Paul, our firstborn son, grew up on a farm with many pets and as a toddler he loved farming with his dad (Dennis).
He wore tiny bib overalls, riding on his little John Deere tractor and with dad
on "the big twactor" (his pronunciation of tractor).
As a teenager we bought him a 10 speed bike and he put any miles on that bike.
He could have rode in a bike marathon and easily finished with no problem.
He preferred riding his bike over driving his car.
We were so proud of Paul.
He grew into a fine young man and would do anything for anyone at anytime,
never asking for something in return.
He had a great sense of humor and brought us so much joy just being around him.
He was loved by many and voted Student Of The Month on 3 separate occasions.
Paul loved fishing in our pond and hunting in the woods behind our home.
His passion for hunting became strong and he would spend many hours in the woods
observing nature and God's beauty.
He took the Hunter's Safety Course with his dad and passed with flying colors,
having a higher score then Dennis.
Naturally he teased dad many times that he got the better score!
On August 5, 1989 everything came to a standstill for our family.
Paul went hunting alone in the morning and never returned.
By 6:00 P.M. we had a large search party with 1 cadaver dog
and over 100 volunteers organized.
Our worst fears were realized when his body was found during the night at 4:30 A.M.
I will NEVER forget that night as long as I live.
Although Paul could recite all the rules and regulations of hunting he made a tragic mistake when he took the safety off his 22 rifle and forgot to put it back on.
He tripped over a small tree and fell on his gun, killing him instantly.
The search party consisting of police and volunteer fireman from several communities
would not let us see Paul's body and hold him in our arms until the funeral.
Dennis wrote Paul's eulogy and was a pallbearer so he could carry his son one last time.
He also spoke at Hunter Safety Courses to avoid the same mistake
happening to another young hunter.
At the time of Paul's death he left behind his 15 year old sister Anne,
2 year old brother Jon, and 1 year old sister Mary Ann.
A day doesn't go by that Paul isn't in our thoughts and prayers.
Our hearts have healed over time, we have picked up the pieces and moved on the way Paul would wish for us,
and we take each day as it comes the way God has planned for us.
But our lives will never be the same.
God gave us a precious gift ~our son Paul.
We nurtured our gift, giving as much love as a parent could give.
When the time came we gave our precious gift back to God.
We rejoice in the day when the good Lord will rejoin our family once again
and we will be living eternally in Heaven with Paul.
What A Glorious Day That Will Be!! |