Uncle Don and I were talking a while back, and the subject of my Grandpa Grubaugh, (Don’s Father) came up. Don said to me “did I ever tell you about Grandpa beating me in a race across the park?” “What?!” I answered. “No, I’ve never heard the story.”

It was 1956 and Don was a freshman at Ottawa High School. In addition to playing in the high school band, he also tried out for, and made the track team. In fact he was pretty good at track, and ran both the 100 and 220 yard dash. He was running regularly for the team and winning. He also was aware his dad never came to any of the track meets, so one day he approached his father and said “Dad, I know you come to my band concerts at school, and when I was younger, you came to my Little League games, but you never make any of my track meets. How about coming out for one?”

Grandpa looked at him for a bit and finally said “I’ll tell you what. When you can beat me in a race, I’ll come watch you run.” Don thought this was great and said “OK. When will we race?” and Grandpa answered “Tomorrow. I’ll meet you across the street at the park. We’ll race diagonally across the park and If you win, I’ll come. If you don’t, I won’t.”

The next day, Don was waiting for Grandpa across the street in Shabbona Square (now Rigden Park). Don was in his high school track clothes and wearing his spikes. Grandpa eventually arrived from his job with the Burlington Railroad. He was in his work boots, bib overalls, and a work shirt. Don looked at him and asked if he wanted to change, and Grandpa answered he was fine.

Now, I’ve measured the diagonal across Shabbona Square. It’s 135 yards between Chestnut and Sycamore Streets. I also know the year my uncle was born, Grandpa was 46, making him 60 years old in 1956. Don was feeling pretty damned confident.

Don called “ready, get set, go!” and they were off. It wasn’t even close. Grandpa blew him away and finished well ahead. He wouldn’t be attending any of Don’s races that year.

The next year, his sophomore year at OHS, Don would receive his varsity letter in track. He ran a 10.1 100 yard dash. He ran 23.2 in the 220. He won the conference championship in the 220. He anchored the 880 relay team that qualified for the state meet. When he raced Grandpa? “Grandpa whomped me again.”

Junior year? Don lettered again. He went to state again in the relay. The race with Grandpa? “Grandpa beat me again.”

Finally, it was 1959, my uncle’s senior year. They met in the park one final time, Don was again in his track uniform, with Grandpa still in boots and bib overalls. They lined up, go was called and they were off. Don pushed the hardest he ever had, and….he beat Grandpa to the other side. Barely, but yes, he beat him.

Grandpa came to a few races Don’s senior year. He watched his son win the conference championship again, and also win at districts. The relay team qualified for the state meet for the third year in a row…..

Don and I were both laughing about the story, and were amazed at how fast Grandpa was. I told my own story about challenging my dad to a wrestling match in high school (I was on the wrestling team and had lettered) and getting my ass kicked in about 20 seconds. We both chuckled at the hubris of youth.

Don looked at me then and said, “you know, I’ve thought about that final race over the years, and the more I think about it, the more convinced I am Grandpa let me win senior year. When I, “won”, I think he ran just fast enough to make it a contest”.

My memories of Grandpa are from the ‘60s. By then, he’d become older, but I still remember him playing and running around with us kids. He had a youthfulness to him that I hadn’t understood when I was young. I know I would pay a good amount now to go back in time and see him and my uncle racing across Shabonna Square.

Addendum:

1. Uncle Don is the last of my aunts and uncles on either side of the family. He’s still youthful as well, and although I don’t get to see him as often as I’d like, I love and admire him very much. If you want to read a blog about his time during the 1968 Tet Offensive in Vietnam, you can find it at this link: https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/04/uncle-don-and-the-1968-tet-offe%EF%BB%BFnsive/

2. My sisters and I noticed something else of interest in the photo of Grandpa and Uncle Don at the bottom of this blog. My folks moved into this house when I was 1 year old in 1956. The phone behind my Grandpa’s head in the photo was still in the house and being used when our mom died 60 years later in 2017!