Tribute to Dad

Today is Father's Day!

And my Dad is awesome!

Dad is a SURVIVOR! He had cancer as a boy and again after 70. He also had a heart attack. And that doesn't count a number of injuries while he was working! At 87, he is still going strong!

Dad is INVENTIVE! He can figure out a way to make something or do something when everyone else would have considered it an impossibility.

Dad has a TERRIFIC SENSE OF HUMOR! He can tell good jokes and funny stories. He has been known to play some practical jokes on a lot of people!

Dad is a GOOD TEACHER. He taught me how to drive! He has taught his sons and grandsons all kinds of useful skills. For a long time, he was a Sunday School teacher for the adult class at church.

After Dad had his right arm and shoulder amputated due to cancer, he developed a new CREATIVE SKILL. He began to do intarsia....working with wood to create pieces of art. Not only has he made and sold and given away many pieces of intarsia, but he also shows his work at senior citizen groups, church groups....well, all kinds of groups. And, he was a "profesor" for continuing education at the local junior college, giving a class on intarsia.

Dad, Mom, and David were PRESENTED THE T. W. ANDERSON AWARD at the Covenant Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado in June, 2005. This award is presented to a layman or in this case, a family team, for outstanding contributions to the local church, the denomination, their community and their workplace. Dad, Mom, and David each addressed the entire gathering at a special session where they received the award and were honored at a private dinner.

Dad is a WISE COUNSELOR. He shares his wisdom with his family, his church, and church leaders. Many of us have been saved from making mistakes or bad choices because of Dad's wisdom.

Dad is a CARING FRIEND. You can find him doing all kinds of things: driving people to appointments and shopping, greeting visitors at church, giving sound advice to the pastor, taking a crippled friend (wheelchair included) out to eat with the guys, fixing things for others, taking his grandkids places (not anymore as they all drive!), making hospital, nursing home, and home visits to the sick and shut-in, making a special piece of intarsia for a child, and on and on!

Dad ENJOYS ANIMALS....he feeds the birds in special feeders he has set up in the backyard, has peanuts and dog food ready for the raccoons and takes time to make a fenced-in area for Opie and Maxie when we visit in Rockford.

And although I don't really want to let the secret out, he MAKES THE BEST KROPKAKKOR in the entire world. I won't even dare explain what that is because we don't really want to share when he makes it.

Dad is an AVID READER! He reads historical novels, well written mysteries (not the murder/horror type), magazines, a wide variety of reading material. I love to share good books with him. He recognizes good literature.

And, this is just a peek at all the wonderful things my Dad is!!!!!! His deep love for God and desire to serve Him and his love for his family make him.....well, just AWESOME!!!

(**Just a note: After 64 years of marriage, it is very hard to talk about Dad without mentioning Mom because she is a part of everything Dad does and is. That's what ALL those years of marriage have done!!)