciously by God for your faithfulness.
I have so many significant memories throughout the years and the funny thing is, most of them are little things that you probably don't even know mean anything to me. Sitting on your lap in Limerick at the kitchen table begging for bites of your tomato with mayo and sugar made me feel so secure. Seeing you give grandma a quick peck while helping her out of the car in Normandy France made me think how cool it was that you two were so old and still affectionate (I was like 11 ok... you were old to me...). Having you there to perform my wedding, if felt like it was just the three of us there on that stage; it was very special for me. Having Connor and Vale love you and watching them play with you in my living room was a feeling that I never expected. Then sitting with you in Williamsburg while you watched baseball with your arm around me, I was crying, not knowing what the future holds for you but having peace knowing God will always take care of you. These are memories I will have forever and each is extremely valuable to me.
My family and I love you so much Grandpa and we want you to know how important and appreciated you are!
Courtney, Jimmy, Connor and Vale
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Dear Grandpa,
We
love you! We are so grateful for the grandfather that you have been to
us. The amount that you have invested in our lives is invaluable. It was
a special joy for Lauren to be able to grow up near you in Michigan.
There are countless family memories and we are so grateful for your
presence in Lauren's life since the time of her birth. You have been a
man that has been easy for your granddaughters to look up too, respect,
and love - this is such a treasure. In a world where people live for
themselves, it has been a neat blessing to have a family patriarch that
pours his life into pursuing Christ. We are very aware of the magnitude
of this blessing.
Among the many things that we treasure about you is your ability to
bring the whole family together. The fact that your children and
grandchildren LOVE to all get together as a big family whenever possible
is an extremely unique aspect to our family. Many smaller families are
not even able to accomplish this, and the fact that a family of this
size makes being together such a priority is a neat testimony to the
kind of couple that you and Grandma are. Being in California makes this
more difficult - combined with the fact that our family keeps grow and
logistics get in the way. :) But it was a special privilege to be able
to introduce you to our growing family. Brennan already loves his PopPop
and GG dearly - he points you out in all of the family albums we've
made - it's very precious.
Thank you for always being there for us. Even with the distance,
you prioritized being here for special family occasions such as our
wedding. Thank you for speaking and singing in our wedding. It was a joy
to have you here with us. We love you very much and are eager for the
opportunity to share with you how much you mean to us. We praise God for
the man He has led you to be for His glory.
Love,
Ryan, Lauren,
Brennan Andrew and Makenzie Kate
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Dear Grandpa,
I love you so much! You have always been such a wonderful example to me. I have always wanted to be just like you. You are a Godly man who is always pointing me toward Christ. When I read in Revelation about the Council of Elders I can’t help but think that you will be one of them. I could always depend on you for everything. I always knew no matter what was happening to me you were praying me through it. I loved growing up close to you. You were a great Hero. I would love going to your house and hearing you beautiful voice filling the halls. I can’t help but think of you when I hear Great is Thy Faithfulness and How Great Thou Art playing. When you sing I don’t hear you but rather the One you are singing about. I love the quiet calm and confidence you always bring with you. I am never worried when you are near because you are a wonderful reflection of our Savior who is in control of everything. Being with you is like a breath of fresh air and I wish I lived closer so that I could hug you every day. I always feel surrounded in your love. I only wish that I could make others feel the same you make me feel: totally at home.
Happy Birthday Grandpa! I love you.
Kayla
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I love you so much, and am very grateful to God for you and that you are MY
Grandpa. You have done so much for our family! It has definitely paid off, since
every one of us has Christ as Savior. You always think of others, both family and
friends and even strangers. Thank you for the example that you have set for me to
follow: to make Christ priority in life. I loved how you “retired” 5 times, but never
stopped serving the Lord.
I remember when we were still living in Michigan that time where you sang songs
to us in the car as we went places, being mesmerized by your voice. You sang so
beautifully!! The other thing most memorable in Michigan, was Grandparents day
and taking us to Logan’s after school. I also remember the little memories of our
trip out West. The time Grandma thought we were going to fall of the cliff in our
motorhome while you were driving, and having to be “strapped up” tight! Fun
times!! Most importantly, I remember the times where we sat down together and
you ask me how I am doing with my life and with my relationship with God.
All this to say, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Grandpa! I love you and can’t wait until I see you
again. :D
Love your granddaughter,
Josalyn Bullock
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Dear Grandpa,
As I sit to write you a letter on your birthday, my heart is overflowing with memories and thankfulness for your impact on my life. You have been the head of a unique and loving extended family, who I feel truly blessed to be a part of. Even though our numbers are large, I always knew that I was very special to you. You would take the time to converse personally whenever the opportunity arose. Even in my little years, the fact that you made time for me meant a lot! My memories range from those individual conversations, to small group conversations with you, Rich, and Trevor, to large family fellowship. There are also many preaching and singing memories, graduation memories, Christmas memories, Michigan memories, Florida memories, and then my own wedding memories (what a special part of that day you were!), and even funeral memories (I remember very specifically your sweet comfort and guidance when my other Grandfather went to be with the Lord).
Your personal impact has been great upon my life, but the thing I want to thank you for the most is for raising my Mom. Thank you for seeking the Lord for your daughter and raising her to be a woman of God. I cannot stress the impact that your time in her life has had on my life and the lives of my children. You taught her that God is her dwelling place, and this has impact from generation to generation (Psalm 90).
I love you.
-Jessica
Dear Grandpa Gregory,
I have not had
the privilege of knowing you for as long as the majority of our family,
but I am thankful that the Lord saw fit to bring me into your circle of
ministry when he did. I have enjoyed getting to know you, and give
praise to the Lord for what I have seen! I am blessed to have so many
godly examples of ministry in my wife’s heritage, and am thankful to say
that her heritage is impacting my own ministry for good. Your
influence, both written and spoken, has become cherished in my life. I
have greatly enjoyed the opportunities to fellowship one-on-one with
you, and have gleaned much from those times. But I have also enjoyed
watching you interact with others, and learning from you in that way.
Your ministry truly is one to emulate. Thank you for your example.
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Dear Dad,
We just wanted to tell you how much we love you. You have been such an amazing example to us
throughout the years. Your wisdom and
godly counsel has been invaluable to us. Often it has been said that fathers are the
first impression of God that a child has.
Well, Cindy’s view of God has always been one of a loving, giving God
that expects obedience. That view came
from your example of Christlikeness. Cindy
remembers your dates together on her birthday, sitting on the end of your bed
telling you all about her day while you fell asleep, the fact that you were
always available to her at any time when everyone else had to have an
appointment. We remember shopping for
our first house and how you came along side and helped Tim as he learned to be
a handyman and sharing with you guys when we were expecting each of our
children. How you were there when each
was born supporting us when they were diagnosed as hearing impaired. How you had faith that we would always do
what was right which made us want to not let you down. God has truly bless us with an amazing
father. We love you so much.
Love,
Cindy and Tim
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Dad,
Thanks for being who you are. You have always set a great example of a Godly man and you were
the standard that I have tried to live up to in Debbie’s eyes. Being able to access your wisdom and
perspective has been a safety shield over my family over the years and I know that we can always count
on your prayers.
I feel honored to be part of the Gregory family; we have made so many good memories over the years.
While not pretending that this is an exhaustive list, here are some of the things I think about when I
think of you (in no particular order):
Our conversation on the phone in March of 1978, when I asked your permission to marry Deb
Playing golf on a foggy morning in PA on a course with horrible greens and seeing a hot air
balloon come down out of the fog
Going to a Sixers game with you and George Horrocks
Having to tell you on the phone, when you said you didn’t want your eight-month pregnant
daughter driving by herself with two kids from Boston to Limerick, “That’s not really your
decision”
Being amazed as we rode in the car as a family when Debbie and I were dating and hearing the
kids quiz you on Bible verses
Your buying some shares of Baldwin United
Helping you paint the ceiling at the cottage while Debbie and I were dating
Calling and telling you about the special birthday present you would have in 1980
Playing golf in Byron Center
Thanking you for babysitting when I took Deb out to dinner by bringing you the “Jamie plant”
Helping you install ceiling fans in your house in Florida when you first moved down there
Going to a Tigers spring training game with you at Joker Marchant stadium
Your financial help when things were tough for Deb and me
Sharing most of the driving with you on the “Mother Of All Vacations”
Sitting on the curb outside the Chapel and talking with you after Merle and Dave inadvertently
left me
Attending Shepherd’s Conference with you
Listening to you read the Christmas story in Luke before opening presents on Christmas morning
Watching you not defend yourself when others attacked, being content to let God be your
defender
Driving down the trolley tracks in Vienna and finding the train coming at us
Feeling honored and humbled when you told me that I had an invitation to serve on the BMW
Board
Saving your life on the catamaran when you were launched by the wave
You have been a great example to me and I am so thankful to have had the privilege of being your son-in-law. Thank you for always being concerned about putting God first.
Steve
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Daddy,
Trying to write just a few words to tell you what you mean to me seems like an insurmountable task.
You have always been a larger than life person to me. When I was little I thought you were perfect and that you could never make a mistake. You had so much credibility that if you said it was true it could not possibly be wrong. As I grew older, I realized that what I thought was perfection was not that, but that God had given you a gift of Godly wisdom and that is what I saw shining out through you. You have always been an example to me of what a Godly wise person should be. You had such patience to sit back and not jump to conclusions, to empathize with what we were going through and help lead and guide us to come to the conclusion ourselves that what you were teaching us was a principle from the word of God and we had to inculcate it into our lives. You led by example and the respect that followed was amazing.
Your example led me to look for a man who possessed many of the same qualities that you did. I was
not willing to just settle for anybody because I had seen what a Godly man should be by watching you as I grew up.
God has blessed Steve and me by allowing us to share so many wonderful memories with you and
Mom. Living with you guys, traveling with you and visiting you, each of these has held its own beautiful memory. Christmases where you always wanted to burn candles creating an amazing and festive smell, making eggnog and watching you get so excited about little things always made me so excited about what was coming during the holiday. Going to Hawaii, Europe and the Mother of All Vacations with you and Mom have made memories too numerous to enumerate. I will never cease to be thankful for all the times you have been there for us in our times of need and have never ceased to want to help us or give us your wisdom and experience. You have left an indelible impression on my life and the lives of my family. You have shown us the love of Christ and have allowed me to have just a small sneak peak of what my Heavenly Father’s love is like. Thank you Daddy for this more than anything else. Character, strength and wisdom are the legacies that you are leaving with me and my family and I love you very much.
Forever grateful for the blessing of the Lord in allowing me to be your daughter,
Debbie
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Dear Grandpa,
Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!
I am so thankful for the incredible part
that you are played in my life! You have influenced me in so many ways
that I thank God for! I am so thankful that I am able to be part of the
family that God has given you. Your love for our Savior and love for
people is overwhelming. I am so thankful for the opportunities to
fellowship and learn from you in the past year. Thank you for that
Thanksgiving break and for the ability to come visit you in Florida. You
have impacted my life for eternity and love you and Grandma more that
you will ever know! Thank you Grandpa!
I love you!
Abbi
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Dear Grandpa,
I cannot even begin to express how much
you have meant and continue to mean in my life. You have been a tool in
God’s hands and a means of grace changing the lives of all that you come
in contact with.
Your conviction to do His will—to be a
tool in His hands—is both a blessing and a challenge. You are a model
and example of the kind of character I look to find in my future
husband. I thank you for your love of God, which guided you to minister
for His kingdom. I am thankful for the passion you have for the souls of
your family and others, which gently guided and pointed them to Christ.
But I am thankful most of all for your unconditional
love to your family. You have truly loved us and taught us how to truly
love. Unconditional, nurturing, selfless love has bound our family close
and continues to bind us. Your love has been a reflection of Christ’s
love. Thank you for loving each and every one of us. Family love is the
cornerstone of self-confidence and security, and that is a gift I will
always carry with me wherever I go. That is the richest inheritance you
could ever have given me.
Much Love,
Erin
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Dear Grandpa,
You have always been there for me. I even remember you and grandma attending my kindergarten graduation years ago. I will cling to all those memories we made over the years, especially the trips we made to Canaan Land, Williamsburg, and the Out West. Your sense of calmness has always made an impression to me and will continue to do so. I think the biggest thing I love about you is your love of God that is shown through your relationships with others. Your godly character has been evident throughout life and I'm grateful for the example you have set for me. Whenever you are singing or just hanging out with the fam, you do everything to the glory of God. Thank you for the memories and examples you have given me. I love you so much. You have been a blessing. Have a great birthday filled with love.
Your youngest granddaughter,
Lindsay Bullock
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Dear Grandpa,
I am not really sure where I should start when it comes to describing what
kind of impact you have had in my life over the past 20 years. I am so blessed to
have grandparents that love the Lord and do his will above all else. I remember
when I was younger and I would here you sing in church and think that my grandpa
was pretty much the coolest person on the face of this planet. Then as I grew in the
Lord, I saw that you were a man that followed after the greatest man that has ever
lived (Jesus Christ) and was able to make an impact on those who needed Him. You
have shown me that people are what truly matter. It doesn’t matter what kind of
background they come from or what they have done, you love them just as Christ
loved them. You have also shown me that being faithful to the Lord is the only way
to live a life that is worth anything. The stories you told Abbi and me over
Thanksgiving about yours and Grandma’s faithfulness over the years, caused me to
be even more thankful for the kind of heritage that I have. I love you Grandpa and
thank you for the legacy that you leave for the people you love.
Your Loving Granddaughter,
Suzanna Joy Gregory
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Grandpa,
It has been a blessing and an honor to grow up having such a godly grandfather. You have
consistently modeled faithfulness to God, His Word, and your family. Your commitment as a man who is above reproach has been a guidepost for all of us. Your lifetime of uncompromising proclamation of the Word has been a personal challenge to me as I look to my peers to see if there are men able and willing to be spent for His service in the way which you have been. The fidelity you have exemplified in your marriage, the love which you and Grandma share, is an archetype which your children, and your children’s children seek to emulate.
You have always been a role model for me. As I have grown and matured I continue to be amazed at the wisdom and grace you have shown in difficult situations. The care and compassion you have had for your congregations, even when they were being difficult, is praiseworthy. The way that you have been able to lovingly disagree with others, relying solely on the Word of God, is worthy of emulation.
I have always appreciated how you were never too busy to spend time with us as kids. You did
not consider yourself above getting down on the ground to play with us. You have truly exemplified
humility in leadership, compassion in all things, and balance in life.
Thank you for all the ways you have honored God. We are looking forward to many more years
of learning from you.
Love,
Trevor
Grandpa,
I feel like I got the short end of the stick, here! Because I’ve only had the joy of knowing you for
the last 7 years. And yet I have grown to love you as if I’ve been a part of your family all along. (It might have helped that we share a love of rhubarb-custard pie, and a dislike of cooked carrots!) Thank you for praying for me before you even knew me, for welcoming me into your family, and for loving me as your own granddaughter. Your participation in our marriage ceremony will always be a very special memory to me, and I am so grateful that Trevor has had your example to follow of being a godly husband and father, as well as a faithful servant of Christ. You are often the first person we call when we need advice or godly counsel, and we treasure the wisdom you’ve passed on to us. As we enter the pastoral ministry in just a few years, we know we’ll be drawing on your experience many more times!
With much love & appreciation,
Kati
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Dear Grandpa,
Happy
Birthday! We just want to tell you how much we love you and how
thankful we are for you! The older we get, the more we realize what a
blessing we have in our family. Almost daily I (Keri) find more reasons
to be thankful for the way my parents chose to raise me and my sisters. I
know that their parenting was simply a continuation of the example they
learned from you and Grandma. We can't wait to pass that heritage on to
our children someday, if the Lord wills. So thank you for your Christlike love and leadership of our family!
We love you,
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Dear Dad,
As I’m sure many others have said in approaching these birthday letters to you, it will be difficult to find words to describe the feelings and respect that I have for you. You have enriched my life in more ways than I am able briefly to describe. Your example as a husband, father, minister of the Gospel, and just as a man is one of the greatest blessings that I have known. Truly I can say what Paul said to the Philippians, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Since there would be no way of describing the innumerable ways in which you have enriched my life, I thought I’d mix things up a bit and share with you some memories of ways in which you have made my life a little more difficult than it would have been otherwise:
***By making me meet my girlfriend and future wife’s parents for the first time when you were a Bible Conference speaker at BJU. That’s really too much to ask of a freshman Bible major. (By the way, really enjoyed the sermon on John Mark).
***By making me stay in a house that was half-way between a prison facility and a nuclear power plant on one of my first solo trips away from home. For a sheltered Southerner that was traumatic.
***By making me try unsuccessfully to drive my Dodge Charger up the snowy road to the cottage that Christmas. That was really humiliating for a young man trying to impress a girl and her folks. (Thanks though for failing to get it up there yourself. That was a real boost. You did it on purpose didn’t you)?
***By making me drive 14 hours one way to Grand Rapids on Christmas trips every year with my wife and three growing girls. Those were long days. (And by the way, some of the best days of our lives. Worth every mile, and even worth the pungent regurgitations on the West Virginia Turnpike).
*** By making me go hear Francis Schaeffer and making me interact with and learn more about men outside of my particular ecclesiastical orbit. (It is helping me much in leadership now in our own denomination).
***By letting me learn some lessons for myself instead of beating them into my head when I’m sure you were tempted to do so. (It’s been a longer road but better).
***By dragging us all on the Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens when the rest of us were smart enough and scared enough to just sit there watching it without getting on. (At least now we can say that we rode it).
***By making me live with a woman who was privileged to grow up with one of the greatest examples of a husband and father ever. That’s been a hard act to follow. But my life has been richer and much happier because of it.
With difficulties like these, and hundreds more like them, life has been great. These, added to the blessings you’ve sent my way, thankfully will bear fruit even to eternity. So I guess for all the problems you’ve caused me, all I have to say is, I’m very grateful. Thanks, Happy Birthday, and I love you.
Reggie
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Dear Grandpa,
Thank you for being an awesome grandpa. Thank you for
showing me what it takes to be a loving, Christ like man. I have
enjoyed the times when we are together. I have seen God plan for you and
I saw God working in you. I pray for you and grandma and I know you
guys pray for me and I thank you. I pray you will breathe better every
day. Please try not to work outside and not to worry grandma.
Your Youngest Grandson,
Drew Bullock
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Happy Birthday Grandpa!
I’m so glad that we were just able to spend some time with
you and Grandma in Florida, and add to the long list of great memories we have
with you! We loved seeing all the
family pictures, and hearing the stories behind them. Not that we needed evidence, but it was fun to see in those
pictures the man that you are and have always been – Godly, loving, happy,
family-oriented, steadfast, and wise.
Thank you for being an amazing grandpa and great grandpa. We all love you – even Adelaide.
Love, James, Mary, Amelia & Adelaide
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Hey Grandpa.
So its your birthday! And let me tell ya 45 has never looked so good!
Grandpa as i look back over the life that i've been blessed with, i
think about the things and experiences that you've been there for, and
its a huge blessing to have you in my life. From ever since i was a
little kid, i've been able to look at my Grandpa with pride because he
was just awesome. The example of Godliness that I'm able to see through
you is something that i could never have asked for a more picture
perfect image to try to copy. The love that you've shown for the entire
family, and mainly for Grandma, is something that i long to be able to
copy in carbon someday. i love the fact that no matter what you have
going on in your life, no matter the trial, no matter the blessing,
you're always able to point to the Master and say God's Will be done. I
love you grandpa. The time that i spent with you and Grandma at y'all's
place over the summer is something that i will cherish forever. The time
that we had was extremely precious to me. Again, i thank you for the
example that you set for Dad, who was able to model it perfectly for me
and Rich. Again, i love you. And i'm more proud than i can describe to
call you my Grandfather.
Will
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Dear Granpda,
Michelle and I are so thankful for you godly leadership of our family
extending through so many years. From the first days of our
relationship to the purchase of our first home, you have been there with
sound counsel and advice. Many of my earliest memories were made in
your home, and for that I am thankful.
The "trickle down" effect of your ministry to your family is evident,
and speaks to the tremendous integrity of spirit that you possess. The
ministry foundation that you established in Dad was subsequently felt by
me as well. Michelle and I have learned so many lessons from the
simple observation of your life and ministry. Whenever I'm around you,
something always tells me to pay attention because class is in
session.
Indeed, it has been an education for me that no classroom could ever
provide. When I entered seminary, I began with a head start of many
miles, and a large part of that is due to you. The education your life
has provided is perhaps your greatest gift to Michelle and me. It's
not what you've given us that we value; it's who you are. Your example
has cut deep grooves in the pathway of ministry for us to follow.
Even as we begin our new roles in shepherding Emma, we pray that we will
leave the same kind of faithful legacy which you have left for us.
We are incredibly thankful and blessed to have been exposed to the
example of Christlikeness which you have provided through your life.
Rich and Michelle
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THESE ARE THE EXTRA PAGES AT THE BACK
You've always been one cool cat with the Gregory ladies!
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Holidays were always more special when spent together.
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Celebrating 50 years of marriage
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The heavy questions of one's life are often best answered by someone who not only has the words, but room for you to sit down... you've always had room.
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