i want to tell you about my dad.
he was 88 years young. born and raised in hartford, arkansas near ft. smith. although he came here at about age 18 to find work in the big city, his heart never left the country.
he was was unique, colorful, genuine, a man's man, complex, caring, tough as nails, emotional, frugal, strong as an ox, lean, macho. he liked to look good in clothes. he loved hats and time pieces (watches). he prayed eloquently and from the heart. he was gullible. he had allot of self confidence. people liked him. he was opinionated and funny. he liked to have fun with the grandkids.
he was married to my mom for 66 years minus some amount of time when they divorced and remarried each other. he had 3 children. all of us know the Lord and my brother was his pastor.
he ran track and played football for hartford high school and kept in touch with his classmates up until the end.
he grew up dirt poor. his dad was a coal miner and his parents grew/raised most everything they ate but he said they didn't know they were poor.
he was blinded in his left eye at about age 19 by a hot rivet hitting it because his shield was not down (it didn't stop him in the least for his life to come).
he joined the army and served stateside due to his blind eye during wwii.
he loved to dance jitterbug at the vanity ballroom in detroit and liked to sing. his love for singing continued his whole life only he sang for the Lord after he was born again.
he worked many different jobs throughout his life. plant security guard, chrysler, a hospital orderly, dry cleaning store owner, janitor and church custodian.
he went to dry cleaning school and opened many different dry cleaners until polyester probably put him out of business. he employed many different people along the way including his "mama" who was his seamstress, his "sis", my mom, sister, brother all worked for my dad. he sold the business when i was in high school and became a janitor at jcpenney and retired with a pension something he never thought he would have. he was proud of his job at jcpenney. he loved the fact that his employment gave his family a discount. he became the church custodian for my brothers church in his 80's.
he kept grueling hours his whole life. when he had his dry cleaners he was open 12 hrs/day 6 days a week. in his 60's he had to be to work at 5am and still did carpets on the side.
he successfully bid on a large contract with the government to clean their offices. he really was smart even though he only had a high school education. he had allot of self confidence and thought he could do almost anything.
he still had time and energy to be in church on sunday, two services and wednesday prayer meeting and choir practice and taught sunday school.
he was 6' 1" and very lean and very strong for his stature. he could hold himself perpendicular to a pole in his 60's we have a picture.
he loved baseball right to the very end. a fond memory as a kid was that he propped the radio in the window facing our backyard with the ball game on and my dad barbecuing or doing something in the yard listening to george kell announce the game
he and my mom went to a billy graham crusade in the then briggs stadium in the 40's and she gave him an elbow and said "let's go" when they gave the invitation. he said that was the best hit he ever took. maybe that is why he loved the game so much.
he set up a real boxing bag from the rafters of the basement and would box. he could make it go just like the pro's.
he in addition to running his business he cleaned carpets (before wall to wall) in our basement and hung them on boards from our basement rafters. he bought huge fans to dry them.
he rolled the carpets in butcher paper we would help roll and tie jute on the ends and the middle to keep the paper on so they looked professional.
in the last 15 years he tried out for a talent show at the mall and also sang in a senior show at a very large performing arts college near by. he sang a gospel song wearing his signature red blazer and they put a huge cross light as the back drop (try that today). he sang regularly at church. he was a tenor. he made tapes of the songs he sang and sold them. we just converted it to cd form. it is our treasure. he loved to sing: i'll fly away, 3 rusty nails, tell your roubles about Jesus, stretch forth thine hand, he has risen, higher than i've ever been, where could i go, amazing grace, just a closer walk, take my hand.
he was 88 years young. born and raised in hartford, arkansas near ft. smith. although he came here at about age 18 to find work in the big city, his heart never left the country.
he was was unique, colorful, genuine, a man's man, complex, caring, tough as nails, emotional, frugal, strong as an ox, lean, macho. he liked to look good in clothes. he loved hats and time pieces (watches). he prayed eloquently and from the heart. he was gullible. he had allot of self confidence. people liked him. he was opinionated and funny. he liked to have fun with the grandkids.
he was married to my mom for 66 years minus some amount of time when they divorced and remarried each other. he had 3 children. all of us know the Lord and my brother was his pastor.
he ran track and played football for hartford high school and kept in touch with his classmates up until the end.
he grew up dirt poor. his dad was a coal miner and his parents grew/raised most everything they ate but he said they didn't know they were poor.
he was blinded in his left eye at about age 19 by a hot rivet hitting it because his shield was not down (it didn't stop him in the least for his life to come).
he joined the army and served stateside due to his blind eye during wwii.
he loved to dance jitterbug at the vanity ballroom in detroit and liked to sing. his love for singing continued his whole life only he sang for the Lord after he was born again.
he worked many different jobs throughout his life. plant security guard, chrysler, a hospital orderly, dry cleaning store owner, janitor and church custodian.
he went to dry cleaning school and opened many different dry cleaners until polyester probably put him out of business. he employed many different people along the way including his "mama" who was his seamstress, his "sis", my mom, sister, brother all worked for my dad. he sold the business when i was in high school and became a janitor at jcpenney and retired with a pension something he never thought he would have. he was proud of his job at jcpenney. he loved the fact that his employment gave his family a discount. he became the church custodian for my brothers church in his 80's.
he kept grueling hours his whole life. when he had his dry cleaners he was open 12 hrs/day 6 days a week. in his 60's he had to be to work at 5am and still did carpets on the side.
he successfully bid on a large contract with the government to clean their offices. he really was smart even though he only had a high school education. he had allot of self confidence and thought he could do almost anything.
he still had time and energy to be in church on sunday, two services and wednesday prayer meeting and choir practice and taught sunday school.
he was 6' 1" and very lean and very strong for his stature. he could hold himself perpendicular to a pole in his 60's we have a picture.
he loved baseball right to the very end. a fond memory as a kid was that he propped the radio in the window facing our backyard with the ball game on and my dad barbecuing or doing something in the yard listening to george kell announce the game
he and my mom went to a billy graham crusade in the then briggs stadium in the 40's and she gave him an elbow and said "let's go" when they gave the invitation. he said that was the best hit he ever took. maybe that is why he loved the game so much.
he set up a real boxing bag from the rafters of the basement and would box. he could make it go just like the pro's.
he in addition to running his business he cleaned carpets (before wall to wall) in our basement and hung them on boards from our basement rafters. he bought huge fans to dry them.
he rolled the carpets in butcher paper we would help roll and tie jute on the ends and the middle to keep the paper on so they looked professional.
in the last 15 years he tried out for a talent show at the mall and also sang in a senior show at a very large performing arts college near by. he sang a gospel song wearing his signature red blazer and they put a huge cross light as the back drop (try that today). he sang regularly at church. he was a tenor. he made tapes of the songs he sang and sold them. we just converted it to cd form. it is our treasure. he loved to sing: i'll fly away, 3 rusty nails, tell your roubles about Jesus, stretch forth thine hand, he has risen, higher than i've ever been, where could i go, amazing grace, just a closer walk, take my hand.
a memory from when i was about 10 was my parents taking me to an "all night sing" downtown to hear gospel quartets. he loved the blackwood brothers.
he and mom drove me to cleveland to see elvis presley when i was 13.
he loved to think up inventions, we found some drawings.
he wrote things down in scads of pads of paper, his thoughts on scripture mostly..
he could fix anything, maybe not the right way but he could fix it, he loved duck tape.
he used the word bugger like "he could run like a bugger" .
he played the harmonica well, and took piano lessons in his 70's.
he garbage picked allot everything had value.
he enjoyed our dog who always was with him on the couch.
my mom suggested we plant him a garden this year for fathers day. we did while he supervised and he said that was the best fathers day gift he ever got. the gardens he used to plant sometimes took up our whole back yard and we had a very large one. mom and he canned.
he planted fruit trees, we had a peach, plumb, apple and pear all at the same time.
he used to make us a skating rink in the back yard.
he made snow ice cream for us in the winter, clean snow, milk and vanilla just like when he was a kid down home.
he bought us 3 pools the last was the biggest 4 x 24. he would go swimming only once a year and he would have to get in the shower start warm then turn it colder, run on the towels he lined on the floor to the back door and then jump in and we would all laugh.
he believed in vitamins and he had a sweet tooth.
he was a big worrier, my brother is 55 and lives 5 minutes away and he made him call when he got home at night.
he saved his money well and was frugal. he would give you the shirt off his back.
he hated christmas and argued about the tree being put up each year.
he was an avid reader, the paper everyday, always the op-ed page and sports he would frequently write to the editor.
he owned stock that he would check everyday until his cataract would not let him then he made my brother check it.
he memorized scripture.
he was very patriotic, made his own red, white and blue flag pole, he wanted to sing the national anthem at a tigers baseball game.
he was buried in the veterans section of the cemetery with a 4 man army detail burial, taps were played and he would have not felt worthy but would have been very proud to say the least.
he always wanted to be buried near his brother "johnny" who died in 1969. we picked his plot only to be told they moved it a few over. we don't know why. but he is now about 60 feet from his brother whom he loved.
he was with me for 50 years, my brother for 55, my sister for 63, my mom for 68. life has now taken a turn down a road we have never been before. we will have to find our new normal but life will never seem normal without dad.
he loved to think up inventions, we found some drawings.
he wrote things down in scads of pads of paper, his thoughts on scripture mostly..
he could fix anything, maybe not the right way but he could fix it, he loved duck tape.
he used the word bugger like "he could run like a bugger" .
he played the harmonica well, and took piano lessons in his 70's.
he garbage picked allot everything had value.
he enjoyed our dog who always was with him on the couch.
my mom suggested we plant him a garden this year for fathers day. we did while he supervised and he said that was the best fathers day gift he ever got. the gardens he used to plant sometimes took up our whole back yard and we had a very large one. mom and he canned.
he planted fruit trees, we had a peach, plumb, apple and pear all at the same time.
he used to make us a skating rink in the back yard.
he made snow ice cream for us in the winter, clean snow, milk and vanilla just like when he was a kid down home.
he bought us 3 pools the last was the biggest 4 x 24. he would go swimming only once a year and he would have to get in the shower start warm then turn it colder, run on the towels he lined on the floor to the back door and then jump in and we would all laugh.
he believed in vitamins and he had a sweet tooth.
he was a big worrier, my brother is 55 and lives 5 minutes away and he made him call when he got home at night.
he saved his money well and was frugal. he would give you the shirt off his back.
he hated christmas and argued about the tree being put up each year.
he was an avid reader, the paper everyday, always the op-ed page and sports he would frequently write to the editor.
he owned stock that he would check everyday until his cataract would not let him then he made my brother check it.
he memorized scripture.
he was very patriotic, made his own red, white and blue flag pole, he wanted to sing the national anthem at a tigers baseball game.
he was buried in the veterans section of the cemetery with a 4 man army detail burial, taps were played and he would have not felt worthy but would have been very proud to say the least.
he always wanted to be buried near his brother "johnny" who died in 1969. we picked his plot only to be told they moved it a few over. we don't know why. but he is now about 60 feet from his brother whom he loved.
he was with me for 50 years, my brother for 55, my sister for 63, my mom for 68. life has now taken a turn down a road we have never been before. we will have to find our new normal but life will never seem normal without dad.
5 comments:
How you must miss him. You're in my prayers.
Kathy
Wow! He sounds like a wonderful Father. You were truly blessed to have him in your life and I'm sure you miss more than you can say. Thanks for giving me just a peek into his life.
Much love,
~Cheryl
Sounds like a wonderful man. I enjoyed reading about him. I think it is great that you have so many good memories of him. Still praying for you.
Oh Janel...
I am blown away. Your dad was amazing. And I say that with such strength and depth as I type the word. He was AMAZING. This is a man I would love to meet and see that amazement in his life. Won't eternity be a beautiful thing?? You did the greatest thing by writing all this down. You'll never forget now.
I'm praying for you....for all of you. I love ya!
Fran
I enjoyed reading about this incredible man! Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute! By the way, I am going to the "Siesta Fiesta" and I live in MI...you no longer have to fly alone if you want to go! ( I think I read on the comments on JennyHopes blog that you wanted to go, but didn't want to fly alone!)
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