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Saturday, June 14th, 2008
A Tribute to My Dad

Dad - you aren’t here to read this anymore, but you are still with me in my mind, every day. A person that knew you as I did doesn’t forget you on your passing. The things you did, what you said, how you acted, what you stood for, what you believed in, are all things that I have carried with me throughout my life, and because of those things that a father passes on to his son, I have had a better, meaningful life.



You started teaching me things when I was very little, two years old in the picture above. You were a jack-of-all-trades when it came to doing things around the house or fixing anything. You were good; you had a good mind on how to figure things out and how to visualize the end product, and what it took to get to the end product. I watched you, listened to you, and tried to copy you - I still do today.



You were a hard worker in a very dangerous job. For thirty two years you mined coal, and lived to tell about it! (Thank you, God.) You and a handful of other men sank a mine and started it into coal production that lasted 32 years. You saw a lot of men leave the mine and look for work elsewhere, but you stuck it out till it finally closed for good. You lasted the 32 years in the mine, but its effect on your lungs is what eventually claimed you. And you knew that it was probably going to happen some some day after breathing that much coal dust, that’s why you encouraged me to look beyond coal mining upon my high school graduation. I took your advice and spent 32 years in the classroom as a teacher.



I remember the first time I went fishing with you, the first time I went rabbit hunting with you, and the first time I went squirrel hunting with you. As I grew older I began to realize just how good you were at these outdoor activities. I learned that hunting is more than shooting an animal and fishing is more than getting the hook into the fish’s mouth. You taught me about the beauty of nature and how to respect it. Today I still fish and hunt, but I spend more time now with a camera trying to catch some of its beauty.



I always admired your sense of humor and your respect for the people with whom you socialized. I don’t ever recall you saying anything negative about my mother - I know you guys didn’t always see eye to eye - but you never belittled her in my presence, and I don’t ever recall any nasty arguments taking place. You were good at teasing her (and you know she enjoyed it, although she acted to the contrary!!). You told me that marriage was something you had to work at, it didn’t just go onto automatic pilot after “I Do” day. You and Mom were married in 1936, and 47 years later, at the time of your death, you two were still married. This year will make the 37th year Nancy and I have been married. In all fairness to Nancy, she is the main factor we have been together that long. But knowing you, Dad, I’ll wager you would have said the same thing about Mom!!!



You worked hard in your life, but were never wealthy. You and Mom went through some pretty tough years, financially. Yet, you never bitched about how hard things were, never complained that some people were rich and you weren’t. You took what life dealt you and accepted it and moved on. You valued what you had, you took care of it and treated it properly. I remember a couple of the cars you had (not new ones) when I was growing up - only the touch of someone mechanically minded like you could have coaxed those babies to run that long!! I also remember the first new car you owned, a 1959 Chevy Bel-Aire. You took a lot of pride in that car, and treated it with tender, loving care. That same ‘59 Chevy was the car that you used in teaching me how to drive - and see, I didn’t burn the clutch out on it!!!!!



Mom mainly took care of the inside chores while you took care of the outside. Both of you were good at what you did. Dust was not around very long at 1604 Broadway before Mom made it disappear. But, outside was always neat, also. The grass was always mowed, the house and garage never in disrepair, and the garden free of weeds. Mom did most of the cooking inside, nothing fancy, just basic, but good. You did all the cooking outside on the charcoal grill. Your barbecued chicken was your specialty. Wow, that was good eating!! I don’t use a gas grill, but like you I use charcoal for it’s flavor, and I would probably have to say hamburgers are my specialty.



I remember around the time Nancy and I married in 1971 that you were slowing down, you just couldn’t go all day like you could when I was growing up. About the time your first grandson (Randy) came along, your hunting and fishing days were basically over, it was just too hard for you to walk with your bad knees, even with a knee replacement. Bad knees or not, whenever you saw our first child, you were down on the floor playing with him. You were like a little kid yourself when you were with Randy!! At that time of your life, I couldn’t understand why you were so happy and excited - you had spent a lifetime of fishing, hunting, and doing things around the house, and then you just weren’t physically able to do them anymore. I didn’t know then, about one of the greatest gifts in life - grandparenthood!!! I can’t walk far today, arthritis in my hips and poor circulation in my legs, so my hunting and fishing trips have been reduced in number. But that’s ok, cause I now can get down on the floor and play with your two great grand kids, Ethan and Mia.


Thanks, Dad, for what you have given me!
Love You,
Steve