Paw Randy

When we hear the words good man and inheritance we all think of someone leaving us money. When I hear the words good man and inheritance I think of the memories and life lessons all of us got to inherit from “The man behind the mustache”. “The man behind the mustache” known to all of us as Paw.

Paw was 80 years old, the father of 7 kids 5 sons and 2 daughters. He had 5 sisters and 1 brother. As soon as I started to think of what to write I realized that when Randy Herpin married Linnie Cain 59 years ago there was no mustache. So that’s where I started and Maw said that he grew a mustache in the 70’s because she thought they were cute. The only time I have ever seen Paw without a mustache was when he would shave it so we wouldn’t realize he had started smoking again. He would try to be slick because he knew that mustache would turn yellow when he smoked. As a family we were truly blessed to have Paw with us as long as we did. He beat cancer twice, a heart attack and a triple bypass. My Dad Lil Randy was the oldest and I ended up being the first of 23 grandchildren and so far the grandkids have blessed Paw with 18 great grandchildren. Let’s take that in for a second Paw has helped to raise 48 kids in his lifetime. (That’s not counting all of the cousins). I would say that Paw has some extra quivers full of arrows. Paw also loved to have a pet, as most of you know he couldn’t go anywhere the last few years without those dogs. (Well maybe fishing). I can remember when we finally moved behind Paw’s house. The first thing he did was steal my dog Pup. Apparently he let her sleep in the chair with him.

Since I was the first grandchild I got the privilege to be in front of all of you today and share some of our inheritance from Paw with all of you. I think most of y’all who know me, know that as a kid Paw was like a second dad to me. Like most first Grandchildren I was spoiled. I went to Paw’s every weekend and asked my mom to move there on multiple occasions. It really got bad when I was about 5 years old, when I started to love fishing. I can remember being in the Old Wilderness with my dad and Paw catching my first fish in that old yellow boat my dad had gotten from Uncle Bill. From that point on I was stuck with Paw and Paw was stuck with me. Paw was the man that truly taught me to fish because I think he loved fishing more than I did. I would say that Paw left this part of his inheritance with most of his kids and his grandkids. Im not sure he taught Maw because she always told me when they went fishing Paw would never stop when she had a bite only when he got a bite. She did say that we was really good at putting her in the trees with the wasp nests and snakes. My dad lil Randy would leave before I got up most of the time so he didn’t have to deal with me getting my line stuck in the tree all day. I always said Paw was the only man that had the patience to deal with me getting in the tree almost every cast. Every Saturday and Sunday for years

Paw would bring me to fishing. Not that I didn’t want to go with my dad but I think all grandkids will agree that going with Paw was always better. When you went fishing with Paw he always made sure to pick up a jar of pickled quail eggs for lunch and circus peanuts and orange slice candy for snack. We surely can’t forget about the 1 ice chest in the boat. In the ice chest you could always find that jar of quail eggs and some small bottles of coke. In true Paw fashion you had to go through the fish slime to get to the coke. Yep one simple shake in the bayou water to clean of that coke and we were good to go.

I can even remember going to Grandpa’s house in Opelousas to get worms out of the worm bed in the back yard. Make no mistake when you saw the red Buick skylark pulling the 14’ boat down Highway 190 I was in the backseat. Just because we had a boat that didn’t mean we could go far. I would say that the motor only started 1/2 the time and to this day there is still a hole that leaks at the bottom of the boat. We would just put some mud over that spot once we got the where we were fishing and bailed water out if too much came through. Nothing could stop me and Paw from fishing. Memories like catching 100 chinquapin in the grassy pit with Paw and aunt Meredith. A full day of catching “sac-a-lait” with Paw and uncle Freddy in Big Alabama. I think we could go on with fishing stories for days but since they made me read I picked the ones I remember. The times we went and didn’t catch well of course Paw would take of his shirt and jump on in. We would go swimming for an hour or so then go back to fishing. Christine said that they always did this as kids so that’s where he got it from.

Paw loved to fish, but make no mistake it wasn’t just fishing that he loved. His wife of 59 years those kids, grandkids, and great grandkids meant the world to that man. I and I am speaking for all of us when I say he also meant the world to us. He was the backbone to the Herpin family, as Kaley would say “he was the man who said he loved you without saying he loved you. I think he passed that trait on to most of the sons. Paw was the kind of man that always wanted to please those kids and I really think he enjoyed that the most. His patience is something he taught me but I guess that’s what grandfathers are for. Taylor Brice told me not to leave out the Coffee Milk and toast bread on the weekends. Got to dip that toast in that coffee milk. I think Paw is the one that showed every kid how to make that mess at their own house. Or how about Lost Bread (Pa Pa Duh), it was Paw who first cooked this for most of the grandkids. To this day that may be the only food I have seen him or Maw cook. Well maybe some eggs and bacon to go with it. I take that back, him and that Bar B Que. You better make sure that one side is a little charred on that chicken and bread. How could we ever forget Christmas Eve at the old House. Paw would complain about having to get something for all of those grandkids and great grandkids and having to have all of those people at his house. But when the paper started flying he couldn’t help but smile. Trust me if you have never seen Christmas Eve at the old Herpin house you were truly blessed with another level of organized chaos. Somehow someway Paw & Maw would always seem to give us $10. But it was usually bound in a red Christmas book or sometimes in $2 bills. Paw was the person you went to when you had a problem because you knew that if you were a grandkid he wouldn’t get mad at you. When you step foot on that brick walkway you knew you were there to enjoy some good times. That house meant the world to Paw and to us grandkids and man how about the stories told on that front porch. As much as I want to say it was the house that meant the most I think it was the company of one another that helped to build the house. Whether it was just Maw and Paw sitting drinking coffee or the entire Herpin village it was being in good company that Paw enjoyed the most. I truly think Maw would get mad sometimes because every time we called her house or walked in the door, The first words she would hear is “Maw where’s Paw” Paw loved to crack jokes with all of us from time to time or give us a hard time about something we did. I asked the kids and grand kids to try an remember some of the memories that they inherited from from Paw.

• While we sat here this morning i realized i had missed the Vicks Vape Rub. Paw would eat that stuff

• I think all of the 7 kids had one version or another about sneaking out the old house to go to the bar or a party and trying to sneak back in the house.

From Brandon climbing up the old vent pipe or Deon climbing the Tv antenna to get on the roof and go to the upstairs bedroom window. And having Paw watch them until they got to the window then shine a flashlight at them just to tell them the front door was open. Or pushing cars down the driveway so Paw and Maw wouldn’t hear when they started the car. I mean how many of the kids lived in a trailer on the side of that old house? 

Brandon said that paw gave him 1 piece of advice all the time. Since they grew up in an old house Paw was always working on the house. He would constantly tell the kids. “Don’t buy an old House” Well what did Brandon do? He said he was laying on his back under his house fixing a water pipe in the middle of the night with water dripping on his head. All he could hear was the echoes of Paw saying you are gonna have to fix it the rest of your life.

• Remember when Paw would get mad at Maw for making him get out his chair? Maw always knew when Paw would sit down in that old recliner. She would give it a few moments then she would say “Randy come see for a minute”. Every time it was for him to get her some Tylenol or some water.

And every time Paw would say “SHE ALWAYS WAITS UNTIL I SIT DOWN AND GET COMFORTABLE TO CALL ME”. He would get so mad.

• Speaking of water I think that was his cure for everything. Paw I heard a noise by my window. In true fashion. “Its ok just drink some water.”

• Brandon and Wendy reminded me of our trip to Hot Springs. Paw was the driver, Meredith with Taylor Brice in her belly, Jeanne, Wendy, Brandon and myself. I remember an interesting ride but the told me there was no room left in the car but I wanted to go so they put me on the floorboard there and back.

• Jeanne and Meredith both remember Paw playing the rose on the piano in the mornings when they were younger. They also told me that he taught himself to play that song in 1 night.

Speaking of an instrument man could Paw play that Harmonica

Juggling was also a talent that he had that not many knew about

• Everyone knows that for years most of the Herpin grandkids and the other cousins would get off of the bus together. Since we all lived so close it was called Herpinville/Cain Lain.

Victoria lived in town but, there was one day she didn’t want to be left out from the Herpinville bus ride so she caught the wrong bus just to go to Paw’s house but I don’t think she told her mom about her plan.

• Kaley asked Paw a few days ago if she could get him anything and all he said was “CHA CHING”; it was understood that he meant the casino.

• Taylor was sitting in the house a few days ago. Paw was in the bedroom and Taylor in the living room. Paw called for Taylor to go and see him. Of course Taylor thought she was going to get some last advice from Paw. What does he say. “Taylor You driving me crazy”

• Sammy and Dominic remembered pouring each a bowl of honey smacks and Paw told them to make sure to eat the sugar ants that’s extra protein.

• I stayed with Paw one night in the hospital and it was about 1:30 in the morning Paw was standing up moving his legs around and helping told me “my heart can’t take much more all it can take is a 7 or 8 pound bass” He also made me laugh about his 2 previous nights.

• William was 2 nights before and Lil Randy was the night before.

• I asked him how that went. All he could say was Well Randy didn’t say a word I had to keep make sure he was still there. William wouldn’t be quite. I mean one talks too much the other doesn’t talk at all can I just get someone in-between?

• Lastly I remembered 1 other story that Paw had told me. I never did get to confirm if it was true or not. One day we were waiting on a train to pass and he told me that as a kid he and his friends would always jump on trains as the went by and then jump off farther down the tracks. He said one day he jumped on and it picked up a little too much speed and he ended up in Arkansas. He had to call his dad to go and pick him up.

As we sit here today I can tell you that his last breath on earth was the his first breath in heaven. I am sure he is continuing on with that inheritance by getting all of our fishing spots ready. I can picture him opening his eyes and seeing Highway 190 paved in gold with no POTHOLES, No glasses needed and everything clear as day. I wonder if he choose the blue blazer to pull his boat with. Like Ian said I bet his motor cranked on the first pull so he could go to Hayes Pitts. Taylor I bet Paw is telling Liam and Grandpa Beadie, about all of the good times.

I could see Paw talking about each and every arrow he put in his quiver and how every one of them were unique in their own way. A good man leaves an inheritance to their grandchildren... Honestly a good man is just not enough to describe Paw, but “The Man behind the Mustache, now that’s Paw”

The last thing I wonder about is wether or not Liam asked him “Paw where’s Maw?”