Dad would have been 99 today

Dad was born, April 14, 1910, in Bear Thicket, Missouri, and like his father lived to be 70 years of age. If he was still alive, he would be 99 years old today. It does not seem possible to me that he has been gone for nearly 30 years, but he has. My memories of him have not dimmed in those years, and as I have gotten older, I feel his presence in my life even more.

He was a strong disciplinarian but not mean. He expected his children to mind, and the consequences were quite clear to all four of us. He had large hands and was quite capable of using them on the bottom of any child who might be difficult. You did not back talk to him.

He was a people person and an excellent teacher. He taught sales training for his company, GLF and later renamed Agway. He never let on that he might not like a person, preferring to make them his friend if at all possible.

He was good with his hands and could make things like Adirondack lawn chairs, if he had the time. He loved to cook, and his favorite dishes were things like Cornell barbecue chicken and casseroles. He could type, and when mom was in graduate school or completing her undergraduate degree, he frequently typed her papers since she could not type.

He loved to travel and really enjoyed car trips. He would happily visit any of us regardless of where we might be living at the moment. Once he got there, he wanted to keep busy and would attend to any house-fixing jobs he could find.

He loved to play cards and was a tough opponent, although mostly he just loved to play and be in on the conversation around and throughout the game. Usually at the end of the game you were not exactly surprised to learn that Dad had won, again. Like all of us he got to be hard of hearing, but that did not stop his love of conversation. He was a great dad and Grandad, and a splendid role model for us. Happy 99th birthday, Dad.