Happy Father’s Day

My Dad died in 2002 and while I miss him, Father’s Day is especially hard.  We had a very close relationship with him calling me “Big Daughter” because I am the oldest child.  I can still hear him say in that southern drawl of his, “now, Big Daughter.” 

Daddy was a long tall drink of water, skinny as a rail, ate like a horse and never gained a pound.  He loved children and resented anyone referring to their children as “kids”.  He would say, “they are not billy goats, they are children.” 

He was meticulous about his dress and hated to be late for anything.  If we kids stepped on the toes of his polished shoes we were in trouble.  Dad was a very kind man—cutting firewood for older people who couldn’t do it anymore, visiting older people and the sick. 

Dad didn’t have hobbies, work was his hobby.  He worked a fulltime job all his life, raised a huge garden, mowed acres of lawn and also helped his own Dad with the farm.  Every Sunday he was in church without fail.

Unfortunately life handed him a bad hand when he retired.  He developed a work related lung disease then rheumatoid arthritis.  He was only 72 years old when he died.  Happy Father’s Day, Dad, we miss you!

Lonn, LoraLee and Katie came over to have Father’s Day lunch with Michael and me.  Nat didn’t feel up to joining us so Michael and I went into town later and visited with him taking the fixings for root beer floats. 

For Father’s Day I gave Michael a subscription to Ancestry.com.  He has always had a keen interest in his ancestors and I thought he would enjoy this as a gift.  Well, I hit that one right on the head.  He spent a couple hours right off the bat researching this morning finding someone generations ago on his Dad’s side of the family that was born in Massachusetts in 1730!!!! 

My Dad

Nat with his great granddaughter Laci. 

Happy Father’s Day