My Sweet, Sweet Grandpa

The Muhlestein family

Grandpa and I - probably around 1994 or 1995

Grant Alvey Muhlestein passed away on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 91 years of age at the Veteran's nursing home in Salt Lake. The viewing will be held in Salt Lake on Monday, May 31st, and the funeral is on Tuesday, June 1st at noon. Call for details if you plan to attend...

Grandpa has spent about 5 years at different nursing/alzheimers homes, and his sweetheart Lillie Belle has gone to visit him several times a week of those 5 years. Watching them together always melted my heart. His face would light up every time she would walk in the room, and they would have fun repeating nursery rhymes together.

My dad was the only boy of the Muhlestein family, thus making their relationship very special through the many years of working at MGM Construction, Inc. together (30+), flying around in a little plane being pilots together, golfing, and much much more. I loved our traditions of picking Grandma up to go visit Grandpa every few Sundays, and all eating at the Cheesecake Factory. Another one of my favorite traditions was Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Muhlestein's house. The food, the cousins, aunts and uncles, 2nd cousins, nieces, the skits/lipsinks... and of course, our Grandparents- they knew how to throw a party together. Those are special memories that I remember even as a young child. Another one of my favorite things we ever did at our Grandparents house- was do a fashion show of all their old clothing (including Lillie's wedding dress, old dance dresses [Lillie and Grant were professional dancers and went all over the world to teach people how to ballroom dance], old tuxes, and all the pastel golf suits of every color worn by us cousins) - So much fun.

In April of 2008, my grandpa painted these at the care center, at age 89. My sweet Grandma Lillie gave them to me. For the past 2 years, these have been hanging up in my office at MGM Construction, the company that Grant Muhlestein himself started in 1956. These paintings will forever stay at MGM, honoring his legacy.


Another thing that I will always remember about my grandpa, is he was a perfectionist. I remember playing with giant building block legos once at one of his care centers when he was still coherent. I tried to make a cube (but with no top or bottom) ... and I handed it to him, and his response- "I give you a C+" the walls were not perfect. there were a few blocks that were clearly not the right shape for what I was trying to do. He used to always ask me if I was a straight A student like he was. I wish!
I'm so honored and grateful to have something from him.
it's been an emotional week for us this week... and will continue to be for who knows how long... On Wednesday, my dad gave him a releasing blessing. Although he was sleeping, I know he knew we were there when we would touch him and whisper in his ear, because he would try to open his eyes. When I visited him with my dad on Tuesday, I got down close to him and touched his shoulders, and said in his ear- "I sure love you, Grandpa." When I did this, his eyes opened, slightly, and he was looking right at me. I believe he slipped in and out on Wednesday... he is a fighter. And after my dad gave him a releasing blessing, my dad was holding hands with him, and my dad whispered in his ear, "It's okay Dad, you can go home now." One hour later, he was gone. In all of my 20 years of living, for the first time, I have now seen my dad cry. Watching him and my Grandma, also 92, - has had quite an emotional effect on me. I've never seen either one of them so sad. However, we are all grateful that he can move forward, and how blessed we are for the knowledge that we will see him again someday.

But what a great legacy he has left behind. MGM Construction is still up and running, run by 4 of us Muhlesteins. It has been a joy to work with my dad and brothers for the last 5 years of my life. He has built hundreds and hundreds of homes and big commercial buildings, and we are continuing the great work that he has started. What an honor. I feel honored to be the last grandchild of the Muhlestein family.