Aug. 26, 1923 to Dec. 06, 1998
(My version...which by the way...may not exactly match the way others remember)
Where do I begin.....let's see.....last night was the end of making new memories with my Dad. He left us for a better place, at least that is what we all want to believe, and what he taught us among the many lessons of life. He was a wonderful father, a good husband, and a great friend of many.
There was so much knowledge and wonderful wit that he shared with everyone. My Dad never met a stranger throughout his whole life. When we were but small children, he would shout out the car window as we were driving along..."Howdy Neighbor".....while waving and smiling at total strangers along the way. I remember giggling and ducking down in the car so that no one could see us......it was a fun time.
I will truly miss him and his funny sense of humor and ready wit. He loved to tease everyone and sometimes worked very hard to make you think that you were loosing your mind...he would dream up something that you were supposed to have said or done and play it to the hilt....don't you remember doing this or saying that. No...really...you did. He was so much fun.
Dad was in the military as a young man and I remember lots of pictures of him in his uniform...he was a very handsome fellow. He served his time during WWII and came home to start raising a family.
When he was very young, he was engaged to P. for a long time. I never heard what happend to make them break up, but they did and he then married my mother. My mother and dad had grown up together living in the same apartment building down around the N.W. 5th or 6th street and Walker area of Oklahoma City. They were married for 15 or 16 years before getting a divorce. Dad and P. ran into each other after all those years and finally got married. They were very happy and had a wonderful life until she passed on and left Dad behind. He never married again, but spoke of both women frequently with a lot of love for each. One was really the love of his life and the other was his best friend. Strange how some things in life work out without our help...!!
Dad has been in the Masonic Lodge for almost 50 years. He received his 45 year pin in 1996 at a ceremony at the lodge. His grand-daughter got to present it to him. It was a wonderful occasion and we were all in attendance.
The members do a lot of charitable things for the community, such as, free eye exams for children and the elderly, assisting the needy to get eye glasses and optical care when they can't afford to do it. They have been wonderful friends through terrible crises to many people.....stranger or neighbor. I am very proud that my Dad was a part of this.
He was not my birth father, but he was my true father...if that makes any sense. He was the one that raised me and taught me right from wrong, how to take care of my home and myself, to find happiness in everyday life, to love and tend the things that God created....flowers, gardens, animals, and other things. He was a pillar for me all of my life as I hope to be for my children through theirs. I have so many wonderful memories of him and will work hard to preserve him in my mind as easly as I preserve him in my heart.
It was so difficult to let him go. I didn't want him to die, but felt guilty because he was suffering so much. They say that children are the wisdom of the ages. In that I must believe, for my niece stepped forward and said what we, as adults, couldn't admit even to ourselves. She told us to stop being selfish and making Dad suffer because we couldn't or wouldn't let him go. So we talked and decided that we could't be selfish anymore. We had to think of what he would have wanted or done if he had been able to.....we had to let him go. So we finally said our goodbyes and thanked him for the wonderful father that he was and asked him to save a place for us in heaven and finally let him go on his way. It seems as though he was waiting for that very thing. He needed his loved ones to tell him that it was alright for him to leave, that he had taught us all how to survive and we thanked him for that and for all of his love shown to us down through the years. Then he seemed to accept that we would be ok and that he could watch over us and then he left us. He has a lot of relatives and friends that will remember him and will continue to love him even though he has gone now.
Upon my Dad's passing, I received a card from a very dear person and I would like to share those wonderful words with you:
"He is Just Away"
He is just away
beyond the hills
that lead to
heaven's golden shore,
Beyond all earthly
care and pain-
He is alive
forevermore.
(Author Unknown)
I hope that you have enjoyed reading some of my thoughts concering my Dad and that they make you realise that life is very precious and short. Don't put off saying "I love you" to those that are dear to you...you may never have another chance..........
Click the image below to vote for this page if you would like.
Thank you for dropping by.
These are the Received Awards for Dad's Memorial Page.
These are the Earned Awards for Dad's Memorial Page.
Stories
| In Memory Of....
| Pensicola
Florida | Oklahoma
Bombing |
| Tennessee Vacations |
What Yard Work?|
Other Goodies!!
| Meet My Family |
Back Home |
| Impressions - Free Graphics Designed for you! |
This page last updated: August 5, 2008