Tonight I said goodbye to the Greatest Man I have ever known, or will ever know. My Dad. My Father. My Daddy.
I'm going to tell you a bit about him. Not sure how. How can you some up someones life? Someone you held dear for so long? Someone who taught you everything that he could? I will try. But nothing I say here will ever do him true Justice.
God how do I start?
My first remembrance of him dates back to when I was about 3 or 4. My brother had thrown a rock at a stray dog because he was trying to keep the dog away from me and my younger sister. The dog skipped out of the way and the rock somehow got stuck in my puppy's throat. We rushed the puppy to my dad. My dad gently took the puppy into the garage and told us kids to stay outside. Being so young that's all I can remember of that instance.
My next remembrance was on the day that Mt. St. Helen's blew. I was five. We had two mama goats that were having kids. My father was rushing about getting what was needed to help birth them. My parents wouldn't let me out that day. I didn't understand why. I simply thought it was snowing. Anyways, one of those mama goats was a mean one. The only people that she would let around her were my Dad and my brother. Everyone else she would rush and butt em.
As I'm sure you can tell by now this was a man that animals loved. He always had a way with them. He always knew what to do when they were hurt, or sick.
And he was a work-a-holic. The man did not know how to stop working. And he did everything. Logged. Construction on skyscrapers. Worked on a turkey farm in North Carolina. Ran a cement figurine store and eventually had his own store making and doing the same thing. Made cement fountains, picnic tables and all sorts of things out of cement. At the same time we lived on a chicken farm raising chickens for Draper Valley Farms from the time they were hatched to the time they took them to be slaughtered. Built his own home with his own two hands, a chain saw and an old mill years later. Man he could use a chainsaw. I don't think anyone was ever as good with a chainsaw as him. He was also a mechanic. Could fix damn near any engine out there.
Despite working every single day of his life that he could he raised 4 children. While he wasn't the type to speak his emotions he did show them. He showed them through his hands and his eyes. You know the song Daddy's Hands by Holly Dunn? That was him. There isn't a song out there that fit him more. For years whenever I heard that song I thought of my dad. And in the last few years during his decline that song made me cry. Now it will make me cry harder whenever I hear it. And I will be surprised if I can even stand to hear the full song anymore.
Don't get me wrong. My Dad was no saint. He had a temper on him. Being red haired and Irish that doesn't surprise me though. But despite his faults, I'm quite sure that he was let into those Pearly Gates up in Heaven. For he had a good Heart. A caring Heart. He loved his wife. He loved his children...even when we did some really stupid ****. And of course, he loved his grandchildren.
This was just a small small taste of this Great Man. All that I can currently write about him.
I love you Daddy. I will miss you. I will never forget you.
I'm going to tell you a bit about him. Not sure how. How can you some up someones life? Someone you held dear for so long? Someone who taught you everything that he could? I will try. But nothing I say here will ever do him true Justice.
God how do I start?
My first remembrance of him dates back to when I was about 3 or 4. My brother had thrown a rock at a stray dog because he was trying to keep the dog away from me and my younger sister. The dog skipped out of the way and the rock somehow got stuck in my puppy's throat. We rushed the puppy to my dad. My dad gently took the puppy into the garage and told us kids to stay outside. Being so young that's all I can remember of that instance.
My next remembrance was on the day that Mt. St. Helen's blew. I was five. We had two mama goats that were having kids. My father was rushing about getting what was needed to help birth them. My parents wouldn't let me out that day. I didn't understand why. I simply thought it was snowing. Anyways, one of those mama goats was a mean one. The only people that she would let around her were my Dad and my brother. Everyone else she would rush and butt em.
As I'm sure you can tell by now this was a man that animals loved. He always had a way with them. He always knew what to do when they were hurt, or sick.
And he was a work-a-holic. The man did not know how to stop working. And he did everything. Logged. Construction on skyscrapers. Worked on a turkey farm in North Carolina. Ran a cement figurine store and eventually had his own store making and doing the same thing. Made cement fountains, picnic tables and all sorts of things out of cement. At the same time we lived on a chicken farm raising chickens for Draper Valley Farms from the time they were hatched to the time they took them to be slaughtered. Built his own home with his own two hands, a chain saw and an old mill years later. Man he could use a chainsaw. I don't think anyone was ever as good with a chainsaw as him. He was also a mechanic. Could fix damn near any engine out there.
Despite working every single day of his life that he could he raised 4 children. While he wasn't the type to speak his emotions he did show them. He showed them through his hands and his eyes. You know the song Daddy's Hands by Holly Dunn? That was him. There isn't a song out there that fit him more. For years whenever I heard that song I thought of my dad. And in the last few years during his decline that song made me cry. Now it will make me cry harder whenever I hear it. And I will be surprised if I can even stand to hear the full song anymore.
Don't get me wrong. My Dad was no saint. He had a temper on him. Being red haired and Irish that doesn't surprise me though. But despite his faults, I'm quite sure that he was let into those Pearly Gates up in Heaven. For he had a good Heart. A caring Heart. He loved his wife. He loved his children...even when we did some really stupid ****. And of course, he loved his grandchildren.
This was just a small small taste of this Great Man. All that I can currently write about him.
I love you Daddy. I will miss you. I will never forget you.