Grandpa Marler and God

By Capt. Ben Marler

Special to The Log

I wish I had been a bit older when visiting Grandpa, but even still each time was always special. He treated all of his kids and grandkids special. I can remember sitting with him on the porch swing as he told me how he used to row out into the gulf to catch big red snappers.
He said he didn’t have to go far from the entrance to the gulf for it was a “feeding trough” for fish. With each tidal movement, oxygenated water would come in the bay to invigorate it, and on its departure a swarm of shrimp and other critters would be taken out for the fish. He told me the snappers he caught on a hand line were really large. If they weren’t, he couldn’t get 25 cents for them. Grandpa and his family lived in Paradise.
He was one of the “Unforgettable Characters” featured in Reader’s Digest in 1955. The article was good, but didn’t cover well the best part of his life. I don’t know when Grandpa came to know Jesus, but when it happened the Lord obtained a first class servant. My dad used to tell me stories of when someone died in Destin, he would take some of the best boards for building boats and construct a nice coffin. With the little money he had from lighthouse keeping, he would purchase cloth material from the Sears and Roebuck catalog. After carefully lining the wooden box, he would lay the deceased to rest.
If anyone tried to pay him, they were in big trouble. Grandpa lived and worked for God. He used a daily devotional entitled, “The Upper Room.” He had an upper room in his house where he made cast nets one knot at a time. I believe this is where he prayed a lot for us.
Grandpa named this beautiful place Destin. When he saw the mail boat go to Niceville it always passed near his home. One day while in Pensacola he asked the postmaster why it couldn’t stop where he lived. He was told it could if there was a post office and a name.
Grandpa said, “I will build one” — and he did, becoming Destin’s postmaster for a very long time.
If you want to see the building that he built it is located at the Community Center in Destin. I spent a lot of time in and around it as a child and have great memories, for we never left Grandma Marler with out a huge cookie or two. She was a super cook and the reputation brought preachers from far and wide to enjoy her soul food.
Grandpa always welcomed and fed them even though they wouldn’t lift a hand to help him build a boat or work in the garden. My dad didn’t like this and one day caused two to leave in a hurry. He told his mom that he was going to put a cannon on the mail dock and when he saw the mail boat coming, he was going to blow it out of the water. You see, he had to chop the wood for the wood stove, and lots of it.
Not aware the preachers were near she said, “I wish you would, I’m so tired of cooking for them.” All at once the screen door to the parlor slammed shut as they left fast from where they were napping in the chairs. When she saw them leave she said, “Ben, I’m going to kill you.” Not really meaning it, but she had to say something.
Now Grandpa may have killed him, for these men represented God to him even when they didn’t always act like it.
I can remember a Bible always within reach of his place at the table. When we ate with them, not often enough for me, his prayer of thanks could take an honest five minutes or more. Grandpa loved God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength like we all should. His life was a life of blessings and he knew that if he shared it, more would come. What a life message for today.
His garden was always well tended. Fruit trees dotted the yard with a flock of chickens, turkeys and even guineas running around. I can remember the cows and milking them, something I wasn’t good at because I was so small. Once the milk was taken to the house, some would be placed in the churn to make butter and “butter milk”. I can remember pushing the handle up and down until I was too tired to move it again. Then Grandma would come and “go to town” pushing it up and down faster and faster.
Her rolls were hot in the oven and soon some of this rich butter was on them. After eating one, there wasn’t room left for all the wonderful food, like chicken and dumplings.
Grandpa would have rather died than not share his meal with someone. Because some took advantage of his generosity, we didn’t go too often. My dad was so much like his dad, very honest and hard working and very generous. He was in love with Jesus like Grandpa too. They were wonderful examples for me.
Grandpa built many work boats and was very good at it. He didn’t have electricity and everything was done with muscle. Can you imagine sawing all the wood for a boat with a handsaw or fastening it together with a hammer? My dad helped him and learned how to build his own boats. The Plymouth and Eureka were the result of Grandpa leading him “all the way.”
Both learned that the joy of the Lord was their strength and with God’s strength, both accomplished a lot. By the way, the parallel bridges at Destin are named for Grandpa. He wouldn’t have liked them doing it for he was a humble man. They did it after he was looking at Jesus face to face. My dad is there too. God always takes good care of His kids.
Before too much longer, I will join them. What a wonderful time that will be. Come quickly Lord Jesus!
 
Capt. Ben Marler is a longtime Destin resident and can be reached at captben61@hotmail.com