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94-Year-Old Man Builds Pool In His Backyard For Neighborhood Kids So He Wouldn’t Be Lonely After Wife Died
When Evy Davison passed away from cancer in April 2016, Keith, her husband of 66 years, couldn’t bear the silence of being at home alone. “You just can’t imagine what it’s like,” Davison says in the video below. “You cry a lot. That’s just the way it is because she’s not here.” So the 94-year-old retired judge decided to install a swimming pool in his backyard in Morris, Minnesota, and now he has so many visitors that his house will never be quiet again!
The pool, which measures 16ft (4.9m) by 32ft (9.8m), was installed earlier this year before the kindly nonagenarian unveiled it to the neighborhood kids in July. Despite having three adult children, Davison has no grandchildren, but as one neighbor rightly told him, “you kind of adopted our whole neighborhood of kids. These are your grandchildren.” Davison no longer feels alone, although he does enjoy a quiet swim…on the rare occasion that the pool is free, that is.
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When Keith Davison’s wife died after 66 years together, he couldn’t bear the silence of being home alone
Image credits: Boyd Huppert
So this former judge decided to build a swimming pool in his back yard for the neighborhood kids
Image credits: KARE 11
Now the 94-year-old’s house is never quiet!
Image credits: Boyd Huppert
The pool measures 16ft (4.9m) by 32ft (9.8m)
Image credits: KARE 11
More than enough space to fit plenty of noisy children!
Image credits: Boyd Huppert
Watch the video below for more info:
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What do you think ?
PsychoPrincess 7 years ago
I could just imagine how much silence there would be after 66 years with somebody you loved. I'm glad he's found a little bit of happiness in a sad time. It's nice to see Subway free for the kids to go and have fun is it enough spots that are free so low income families can enjoy
Xmayze 7 years ago
I LOVE this! There are so many places where people would be suspicious of an old man building a pool to encourage kids to come round. I think it's beautiful. Although I suppose it helps that he was a judge.
Bobbi Newell 7 years ago
It sounds like he and his wife had already established close ties in their neighborhood. It's that building of trust that sparked the positive response.
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Michel M. Prins 7 years ago
Poor man, but he did manage to find a very creative way to make sure he has company!
Susan Forbes 7 years ago
Until winter anyway. Maybe it'll be an ice-skating rink then.
Load More Replies... Kirsten Preston 7 years ago
Top gent, hope the kids appreciate it as much as he himself. Just goes to show there don't have to be a generation gab - Respect! X
Tyler Duffy 7 years ago
That's pretty cool of him to do something like that, help out the community and keep himself busy.
Agnes Jekyll 7 years ago
I just love this story. I'm so glad this man has found a way to bring life and love in his life.
endelbendel 7 years ago
Nice gesture in a friendly n-hood. For safety he needs a high fence and lots of insurance.
Wombat34 7 years ago
Pools were a magnet for us when I was a kid. Looks like that's still true.
Eileen Bliss 7 years ago
Drove by yesterday. He has had a fence installed.
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Yunyann See 7 years ago
What a sweet grampa! It would so privilege to live near such sweet soul with or without pool. But if i am still a child, of cos with a pool is so much better. Heeheehee
Jackie Short 7 years ago
I think it's sweet but creepy. I wouldn't let my kid go to random man's pool.
Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl) 7 years ago
Yes, it must be lonely for him, but I hope his insurance is up to date... There are a lot of idiots around. :(
Joseph McLinden 7 years ago
Hey, go with your kids when they swim! He built out of the goodness of his heart! Don't make the poor old man out to be a perv! He's a better parent than the rest of the neighborhood gossips.
Meowton Mewsk 7 years ago
As much as I don't care for kids, I understand why this would help anyone. Just seeing people happy. Kids do happiness better than anyone.
Michelle Geiger 4 years ago
My grandmother passed away after 60 years of marriage. My grandfather would watch tv and you could still here him asking her what she thought. He passed away 1 Year and 1week after her.
Mirable Test 7 years ago
"I'd love to see a lot of children playing in my backyard so by seeing them my loneliness will stop. Childrensssssss"
Celestial Lynx 7 years ago
Okay... this is a sweet story and all, but in the opening description of this post, I am seriously confused about how old this guy is. At first it says "her husband of 66 years" and then further down it says "the 94-year-old retired judge." I'm not trying to be some pesky critic, but I am in all honesty, confused about this man's age. Explanation?
Holly D'Amico 7 years ago
The man is 94 years old and was married to his wife for 66 years at the time she passed.😇
Load More Replies...
Jake D 7 years ago
Exactly. Just because he was married 66 years doesn't discount that he could be a lifetime perv
Load More Replies...
PsychoPrincess 7 years ago
I could just imagine how much silence there would be after 66 years with somebody you loved. I'm glad he's found a little bit of happiness in a sad time. It's nice to see Subway free for the kids to go and have fun is it enough spots that are free so low income families can enjoy
Xmayze 7 years ago
I LOVE this! There are so many places where people would be suspicious of an old man building a pool to encourage kids to come round. I think it's beautiful. Although I suppose it helps that he was a judge.
Bobbi Newell 7 years ago
It sounds like he and his wife had already established close ties in their neighborhood. It's that building of trust that sparked the positive response.
Load More Replies... Michel M. Prins 7 years ago
Poor man, but he did manage to find a very creative way to make sure he has company!
Susan Forbes 7 years ago
Until winter anyway. Maybe it'll be an ice-skating rink then.
Load More Replies... Kirsten Preston 7 years ago
Top gent, hope the kids appreciate it as much as he himself. Just goes to show there don't have to be a generation gab - Respect! X
Tyler Duffy 7 years ago
That's pretty cool of him to do something like that, help out the community and keep himself busy.
Agnes Jekyll 7 years ago
I just love this story. I'm so glad this man has found a way to bring life and love in his life.
endelbendel 7 years ago
Nice gesture in a friendly n-hood. For safety he needs a high fence and lots of insurance.
Wombat34 7 years ago
Pools were a magnet for us when I was a kid. Looks like that's still true.
Eileen Bliss 7 years ago
Drove by yesterday. He has had a fence installed.
Load More Replies... Yunyann See 7 years ago
What a sweet grampa! It would so privilege to live near such sweet soul with or without pool. But if i am still a child, of cos with a pool is so much better. Heeheehee
Jackie Short 7 years ago
I think it's sweet but creepy. I wouldn't let my kid go to random man's pool.
Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl) 7 years ago
Yes, it must be lonely for him, but I hope his insurance is up to date... There are a lot of idiots around. :(
Joseph McLinden 7 years ago
Hey, go with your kids when they swim! He built out of the goodness of his heart! Don't make the poor old man out to be a perv! He's a better parent than the rest of the neighborhood gossips.
Meowton Mewsk 7 years ago
As much as I don't care for kids, I understand why this would help anyone. Just seeing people happy. Kids do happiness better than anyone.
Michelle Geiger 4 years ago
My grandmother passed away after 60 years of marriage. My grandfather would watch tv and you could still here him asking her what she thought. He passed away 1 Year and 1week after her.
Mirable Test 7 years ago
"I'd love to see a lot of children playing in my backyard so by seeing them my loneliness will stop. Childrensssssss"
Celestial Lynx 7 years ago
Okay... this is a sweet story and all, but in the opening description of this post, I am seriously confused about how old this guy is. At first it says "her husband of 66 years" and then further down it says "the 94-year-old retired judge." I'm not trying to be some pesky critic, but I am in all honesty, confused about this man's age. Explanation?
Holly D'Amico 7 years ago
The man is 94 years old and was married to his wife for 66 years at the time she passed.😇
Load More Replies... Jake D 7 years ago
Exactly. Just because he was married 66 years doesn't discount that he could be a lifetime perv
Load More Replies... Related on Bored Panda
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