Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Heber Grant Bearden was born to Sula and William Bearden in Seneca, South Carolina, in 1920. Known as Grant, he was a quiet child. His father was a horse trainer, while his mother was a stay-at-home mom. Grant was greatly influenced by his father and his father's love of horses, but his father died when he was young. When he was 16, he moved by himself to Idaho, where he worked on a farm. Working as a farm hand, he learned a strong work ethic and greatly respected the Brown family, especially Mr. Brown, who served as a father figure in his life. Grant helped around the farm and even helped to brand the cows.

Grant volunteered to join the United States Army beginning his service on April 8, 1942. He served in Panama in the military police, until his time until the end of his service on October 18, 1945. He was always proud of his service to our country.

His mother had remarried and his family relocated to Southern California. After serving in the Army, Grant relocated to Long Beach where he earned a job as a bus driver for the city. Soon, he met the love of his life. Her name was Marie. The couple started dating and fell in love. They were married on October 20, 1949. A few years later, the couple was thrilled with the birth of their only child. They named her Vivian. The couple saved money and bought a little house in Cypress. Grant bought himself a truck and started working at Hadley Auto Transport. He drove trucks for a living all over the country and saw the United States. He loved driving trucks. Even though he was traveling, he always shared his love of horses with his daughter, Vivian, and he was supportive of all of her dreams in life. He was a very patient, quiet father. Vivian remembers they always had animals growing up such as horses, dogs, and cats. The family showed horses and often attended horse shows. She especially remembers his love of horses, riding them or just watching the beauty of their movement. He also shared his love of travel as there were many vacations. The family went on vacations to Arkansas to visit Marie's relatives in Little Rock. They also traveled to the Dakotas, Yellowstone, and Ensenada, Mexico. Living near the beach, it was always a favorite place as well.

Professionally, Grant worked for Hadley until 1961, when the family moved to Seattle. He joined with a partner in a trucking company that ran from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Seattle, Washington. The family moved back to Southern California in East Long Beach, where he worked for a trucking company until he retired at the age of 62.

Over the years, Grant liked celebrating the holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas with his extended family in Southern California. He had several siblings and his mother and step-father all lived in the area so it was nice. He had many favorites in life. Grant loved country western music. He liked to read, especially Louis L'Amour books. He watched football games on television now and then. But, his greatest love was always the horses. He was so very proud when Vivian became a horse trainer. When she had 30 horses in training, he'd walk down and sit and watch the horses just loving to be present at the training stable. In fact, he used to live behind the training stable. He was so proud that Vivian ran her own training facility for 25 years and even though she became a flight attendant 12 years ago, she and her husband are still training a few horses in Wyoming. Grant was always an outdoor person who loved nature and animals.

He had been married to Marie for 49 years when she died in 1999. He lived by himself for a few years and then Vivian and her husband, Don, welcomed him into their Wyoming home in 2002. He was so grateful to both of them for providing the open door. He was thankful and appreciative of Don and got along with him well. And, to his daughter, Vivian, he said, "I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't brought me up here." He lived for another seven years with Vivian, Don, and the family, enjoying dinners together every day or watching the horses. He even brought along his little Chihuahua, Teeko, for company. For fun, he enjoyed going out to dinner at Perkins in Wyoming. His favorite beverage was Dr. Pepper and his favorite color was blue. His granddaughter, Erin, remembers her Grandpa going on walks with Grandma or walking down to watch the horses. Grant especially enjoyed watching Erin ride the horses. Erin remembers her Grandpa with a smile, because he was a wonderful grandfather who truly cared about everyone in the family. In fact, family was always the best thing in Grant's life. In the end, Grant passed away peacefully as Vivian and Don were by his side.

Grant will be remembered as a wonderful husband, supportive father, and loving grandfather who always had a good heart. He was a good provider. Taking care of his family was always important to him. He was a man who was quiet and private, but a man who was always thankful and supportive. He never wanted to interfere in anyone's life. In his final years, he enjoyed the animals on the ranch in Wyoming and was forever grateful for the move because he was not alone. As he believed in God and Heaven, the family believes they will be reunited with him again one day. Vivian feels her father is now at peace. His advice to his family and friends would be to go on with your life and do what you need to do to get by. His attitude was always live and let live. Vivian will miss his presence and support because he was truly a good, honest, hard-working man who made a difference in her life. She is grateful to him for giving her a love of travel, as she is a flight attendant, and giving her a love of animals as she continues to train horses. In many ways, his spirit lives on through the next generation.

Grant was preceded in death by his parents Sula and William; wife Marie; brothers Earl and Joe; and sisters Freda Mae and Edna. He is remembered by his daughter Vivian and her husband Don; granddaughter Erin; step-grandsons Tyler and Jace; great-grandchildren Ashton and Emma; sisters Leona and Mary; and sister-in-law Temple. May he rest in peace…