I have written about my dad in this space a few times before. On July twenty-second, he left this world to join my mom who went to heaven six and a half years ago. Dad was 103 years old. He had lived an amazing life. He was devoted to God, to his wife, and to his family. He and Mom had eight children, over thirty grandchildren (my sister knows the exact number) and many more great grandchildren. These two people had over one hundred descendants. My dad was a good example to the next generations. That he was much loved was clearly evident when all of his children with their spouses, nearly all of his grandchildren, and many of his great grandchildren showed up for his funeral in Northern Michigan. One grandchild flew in from California for a day, another was there from Switzerland, another also came from California but stayed several days. Others came from Minnesota, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New York.
There is a sadness about dying at such an age. None of his friends came, none of his beloved in-laws came, and no one from his generation was able to make it. They had all already passed. That part was sad. He was the last of his generation in our family to go. Now it is up to my generation. There is also a gladness about it, gladness that he is going to be with them.
He was born in Detroit in 1921. His dad died when he was two, just after his baby brother was born with intellectual limitations. Dad was such a responsible person for both his mother, brother, and then us all of his life. After his dad died, his British (and increasingly deaf) mother took her two children back to England. She came back to the US a few years later when her sister, who lived near Detroit, begged her. When he was ten, during the hard years of the depression, his mother sent him to live with her sister and brother-in-law for one year, and there he attended a one room country schoolhouse where my mother also just happened to be in the same grade. During that year, he formed a close friendship with Mom’s brothers that continued throughout his life. His mother remarried and his stepfather taught him to repair automobiles, a skill he used to repair our vehicles for many, many years. When he was about 19, while he was visiting his aunt and uncle, Mom’s mother contrived a plot to get those two together. It worked. After high school, he joined the army before Pearl Harbor. Of course, that changed everything. He and Mom quickly got married in May of 1942 just before he was sent overseas. His education in Detroit schools had prepared him to do secretarial type work and so he worked in various positions in the signal corps during the war.
After the war came the 50’s, family, a job at GMC, home ownership, financial difficulties with his growing family (eight children!) and more responsibilities with his deaf and eventually once again widowed mother and his brother. My point with all of this is that he had a lot to deal with in his life, but he always went through it with grace and kindness. He had a lot of high points in life as well, but went through some times of intense struggle, especially concerning his brother.
In the end, he overcame so much in his life. I am deeply grateful for his example in the lives of all those in our family, especially for the younger generation. In his later years, he was completely attentive to my mother as she struggled through dementia and osteoporosis. He became innocent as a child, but not childish. He would sometimes say, “I love you. You love me. We all love each other, and that’s all we have to do.” When I saw him in January, he woke up from a nap and said, “My wife in heaven is happy, and pretty soon I will be with her and we will be happy together.” Five days before he passed, he was talking on a video call with two of his granddaughters. He said, “It’s going to happen soon. This time my journey is going to be short.” He talked about seeing a beautiful light and said, “It’s a miracle!”
So, God be with you, Dad. Thank you so much for being who you are. It has helped so many of us to know and love God. The time we have here on earth is such a blessing. From your life, it is clear that time is a blessing and the difficulties in life are meant to help us overcome and get closer to our Father in heaven. Living the truth helps us to overcome the hurdles that we all must experience. I’m very grateful that you were able to live such a long and fruitful life and be a witness that love conquers all and that God and heaven are beautiful and worthy rewards for a life well lived. Love you, Dad.
