A TRIBUTE TO PAT’S GRANDPA LARRY
by Pat Cummings
For many of us, the Christmas season represents a season of joy, giving, and gratitude. To commemorate those Christmas season virtues, I want to share with you the story of someone who exhibited those virtues in spades — my grandpa, Larry Shearon. Though he became one of the most influential male figures in my life, Grandpa Larry and I had very different childhoods. Growing up in Jefferson City, South Dakota, Larry was the eldest son of a bee farmer. The bee farm kept Larry busy, along with his sister and three brothers. The work ethic instilled in him at a young age stuck with him for the rest of his life. Larry attended Bishop Heelen Catholic High School in Sioux City, Iowa, where he was the editor of the yearbook. Upon graduating Heelen, Larry set off for South Bend, Indiana, where he began a lifelong love affair with Notre Dame football. He graduated from Notre Dame in 1958 with a degree in electrical engineering, which he used to get his first job. Eventually, he was transferred to Minneapolis, where he met the love of his life, my grandma, Kassie Brandes. They married in 1961 and spent the rest of their lives raising a tremendous family of five kids. My mom, Regina, fell right in the middle. In the 1960s, Larry began working as a biomedical engineer at Medtronic, where he would work for over 30 years. At Medtronic, Larry and his team invented lifesaving medical equipment, such as
early versions of the implantable pacemaker and cardiac catheters, for which they earned several patents. It’s amazing to think of how many lives Larry and his team have impacted through their brilliance and hard work. In addition to his career, Larry was a leader in his community, serving on the boards for St. Odilia’s Parish in Roseville, Minnesota, and the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis for many years. After retirement from Medtronic, Larry dedicated most of his time to his family, whether it was teaching his grandkids to ski; helping them with science projects; or building beautiful and intricate wooden desks, cribs, and grandfather clocks. When my friend, Jon, and I needed to build a generator for our seventh-grade science project, the first call we made was to Grandpa Larry. A few weeks later, we were up in his Minnesota workshop using power saws and blowtorches (with appropriate safety and supervision) to put together our generator. He never shied away from sharing his gifts with his family — or anyone else for that matter. Grandpa Larry and Grandma Kassie have served as tremendous examples of lives well-lived for myself, my siblings, and my cousins. The two of them have always been able to sort out the important stuff from the nonsense. The virtues that they stressed over the years — the importance of faith, family, education, and quiet generosity — are ones that will live with me forever. Thank you both for showing all of us how it’s done!
– Pat Cummings
DECEMBER 2017 DATES OF CONSEQUENCE December 2 Marquette Basketball vs. Georgia at The Bradley Center
Illini Basketball vs. Maryland at Champaign
December 3
Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Patron Saint of Foreign Missions
December 3
EGGNOG COOKIES Yield: About 20 cookies
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
December 8
Directions 1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar
Ingredients Ingredients for Cookies • 1 cup butter, softened
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 12
until light and fluffy. Beat in eggnog. Combine the flour, baking soda, and
Benet Swim Team at Marmion Cadet Relays
December 16
• 2 cups sugar • 1 cup eggnog
nutmeg. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into four 10-inch rolls. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 2. Unwrap and cut into ¼-inch slices. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 F for 8–10 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks and let cool. 3. For icing, in a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and eggnog; beat until smooth. 4. Frost cookies and store in an airtight container.
St. Joan of Arc Christmas Break begins
December 21
• 5½ cups all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking soda • ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg Ingredients for Icing • ¼ cup butter, softened • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar • ⅓ cup eggnog
Christmas Day
December 25
THE CHRISTMAS PARTY at QUIGLEY’S IN NAPERVILLE Notre Dame Basketball vs. Georgia Tech at The Joyce Center Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
December 27
December 30
December 31
Recipe inspired by tasteofhome.com
3
312-578-9501
Made with FlippingBook HTML5