Daphne's grandpa passed away last September. We went to his funeral in Ottumwa, Iowa, but we hadn't been back to see his headstone at the cemetery. We didn't have any plans yesterday, so we took a car trip. We listened to Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race on CD along the way.
We usually head straight to Grandpa Howard's house when we get to town. It felt strange to not have that priority. His house is sold, and the new "Beware of Dog" sign in its front window punctuates the fact that Howard really is gone.
It wasn't a day to mourn, though. We told family stories that made us laugh, and we did a couple of Howard's favorite things. Our first stop was to at the Canteen Lunch. We have had lunch there before with Daphne's grandparents, Howard and Patty, and Daphne's mom, Deb.
The first Canteen Lunch opened in 1927, and it moved to this location in 1936 (according to Wikipedia).
Here's the back of the tiny Canteen. You can see how it fits under the ramp.
Here's the front.
A Canteen employee spotted me taking the above picture, and she offered to take a picture of all three of us.
The Des Moines Register reported in 2013 that, "New York Magazine’s online food page “Grub Street New York” put the Canteen’s loose-meat sandwiches on their list,“50 State Dinners, 2012: Food Pilgrimages You Must Make This Summer.”
You don't stay in business for 82 years if you don't know what you are doing. These sandwiches are totally worth the trip.
There are 16 stools that surround the horseshoe shaped counter. We got there about 11:15, so we didn't have to wait. But we would have waited if we had to.
I think the steaming process is what sets these sandwiches apart. The steamer sits in the middle of the room, and you can watch the ladies prepare the loose meat.
We headed to the cemetery after lunch. Daphne's grandma and mother's remains were cremated. Patty and Deb's ashes were interred along with Howard's body.
All three Cudworths enjoyed gardening. Daph picked up the rules and regulations about what you can and cannot plant at the cemetery's main office. She'll come back in the fall and plant some bulbs for next year. One of Howard's favorite jokes was to ask you, "Would you be offended by seeing some naked ladies?" He would then take you to his garden and show you the flowers he called "Naked Ladies". Daphne says that Grandpa would think it would be funny if she planed some of those for him.
Howard would always tell us about the new book he was reading when we visited. He loved nonfiction, and the librarians would pick out books for him to read. The man personified the phrase "life long learner".
Charlotte surprised me by asking if we could go to the Ottumwa Public Library instead of the park we usually play at. I suppose she was inspired by the audio book we were listening to in the car. After thinking about it, a library visit made perfect sense.
Daphne lived in Ottumwa until she was ten. This was her first public library.
Following Daphne's lead, we headed downstairs to the children's department.
During the drive down, Charlotte mentioned that she has read every book in the Babymouse series except book #1. She found #1 and promptly sat down to read it. I believe that Grandpa Howard approves.
A Babymouse graphic novel takes Char about 20 minutes to read, so Daphne and I explored the library for a bit. Daphne found this shelf of books. She knows that some of these mystery books are the same ones she checked out back in the 80's.
Char had time to make me a Father's Day gift, but that's a picture for later.
We stopped at Pella on the way home. Daphne and Char love the bakeries, and I love the meat shops. Howard always enjoyed the tins of cookies that Daphne brought him. This stop seemed appropriate, too.
Five years ago we had J&M Displays launch much of Daphne's mother's remains in a funeral shell at the National Balloon Classic in Indianola. That was per Deb's wishes.
I passed a semi truck with this logo on the door while driving back to Des Moines.
It felt like someone had sent us a note of approval.
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