Page 35 - Life Legacy Project

The life of a farmer
Everyone has someone they look up to or admire during their life. My grandpa is my role model. He has been through a lot being 84 years old. I have looked up to him all my life he has taught me many important things during the time I spent with him.
My grandpa is kind, caring and curious. He smiles often and laughs frequently. The lines in his face reflect how much he smiles.
After all of the things he has been done, he has lots of stories that I will share with you throughout this biography.
Alvin Sherman was born on April 18, 1932, as a kid, he grew up on a farm with his brothers Jim and Roger on Whidbey Island. They sold turkeys so there were many coyotes trying to eat them so he and his brothers had to guard to pens and shoot the coyotes. He said, “My favorite thing to do was hunt rabbits with my Beagle, Sport.” He really liked to hang out with his uncle Edwin. He let him ride in the tractor when they cut the fields, and he also taught him how to drive a car. He loved to play sports, and he played football, golf, and tennis.
He said that one of his most vivid memories was when he was driving with his family, and on the radio there was an alert that said Pearl Harbor had been bombed. He didn't know where Pearl Harbor was, or what it was, but he knew something was bad when he saw the look on his parents’ faces. Thirteen years later he was drafted into the Army, and he served until 1954.
He married by grandma, Phyllis, after the Korean War. They had four daughters, Krista, Karen, Karla and my mom, Alice. They have nine grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. His main goal was to become a farmer like his father, and he did, becoming a dairy farmer in his hometown of Coupeville, Washington. He loves his family and had many fun times with them. He said his funniest moment was when Karla and Karen got their pickup truck stuck in the mud and yelled “Mayday!” into the CB radio, and lots of people asked what was wrong - only to find out they were just stuck in the mud. In 1984 the Sherman family won the Dairy Family of the Year award, which means they were number one in the state. They had an open house at their farm and got a trophy that was passed around through the family throughout the year.
When I asked my grandpa about what he does daily he said that he wakes up eats, goes for a walk, reads the paper, works for a little bit, eats lunch, then watches TV and goes to bed. It might seem that he doesn't do a lot each day when he explains it like that, but every Friday he goes to computer class, on Wednesdays he plays golf and attends Lions club, on Sundays he attends the Methodist church, and he volunteers for many other things. He also just bought an iPhone and he is learning a new thing every day about it. He has a book that he likes to write in about things he has done in his life there are all kinds of things that he does that he was too humble to say.
Now his goals are to be a positive person and see the good in everyone. If he had one wish, it would be to keep family farms going and to keep peace in the world. He said his dad encouraged him to love and enjoy other people, and he did so, by making a great family.
Alvin Sherman is one of the most thoughtful, kind, and easy going people I know and I really enjoyed writing about him. Throughout my life, I have looked up to my grandpa and I have loved listening to his stories. I can't wait to see him again.
By Dane Hansen
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