My Grandpa Bud

My Grandpa on my mom’s side was dead before I came around. His name was Floyd Light although no one ever called him Floyd, he was called Bud by everyone including my Mother.

Bud, yes you heard right, the original Bud Light, long before the brand of beer. No, we have never been received a call from Budweiser asking permission or offering any royalties.

My Grandpa died in the 1940’s of tuberculosis. My own Mother had it too but survived. I was born in 1951 so my way of knowing my Grandpa came from Mother, my Dad, my Aunts Francis and Retha, and my Uncle Glen Light.

My Grandpa Bud Light in later years

Grandpa Bud and his favorite animals

You could always tell my Mother had loved and respected him when she talked about him. Here are some tidbits about Bud Light. Even though he owned a gun, if he needed to kill a chicken for butchering, my Mother said he used the Bull whip and snapped the chicken’s head off across the barn yard. He was a horse man, a lover of horses. If you didn’t like horses or especially anyone who was mean to a horse was in Grandpa Bud’s eyes “No Damn Good.”

Grandpa Bud Light in the middle, Grandma Minnie holding mare

My Dad and my Uncle Glen both related this story. Apparently Uncle Glen had an ancient Model T Ford that was stripped down to nothing but the frame and the drivetrain. This contraption had a couple of makeshift seats strapped on and was christened “WazzaBelle” by my Uncle Glen. My Dad and Uncle delighted in the winter time taking this jalopy out on the ice and spinning it as fast as they could.

Now Grandpa Bud didn’t like cars very much and preferred horses. Uncle Glen and Dad of course kept begging Grandpa to let them take him out in the pasture in “WazzaBelle” to get the cows when they needed to come into the corral and the barn. Finally Grandpa agreed one evening to do so.

Needless to say Uncle Glen’s driving was a little erratic and out of control at times chasing the cows over the rock strewn pasture toward the corral and the ranch. When they got back home Grandpa who hadn’t said a word since they left said, “tomorrow when I go get the cows I will saddle old “Bouncer” his favorite horse. Grandpa and “WazzaBelle” parted company right then and there. The boys said he never set foot in old “WazzaBelle” again.

Light Ranch, car in much better shape than “WazzaBelle”

Bud Light a hard working, honest, and self sufficient man who homesteaded on this windy Prairie in Northern Montana. A good neighbor and friend, that was what this land attracted. Prairie People, I’m proud to be a descendant of these people. I only wish I could have known you better Grandpa..