My Daddy
Let me tell you about the father God created for me…….and words that describe him
Resourcefulness
My father. He was never father; he was always “daddy.” Always and forever daddy. We were separated at my young age of 6 due
to a divorce. But I have vivid memories of those years on Orchard Mesa where he let me ride on the tractor, helped me ride
the new bicycle where I crashed and burned and picked the gravel out of my teeth, where he worked in his workshop/garage he
built with his own two hands. He had a field he planted each year, corn and other vegetables. He helped my uncle Hank across
the canal put in their hardwood flooring that to this day it is still in that house. He added on our bathroom and my bedroom
to the cabin they brought down from Grand Mesa as their home. He worked on his truck and cars all the time. He always wanted
to be outside in the fresh air, not confined. Why does this matter? Because daddy was orphaned. He had no one to show him
any of these skills ever. He was a natural with these skills, and became so resourceful coming from a hard life without his
parents. I am amazed at his talents when I realize his background.
Sense of humor
Then we were in California and had about 7 yrs we didn’t see each other. I always tell everyone my daddy and I had an “adult”
relationship. This was different than a little child/father relationship like most kids. I spent every summer with him and
his new wife Betty after they were married. We went to Minnesota the summer I was 16, and spent time fishing on a lake every
day and having fried Wall-eyed pike for dinner and home made sticky buns for breakfast. I got a big fish and jumped up so
fast to reel it in that my cut off jeans button flew off, and they fell down around my knees! I caught the fish, however.
He laughed for an hour. We went to the Minnesota Twins/New York Yankees baseball game and daddy, and I were the only two
people in the audience yelling for the Yankees. And we’d laugh hysterically at that even though we could have been run out
of the stadium. We thought it was a so funny. And your jokes, and the twinkle you got in your eye just before you told one.
We all knew when one was coming by that twinkle.
Little Kindnesses
When daddy got out of the military, he was helping my Uncle Hank do some work at his house. My cousin had some boots.
Daddy took those boots aside, and polished them with a military shine. She said it seemed like he worked on them for hours.
She was so impressed and happy she wouldn’t even take them off to sleep. She kept them on for days. A simple little kindness
that made such a huge impression on a child. He went to work on the railroad for days at a time, and I would watch the dirt
gravel road out the front window wondering if he would be bringing me corn candy or lemon drops when he got home. But I knew
it was one or the other.
Golfing and fishing
Golfing and fishing were two of his loves during his retirement, but he golfed before it was fashionable .I went with him
often to golf and drove the golf cart, but he liked to walk. Good exercise and it kept his diabetes in check for many years
. I went and lived with them when I went to Mesa State until I got married. We moved to AZ, and he loved it because it was
warm and sunny and, he said he’d love to live there again, (He was stationed there during WWII) as there were so many golf
courses he wanted to play. My sons played with him when they were old enough, and one of them told me they were sure they
would beat him because he had a tremor in his hands later in life. But when he got up to the tee and hit the ball, it was
straight as an arrow. They were speechless! Of course, he won, and was proud of it. He finally got his dream of two
holes-in one when he was in his early 70’s. And as luck would have it, he got a sore on his foot and it was amputated about
6 years ago, ending his golfing life. I called many times to see how he was doing and he always said “I have never had a bit
of pain.” Now for a man, that is amazing in itself.
Tenacity
Then the ravages of Alzheimer’s took the majority of his memory over time. I always called his home or his nursing home , and
talked to him and most of the time I got a few sentences, then a sentence or two, then sometimes an uh huh, uh huh,.
The nurses and care givers constantly told me he was always friendly, always smiling, talking to everyone in his own language
, clapping and singing to the music. This made it particularly hard when it was time for him to go. He was not an unhappy
person.
When I saw him in May 2004, a big hug, smile, and death grip on my hand. Then silence when I called, only his breath could
I hear. I knew the time was nearing, breaking my heart... Did he have a quality of life? Who knows? Was he unhappy?
Not according to the people who cared for him? Why is this important? This was a man who wanted to be unconfined, outdoors,
breathing, the air, living in his environment, fishing, golfing and all that was taken from him when he was put in an
Alzheimer’s unit. And yet, he was happy. That was the man daddy was. He was a tough old Austrian and he adapted and adjusted
better than any human I have seen in the same situation. How proud I am of him for his endurance and tenacity.
WWII Veteran
We took daddy to Williams Air Field AZ in 1992/93. The government was getting ready to close the field so I decided we should
go see it one last time. He had a card in his wallet and wanted to see if he could get in the gate with it. I was skeptical.
He showed the military guard the card, the young man stood straight up, saluted, and said, “yes sir, you may enter. “ He got
that glint in his eye and smiled a mile. How proud he was. He remembered everything on that base after all those years.
Daddy, you and the other WWII veterans gave us the life we live today, fighting for our freedoms and giving up your lives for
all of the citizens in the U.S. I couldn’t be prouder to say my daddy is a WWII veteran. I hope the service today will
reflect that pride and make you proud as well. You deserve it.
I will love and miss you every day in my heart, and I will see you one day again. Hopefully, not too soon as I still have a
lot to do here myself. Join your mother, father, brother and baby sister and be at peace with God at your side.
Your loving daughter,
Gaye
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Daddy and Gaye