He was a simple man, doing what he needed to do to make life better for his family. He married in 1959, joined the military, left home for the first time in his life. Served his 4 yrs in the military and came home to work road construction. His son was born in 1960, a daughter in 1963 and another daughter in 1971. His work demanded that he work out of town and he did, he did whatever he needed to do to make life better for his family and to have his dream home. After 20 yrs of hard, back breaking work, he had saved up enough money to have his dream home and land, and he was able to take a job that did not require he work out of town every week. He got up each morning before daylight and worked a full, sun filled day in the scorching heat or the freezing cold. After a full day of work, he would come home and work another 3 to 4 hrs in his barn or shop or out in the hay fields cutting and baling hay for his horse and cows, only stopping long enough to come in and get a bite to eat for dinner. During the summer time, those after work hours would be 5 to 6 hrs, he had to tend to his garden in addition to his other after work duties, growing his own food allowed money to be saved and healthier eating. On the weekends, he was always outside working on something on the land he had always dreamed of owning. He never took a day off (unless it was too cold to lay asphalt, which is rare in the South). He never called in sick, because he never got sick. He was a creative man. He could take anything of scrap and make something out of it, and it always worked. There were few times he had to make trips to the parts store. He was a happy man. He was a quiet man. He was an observant man. He was an honest man. He didn’t speak unless he had something to say. He never had a negative word to say about anyone. He helped anyone who needed help in anyway they needed it. He was a man that showed respect to everyone, his parents, his siblings, his wife, his children, his neighbors, his co-workers, his friends and strangers. He made friends wherever he went. He never raised his voice, to anyone, in a negative way. He could resolve any conflict by simply talking it out. Once he got out of bed each day, he never laid back down on that bed until it was time to go to sleep that night. He believed that chairs and couches were made to be sat in, correctly, no slouching in the chair, no lying on the couch, unless you were sick, and if you were a child and an adult walked into the room and needed a place to sit, you got up and sat on the floor….respect. When adults were talking, you did not interrupt…respect. When you were told or asked to do something, you did it then….respect. He didn’t like talking on the phone much, he thought you could say all that you needed to say in 3 minutes, lol, he could never convince his teenage daughters of that! He was a funny man. He loved to tell jokes and play pranks. He loved to hunt, when he could. He loved to spend his vacation at the beach, he loved the sun, the sand, the ocean (ok, and the bikini clad women too, lol). He liked to drink his Budweiser, until his first grandchild was born, the day he was born was the last drink he had. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather and ….. a dying man. He was diagnosed with cancer, a tumor in his adrenal gland and on his vena cava. He had to stop working; I’m not sure which was worse on him, not being able to work or the cancer. He went through chemo and radiation with a sense of humor, never complained about the nausea and chills from the chemo or the blisters in his mouth from the radiation. He was offered an experimental drug and took it; it offered hope….he was in remission…for a few months. The cancer came back, this time in his liver. Back on chemo again, more rounds more often this time around. He got sicker, may not make it to his daughter’s wedding or Christmas. He was a strong man…he made it to his daughter’s wedding and Christmas, couldn’t miss walking his baby daughter down the aisle and Christmas was this family’s favorite holiday, it was the only time they were all together at once. He was a fighter. He made it to March…17 long months of fighting. The cancer had spread to his lungs; he had a bad seizure and was admitted to the hospital. Within 4 days, he did not know where he was and was talking to people who had long been gone. Four days later, he missed the big blizzard of ’93, he would have loved all the snow, he would have loved getting out on his land and having snowball fights and building snowmen with his children and grandchildren, (he would always wake his children before daylight if it were snowing, he loved the snow), he was unconscious and the doctors didn’t think he was going to wake up. He was a loved man. His last night he was surrounded by his wife, his Mother, his children and his baby sister. He is looking at everyone, trying desperately to speak, but cannot, so he tries to convey his message with his eyes. He looks at each one, and says what he needs to with his eyes. They all tell him that it is okay to close his eyes and go; they are telling him they love him. He closes is eyes and tries to relax, but he cannot breath, his breathes are very shallow….he opens his eyes, wide, he is looking past everyone, towards the back wall, he has tears in his eyes and his breathing gets heavy, then slows down and peace comes over his eyes and face…he closes his eyes and takes his last breathe. He saw the angels come for him; they came to take him home….He was free. He was…….. my Teacher He was……... my Friend He was……… my Hero He was……….My Daddy
12-4-1939 - 3-18-1993
Happy Birthday, Daddy! I love you and miss you!!
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