Today we celebrated the life of my grandpa, Helmut Kabbe (September 24, 1921 - January 12, 2012). It has only been about 6 weeks since my grandma died. Losing both grandparents in such a short time period has been extremely difficult for my family, but now my grandparents are together again in a much better place.
My grandpa moved from Germany to Illinois when he was two years old, and he grew up on a farm in River Grove. He was a soldier in World War II and fought at the Battle of the Bulge (7th Armored Division). My grandpa was wounded and captured by the Germans on Christmas Day, 1944. He escaped from the German prison before the Russians took over the camp. When he returned to Illinois, he married my grandma and they had three kids. My grandparents were successful entrepreneurs. They created an excavating business, built houses, and managed many properties. My grandpa was a hard worker and led an adventurous life. He flew planes and traveled the world with my grandma. My grandpa always kept us laughing with his great sense of humor.
My grandpa was a man of few words; so in keeping with his character, we put together 26 words that represent his spirit and his character: ABC's of Hal
The following audio tracks are from my grandpa's memorial service. My brother and his friend Becky sang a beautiful song called “Arms of My Father” (track #2 below).
My grandparents were married for 65 years. We deeply miss them, but we are thankful that they are together again in heaven.
