A friend of mine wrote this and sent it too me. Pretty sad. Thought I would share.
I enjoyed fishing with you. I loved the fact that you never hesitated, and actually enjoyed teaching my sons and daughter (your grandchildren) to fish.
You were a quiet, thoughtful man. You never said much and that is what always intrigued me about you. I wondered what you were thinking allot of times. I supposed on those fishing trips it was nothing more than where that Walleye was. Was that it Al?
Where did you learn to work on wood the way you did? We love the baby cradle you built Sierra. It is upstairs in her room. She uses it allot with her girlfriends when they have all their dolls out and are dressing up like "big people". She misses you allot Al. She knows your in heaven but still has tears for her grandpas. She wants you to talk to Grandpa Ed and tell him she misses him too.
I have your weapons. Dorothy gave them too me. I took the boys out shooting today. I gave Tyler the pellet gun and Cody the BB gun. We shot up one of the many coffee cups your daughter had laying around the house. She was mad at me. It didn't last long though. I have the rifles and shotguns up under the bed. Cody was very happy to get the compound bow. He tried pulling it but it was too much of a challenge for his little 9-year-old arms. He is waiting for the day he can pull it the way you did. So am I. I will enjoy the time in the woods hunting with him...the way you and your daughters enjoyed fishing and being together.
You were a hard worker Al. I always admired the way you worked day in and day out. On those rivers, building those barges and driving them up and down the Mississippi and St. Croix must have been a challenge. By the way, all of your friends were there. The ones you worked with for 35 years. They were there to pay their last respects. I spoke with several of them and saw allot of you in them. They are great people Al. Not unlike you at all. The weathered faces, rough, leather like skin and smiling eyes; they were allot like you Al. They had allot of respect for you. They cried....they cried for you Al. I talked to them and told them about our conversation two days prior to you leaving. I told them about what you told me and how you spoke to several of those that had left ahead of you. They all listened, Al. I told them about how you believed what Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3 and how you’re going to meet up with us again. I told them what you told me that day in the Mayo Clinic, do you remember? How you said you had everything in order and were ready to leave. How you said you talked to God. They all listened. Some smiled and some listened and then just watched us. You know what I mean? The way people do when they want to see if it is real or not. Live the life, right Al? I really look forward to seeing you again. Maybe we could just sit down and talk or maybe just go out fishing....do they fish in Heaven, Al?
Hey Al, remember that time in the Officers Club in Germany during the 1990 Super Bowl you told me she was the most spoiled one of the bunch.... well, as usual you were right. I still love her Al.
I mean this from the bottom of my heart Al. Your daughter has been a God fearing, loving, beautiful, hard working woman, wife, and mother. You raised her the right way Al. There is no other like her. But I know you knew that didn't you? I saw it in your eyes Al. You would have been a lousy poker player. It was the gleam in your eye everytime you saw her that gave it away Al. The same gleam I saw when your grandchildren would all run up to you and hug (mug) you all at once.
Dorothy had a rough day today. She called sobbing. She said she was overcome with loneliness today. We spoke with her and had her feeling better by the time we hung up the phone. The boys and I mowed and raked the lawn. I fixed that living room window too. It was just a $3 hinge that needed replacing. It works fine now.
Dorothy gave Mark the truck. She wanted to give the boys the boat but I told her "What would we do with a boat in Iowa?" She got a laugh out of that. When we retire back in Minnesota we will get one. I told her to sell it or give it to your brother.
I wish you never smoked Al. But that was what people did back then, right? That was the norm. It is ironic how what we think is a healthy lifestyle (after putting common sense aside) always seems to kill us in the end.
Oh well, say hello to my father Al. I miss him and can't wait to see you and him again. We are clinging to Romans 8:28 and Isaiah 26:3. I love you, Al.
Your son in law
I enjoyed fishing with you. I loved the fact that you never hesitated, and actually enjoyed teaching my sons and daughter (your grandchildren) to fish.
You were a quiet, thoughtful man. You never said much and that is what always intrigued me about you. I wondered what you were thinking allot of times. I supposed on those fishing trips it was nothing more than where that Walleye was. Was that it Al?
Where did you learn to work on wood the way you did? We love the baby cradle you built Sierra. It is upstairs in her room. She uses it allot with her girlfriends when they have all their dolls out and are dressing up like "big people". She misses you allot Al. She knows your in heaven but still has tears for her grandpas. She wants you to talk to Grandpa Ed and tell him she misses him too.
I have your weapons. Dorothy gave them too me. I took the boys out shooting today. I gave Tyler the pellet gun and Cody the BB gun. We shot up one of the many coffee cups your daughter had laying around the house. She was mad at me. It didn't last long though. I have the rifles and shotguns up under the bed. Cody was very happy to get the compound bow. He tried pulling it but it was too much of a challenge for his little 9-year-old arms. He is waiting for the day he can pull it the way you did. So am I. I will enjoy the time in the woods hunting with him...the way you and your daughters enjoyed fishing and being together.
You were a hard worker Al. I always admired the way you worked day in and day out. On those rivers, building those barges and driving them up and down the Mississippi and St. Croix must have been a challenge. By the way, all of your friends were there. The ones you worked with for 35 years. They were there to pay their last respects. I spoke with several of them and saw allot of you in them. They are great people Al. Not unlike you at all. The weathered faces, rough, leather like skin and smiling eyes; they were allot like you Al. They had allot of respect for you. They cried....they cried for you Al. I talked to them and told them about our conversation two days prior to you leaving. I told them about what you told me and how you spoke to several of those that had left ahead of you. They all listened, Al. I told them about how you believed what Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3 and how you’re going to meet up with us again. I told them what you told me that day in the Mayo Clinic, do you remember? How you said you had everything in order and were ready to leave. How you said you talked to God. They all listened. Some smiled and some listened and then just watched us. You know what I mean? The way people do when they want to see if it is real or not. Live the life, right Al? I really look forward to seeing you again. Maybe we could just sit down and talk or maybe just go out fishing....do they fish in Heaven, Al?
Hey Al, remember that time in the Officers Club in Germany during the 1990 Super Bowl you told me she was the most spoiled one of the bunch.... well, as usual you were right. I still love her Al.
I mean this from the bottom of my heart Al. Your daughter has been a God fearing, loving, beautiful, hard working woman, wife, and mother. You raised her the right way Al. There is no other like her. But I know you knew that didn't you? I saw it in your eyes Al. You would have been a lousy poker player. It was the gleam in your eye everytime you saw her that gave it away Al. The same gleam I saw when your grandchildren would all run up to you and hug (mug) you all at once.
Dorothy had a rough day today. She called sobbing. She said she was overcome with loneliness today. We spoke with her and had her feeling better by the time we hung up the phone. The boys and I mowed and raked the lawn. I fixed that living room window too. It was just a $3 hinge that needed replacing. It works fine now.
Dorothy gave Mark the truck. She wanted to give the boys the boat but I told her "What would we do with a boat in Iowa?" She got a laugh out of that. When we retire back in Minnesota we will get one. I told her to sell it or give it to your brother.
I wish you never smoked Al. But that was what people did back then, right? That was the norm. It is ironic how what we think is a healthy lifestyle (after putting common sense aside) always seems to kill us in the end.
Oh well, say hello to my father Al. I miss him and can't wait to see you and him again. We are clinging to Romans 8:28 and Isaiah 26:3. I love you, Al.
Your son in law
