In Memory of
Michael
Conway
Conway
1922 - 2017
Memorial Candle Tribute From
Blessing-Hine Funeral Home
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Life Story for Michael Conway
Family and love was what Mike’s life was all about.
His life started on the farm located in Dorset, Ohio on December 5, 1922 with his mother and father John and Lenora. He had 3 sisters – Helen, Jenny, and Jessie and 3 brothers – Ed, Stan, and Frank.
He told many stories about hunting and farming. They had a team of horses that plowed the fields until the late 50’s when they finally got a tractor. Mike, as a young man built the farm’s barn. He told of how he used old railroad car material to construct it. He found such joy in doing that for his father.
The farm brought the families together on Sundays. His father would sit in his chair and roll cigarettes from tobacco out of the red Prince Albert can. We as children would enjoy the fields of fresh vegetables and strawberries. We also would get reprimanded for playing in the barn or in the apple tree in the front yard because we could get hurt. The farm house had a wood burning stove and the water had to be hauled from a well. There was the outhouse with the Sears and Roebuck Catalog. Memories.
Dad graduated from high school. He said it was hard but it meant a great deal to him and his family. Throughout the years Mike continued his friendship with his classmate John Piper who lived a couple of farms down from his family.
Mike met his wife to be, Jenny, in Shaker Heights at Miller Drug where she worked as a waitress. They fell in love. As mom says, “I knew he was the one when I first met him”. Their wedding celebration lasted 3 days on the farm. Her brother Don told her it even made the Jefferson paper! A 3-day celebration turned into a loving marriage that would last for 68 years. Just a few years ago Mom and Dad were sitting on their kitchen bench, Dad was in his bathrobe, Mom turned to us and said, “Doesn’t your Dad have nice legs?” We all enjoyed that moment.
Mike and Jenny decided to move to Twinsburg, Ohio in 1950. Their home sits on an acre of land. It has a carriage barn and many fruit trees. There, they raised 4 children – Michael, Diana, Stephen, and Doug. Dad became a truck driver and belonged to the Teamster Union. His route was to and from Cleveland to Buffalo New York 5 nights a week. Dad and Mom made sure we all sat down for dinner at 5 pm, nightly. We enjoyed that time as a family.
The family grew. Mike and Jenny are blessed with 7 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, with the 12th on the way. Mom would say to Dad “Look what we started Dad, it’s beautiful” and he would shake his head in agreement and smile.
Mike loved his gardening and his vacations. They both centered around family. His gardens were so very beautiful. His rows were neat and his plants grew so big and produced so much it fed many families. Dad and mom would can and freeze their corn, beans, and of course their tomatoes. They also had apples and cherry trees. We enjoyed many homemade pies throughout the year. Out of their grapes they made jam, juice, and a few years they had a few bottles of fine wine. They shared their produce with family, friends and community. They would take their extra vegetables to the senior center to share. Mike and Jenny enjoyed many afternoons sitting under the apple and pine trees in the backyard either by their selves, with each other, friends, and many hours with the family. They enjoy their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren watching them play on their bicycles, in their playhouse, or just running around.
Dad spent many hours in the barn working on cars, mowers, tractors, or sometimes would just sit in his work chair. The boys all developed an interest in how to work on things mechanically during these times. They built dirt bikes, go-karts and rebuilt mowers. Mike would let the grandchildren ride and drive the lawn tractor with him. They loved that. He would fix their tires and seats on their bicycles they had at the house. He built bird feeders and mangers for everyone for Christmas one year.
Mike enjoyed making meals for anyone that stopped over. It could be breakfast, lunch, or a great dinner. Some of the makings were right from the garden during the summer months. He would say when he made spaghetti “Isn’t that the best ever.” He was a very good cook! The grandchildren would love eating the canned green beans right from the canning jar with a little Italian dressing. It was a treat.
Beginning early on Dad would take a month off and take the family out west. We enjoyed the Tetons, Yellowstone, the Canadian Rockies, but their favorite place was Glacier. We shared times together which included camping, hiking, bears, the love of the mountains, wild flowers and fishing. They started out camping in a tent and progressed to the Wright pop-up camper that the kids would borrow later on to camp with our families. Mike and Jenny continued to travel but in their later years would stay in the beautiful lodges, especially Many Glacier Lodge. The staff new them by their name when they visited almost each year. They shared their love for Glacier by taking their oldest grandchild, Steven, with them a time or two. He enjoyed exploring the area. Many of the grandchildren went with their grandfather one year. Dad stayed at camp cooking and drinking his coffee while the bunch would go hiking, fishing, and exploring. Doug and his father took a few trips on their own. He loved being out there.
Dad enjoyed his cars but the one he talked about most was his 1962 Impala 327 SS. It was white with a red interior and bucket seats. That might have been our first car with seat belts. I know Doug won’t forget it. He was the youngest and he sat on a cushion the whole trip to and from out west on that year’s vacation. He enjoyed it when his son’s and grandson’s got a new car. Usually it was sporty and fast. This was something they enjoyed, together.
Grandpa and Grandma would always look forward to singing happy birthday to all their children, grandchildren, and recently their great grandchildren. Throughout the later years the grandchildren and great grandchildren would all come around Papa to sing happy birthday to him and help him blow out all his candles on his birthdays!
He was called Mike, Hank, Dad, Grandpa, Papa, and friend. He shared his love and love for life with many. We will miss him coming out on the porch no matter the weather or time of day with Grandma to stand together and wave good bye as we left. Dad is now able to join his son’s Michael and
Stephen in Heaven with God. We let go knowing he is at peace with God. The God he thanked daily for his blessings. FAMILY WILL RECEIVE FRIENDS ON TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017 FROM 10:00AM UNTIL THE TIME OF FUNERAL SERVICE AT 11:30AM AT THE BLESSING-HINE FUNERAL HOME, 8592 DARROW RD. TWINSBURG, OHIO 44087 (1/2 mile, S. of I-480, Rt. 91 exit). Interment at Crown Hill Cemetery, Twinsburg, Ohio.
His life started on the farm located in Dorset, Ohio on December 5, 1922 with his mother and father John and Lenora. He had 3 sisters – Helen, Jenny, and Jessie and 3 brothers – Ed, Stan, and Frank.
He told many stories about hunting and farming. They had a team of horses that plowed the fields until the late 50’s when they finally got a tractor. Mike, as a young man built the farm’s barn. He told of how he used old railroad car material to construct it. He found such joy in doing that for his father.
The farm brought the families together on Sundays. His father would sit in his chair and roll cigarettes from tobacco out of the red Prince Albert can. We as children would enjoy the fields of fresh vegetables and strawberries. We also would get reprimanded for playing in the barn or in the apple tree in the front yard because we could get hurt. The farm house had a wood burning stove and the water had to be hauled from a well. There was the outhouse with the Sears and Roebuck Catalog. Memories.
Dad graduated from high school. He said it was hard but it meant a great deal to him and his family. Throughout the years Mike continued his friendship with his classmate John Piper who lived a couple of farms down from his family.
Mike met his wife to be, Jenny, in Shaker Heights at Miller Drug where she worked as a waitress. They fell in love. As mom says, “I knew he was the one when I first met him”. Their wedding celebration lasted 3 days on the farm. Her brother Don told her it even made the Jefferson paper! A 3-day celebration turned into a loving marriage that would last for 68 years. Just a few years ago Mom and Dad were sitting on their kitchen bench, Dad was in his bathrobe, Mom turned to us and said, “Doesn’t your Dad have nice legs?” We all enjoyed that moment.
Mike and Jenny decided to move to Twinsburg, Ohio in 1950. Their home sits on an acre of land. It has a carriage barn and many fruit trees. There, they raised 4 children – Michael, Diana, Stephen, and Doug. Dad became a truck driver and belonged to the Teamster Union. His route was to and from Cleveland to Buffalo New York 5 nights a week. Dad and Mom made sure we all sat down for dinner at 5 pm, nightly. We enjoyed that time as a family.
The family grew. Mike and Jenny are blessed with 7 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, with the 12th on the way. Mom would say to Dad “Look what we started Dad, it’s beautiful” and he would shake his head in agreement and smile.
Mike loved his gardening and his vacations. They both centered around family. His gardens were so very beautiful. His rows were neat and his plants grew so big and produced so much it fed many families. Dad and mom would can and freeze their corn, beans, and of course their tomatoes. They also had apples and cherry trees. We enjoyed many homemade pies throughout the year. Out of their grapes they made jam, juice, and a few years they had a few bottles of fine wine. They shared their produce with family, friends and community. They would take their extra vegetables to the senior center to share. Mike and Jenny enjoyed many afternoons sitting under the apple and pine trees in the backyard either by their selves, with each other, friends, and many hours with the family. They enjoy their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren watching them play on their bicycles, in their playhouse, or just running around.
Dad spent many hours in the barn working on cars, mowers, tractors, or sometimes would just sit in his work chair. The boys all developed an interest in how to work on things mechanically during these times. They built dirt bikes, go-karts and rebuilt mowers. Mike would let the grandchildren ride and drive the lawn tractor with him. They loved that. He would fix their tires and seats on their bicycles they had at the house. He built bird feeders and mangers for everyone for Christmas one year.
Mike enjoyed making meals for anyone that stopped over. It could be breakfast, lunch, or a great dinner. Some of the makings were right from the garden during the summer months. He would say when he made spaghetti “Isn’t that the best ever.” He was a very good cook! The grandchildren would love eating the canned green beans right from the canning jar with a little Italian dressing. It was a treat.
Beginning early on Dad would take a month off and take the family out west. We enjoyed the Tetons, Yellowstone, the Canadian Rockies, but their favorite place was Glacier. We shared times together which included camping, hiking, bears, the love of the mountains, wild flowers and fishing. They started out camping in a tent and progressed to the Wright pop-up camper that the kids would borrow later on to camp with our families. Mike and Jenny continued to travel but in their later years would stay in the beautiful lodges, especially Many Glacier Lodge. The staff new them by their name when they visited almost each year. They shared their love for Glacier by taking their oldest grandchild, Steven, with them a time or two. He enjoyed exploring the area. Many of the grandchildren went with their grandfather one year. Dad stayed at camp cooking and drinking his coffee while the bunch would go hiking, fishing, and exploring. Doug and his father took a few trips on their own. He loved being out there.
Dad enjoyed his cars but the one he talked about most was his 1962 Impala 327 SS. It was white with a red interior and bucket seats. That might have been our first car with seat belts. I know Doug won’t forget it. He was the youngest and he sat on a cushion the whole trip to and from out west on that year’s vacation. He enjoyed it when his son’s and grandson’s got a new car. Usually it was sporty and fast. This was something they enjoyed, together.
Grandpa and Grandma would always look forward to singing happy birthday to all their children, grandchildren, and recently their great grandchildren. Throughout the later years the grandchildren and great grandchildren would all come around Papa to sing happy birthday to him and help him blow out all his candles on his birthdays!
He was called Mike, Hank, Dad, Grandpa, Papa, and friend. He shared his love and love for life with many. We will miss him coming out on the porch no matter the weather or time of day with Grandma to stand together and wave good bye as we left. Dad is now able to join his son’s Michael and
Stephen in Heaven with God. We let go knowing he is at peace with God. The God he thanked daily for his blessings. FAMILY WILL RECEIVE FRIENDS ON TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017 FROM 10:00AM UNTIL THE TIME OF FUNERAL SERVICE AT 11:30AM AT THE BLESSING-HINE FUNERAL HOME, 8592 DARROW RD. TWINSBURG, OHIO 44087 (1/2 mile, S. of I-480, Rt. 91 exit). Interment at Crown Hill Cemetery, Twinsburg, Ohio.