Papa Bears

Papa Bears - Amy's Family

Shortly after my father (we call him Papa) passed away in August 2015, my daughter Emma asked if she could have a teddy bear to hug and think of Papa. Her comments triggered this immediate idea and I asked my Mom if I could have my Papa's shirts so I could make all 27 of us a Papa Bear.

Papa and Amy (me) - Bryce Canyon National Park - June 2015 - windy day

Once I had the shirts I needed to find the perfect bear pattern to use. I had an image in my head and I searched patterns online to see if I could find what I could see in my mind. I kept finding my perfect pattern and kept finding that it was discontinued years and years ago. And the replacement pattern was also discontinued without another replacement. 

In the middle of my frustration, I remembered that about 25 years ago I worked for a fabric store and when patterns were discontinued we could purchase them for really cheap or we could get them for free (without their envelopes). So, I went to my basement and pulled out the bin that I knew contained all my patterns. And I found it - the perfect pattern - I had actually bought it decades before! I was so relieved to realize that I owned the pattern for which I had been searching.

Papa Bears - Jenny's Family

I chose the large sized bear (22"). I taped the pattern pieces (all 9 of them) to copy paper and I made 10 sets of copies so that I could pin and cut them in large batches; remember I made 27 of them.

I ordered a custom label from Wunderlabel to identify these bears as "Papa Bears". Here is a picture of the label:

Papa Bears - Gabe's Family

I ordered plastic safety eyes and noses from GlassEyesOnline so the little kids can't pull them out and choke on them.

Papa Bears - Seth's Family

I stuffed them with Poly-Fil from Fairfield. I ordered the Poly-Fil from Amazon because I found after shopping around that they have the best price and the shipping was free with my Prime account. I needed 1.5 pounds per bear so I ordered four 10-lb boxes.

Papa Bears - Sarah's Family

I also made pillows from two of the shirts for my Mom. Here is a picture of her with her bear and her two pillows.

Mom with her Papa Bear and Two Pillows

I estimate that it took about 4-5 hours to make each bear. I gave each family member their bear for Christmas.

We all now have our own “Papa Bear” to hug, love, and think of Papa.

My Papa: Dennis Ray Ohms

Dennis Ray Ohms
1945-2015

OBITUARY:

FUNERAL PROGRAM:

 

Memory Jogger Monday - August 3

Donald, Grandma Helen, Darlene, Dennis

Janice, Grandma Leola, Carol

Who were your aunts and uncles? Write about any of your aunts or uncles who really stand out in your mind. Give some details about them (names, personalities, events that you remember doing with them, and so on).

Okay, so first off the photos above are really old. They were ones that I thought of for this post.

First photo ... My father (Dennis) has two brothers and one sister. One brother, Ronald, died at birth. The other brother is Donald. Uncle Don is quite the character. I always remember him teasing me when I was younger. He married Peggy and they had two children. He is now married to Linda and she brings out the best in him.

I have the most memories of Aunt Darlene (Dar). I think this is because I lived with her for part of a year after college when I got my first full time job. She is very giving and caring. She married Brent and they have four children. My favorite thing about Dar is that she sends us a birthday card every year - all of us - even our spouses and our children. She is really good about keeping track of all of the descendants and where they live, their cell numbers, email addresses, and all our birth dates.

Second photo ... My mother (Carol) has only one sister; her name is Janice. Janice married John and they named all four of their children with names that start with "J". I remember going to their home in Stockton, California when we were younger and having Easter egg hunts and playing at the park. They moved to St. George, Utah in the early 1990's and I've had many opportunities to visit them and do things with them.

See this post for more information about "Memory Jogger Monday": 

Writing a Personal History or Keeping a Journal

Memory Jogger Monday - June 1

Dennis and Carol 2011

What kind of work did your parents do (farmer, salesman, manager, seamstress, nurse, stay-at-home mom, professional, laborer, and so on)?

My father was the Store Director for the Southern Utah University Bookstore for over 40 years. He also owns a few small companies: horseshoe pitching game related sales and now a horseshoe manufacturer.

My mother was a stay-at-home mom! She also sold Avon for awhile and also sold raw milk at a local dairy. She is a talented artist and has sold some of her paintings and other arts and crafts.

Both of my parents are hard working people. They also have a small farm, large garden, and orchard. They have taught their five children the importance of honest hard work.

See this post for more information about "Memory Jogger Monday": 

Writing a Personal History or Keeping a Journal

Memory Jogger Monday - May 18

Donald, Darlene, Dennis - 1950

Tell me about your father (his name, birth date, birthplace, parents, and so on). Share some memories you have of your father.

Dennis Ray Ohms was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on December 22, 1945 to Raymond Henry Ohms and Helen Arlene Barr Ohms. He was the 4th child and 3rd son. His oldest brother Ronald was stillborn in 1936. The second child, a daughter Darlene was born in 1938; then brother Donald in 1940 and Dennis in 1945.

Some of my favorite memories:

Papa taught me to work hard. One way that he did this was by teaching me how to pull weeds when I was very young. We had a large garden. I remember packing my grain bag full of weeds, making sure to shake off all the dirt. We would get paid 5 cents per pound. I had my favorite weeds ... those without stickers and thorns.

Also, when I was a young child, my father was Santa! There were occasions where I was able to accompany him on his visits and deliveries as his helper elf. I remember riding in his old brown truck in the dark night as he made surprise visits and I remember hiding with him at the LDS Institute.

Santa 1980s

Last year for our family reunion we visited the homes and schools from his childhood. My sister compiled this collage of those places. My mom believes that this was one way for him to get us to write his history. I think it was a great idea.

There are so many more memories I have of him. I will continue to write them down.

See this post for more information about "Memory Jogger Monday": 

Writing a Personal History or Keeping a Journal