21. Tell us about your father, do you have a special memory of him?

From: Jenny McMurray

My father is a quite man, likes to be by himself a lot, especialy when he is fishing or at the shooting club. I remember one time I was doing very bad in math and I couldn't understand the method that the teacher had given us to follow. Papa sat down with me and taught me another way to work the problem and after that I found that math was easy to do and soon I developed a love of math and realized that there might be another way of looking at things.

From: Connie Olson

Yes I have many wonderful memories of my dad. Sure wish he was still here to see how his family has grown and to see the wonderful things they are now all doing and have done. He passed away in 1982 after a long battle with lung cancer.
My father was a switchmen on the railroad. When I was young he worked many long hours during the second world war. I remember him saying it's my job to keep the troops moving and getting to them the things they need .
He worked the 11 pm to 7 am shift a lot back then. We were in school so it was quiet around the house for him and he could sleep. I remember him working a lot.
When we were on summer vacation he would stay awake longer to do things with myself and my sister. We would go on fun picnics by the lake and go swimming. He taught us to dive.
He would take us to his work so we could ride in the engines or the caboose. Many times we would pack a lunch and then eat it in the caboose along with my dad's co-workers.
He made holidays special for us, on birthdays we always rec'd silver dollars for as many years old that we were. Boy I wish I still had them today! He enjoyed his grandchildren, he would ALWAYs give them chocolate ice cream bars to eat when they were in play clothes or dressed up. I think he was being a stinker when he gave them those to eat when they were dressed up and he knew we were heading someplace. He would have that sly smile and snicker when I would say something to him.
One time when we were visiting the kids were being restless while e were visiting, he told then to go and pick all the yellow flowers out in the yard to keep them busy. He was thinking dandelions. In came the oldesst girl with all his beautiful yellow tulips. He didn't say a word he paid them all. When they went back out he shrugged and laughed and said "Well I did tell them yellow flowers what can I say!!! He was a wonderful dad and I miss him everyday as well as my mom, my hubby, and the two sons I lost to accidents.

From: Lois Rotella

I think the time that stays in my mind was when the 50th anniversary of D-Day was on TV, he took out some of his things and pictures from his time overseas during the war. I think he felt I could understand his time there. I thought that was special because he never spoke of it or showed us kids anything.

From: Philip Harris

The most pleasant memories of my father was when we were young kids. We would walk to the Harrisena school and wait for my father. He would allow us to sit on his lap and steer the car home. My father made me a fishing pole when I was very young. When he went fishing, I would follow him and he showed me the best spots in the brook to catch trout. I would follow him hunting and he would show me all the safety features of handling a gun and show me how to shoot it. He was a true outdoorsman and loved to have me tag along. When we lived on lower Ridge Road, next to halfway brook, he built us a diving board at a big swimming hole. I recall helping him every night in the summer getting a load of ice from Preston Carpenter's ice house on Lake Sunnyside and taking it to Merrit Staples Pavillion on Cleverdale. I liked it because I got a bottle of soda.. He owned and drove a 1931 Ford pick up.

My Father was drafted into the Army during WWII. He had become a alcoholic during the war. He had many years with this disease and things were hard for our family. He did conquer the disease and the last 20 years of his life were good for all the family. He was a very compassionate person when not drinking. He loved to hunt and sometimes that was what we had to eat. He loved to work in the garden. I have inherited that love of working in the garden from him.

From: Brenda Olszewski

My father is the best father on earth! I remember having family prayer in the morning and being kissed and hugged by dad as he went off to work. He was a hard worker and also had many resposibilities at church. I always saw him as dedicated to what ever he was doing, whether it was church, politics,garden, dancing, playing is harmonica at the grange. I lived this way because of him. I was taught to be on time. His promptness has been instilled in me.Dad was and still is always fun to be around. We had a great time at home with Family night and his imitations of us.My fondest memory is when I was little, about 4 yrs old and I would fall asleep on the living room floor while watching tv. Dad would pick me up and carry me to bed. I actually would wake up when he picked me up, but wouldn't let him know. I loved it when he picked me up and carried me to bed and kissed me good night. That was the best feeling.

From: Joyce Eggleston

Daddy was a good person. He had a great sense of humor. He called me Fist a Mist. We all had nick names. He used to take me fishing down to the brook to catch trout. When daddy took me with him in the car and he would let me steer. He taught me how to plant flowers and have a little garden. The only time he got upset with me is when I quit school.

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