Thanks to my second-cousin Mark, I just came upon a dozen or more poems Grandpa Vayo wrote shortly after he relocated to Paducah in 1926. He was the new Advertising Manager at the J.A. Rudy & Son department store.

Grandpa must have been so lonely!

Paducah, Kentucky, is far away from Brewer, Maine. And this was a century ago. It was months before Grandma traveled all those miles to marry him on Thanksgiving Day.

A poet, musician, and artist, Grandpa was also deeply religious.

This poem was published in The Paducah Sun exactly 100 years ago today:

Grandpa’s faith would carry him through the many ups and downs of life. Within a few years, there would be the loss of their first child. The stock market crash soon followed. I’m glad Grandpa had such a strong trust in God. And I’m glad he had Grandma by his side.

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“Resignation” ©1926 Harold E. Vayo, Sr. All rights reserved.

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