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Today is my dad's birthday.
My dad grew up on a farm just a mile and a half from where he and Mom farmed when I was growing up. We saw Grandma and Grandpa G. nearly every day. Dad had an older brother, Donald, who was killed in a hunting accident when Dad was about 13, and has a sister Marilyn. The kids were all about 5 years apart in age.
Mom and Dad met on a blind date when my mom was on this end of the state attending nursing school and working is a small hospital in Dad's hometown. She says she thought he was "an idiot," and he says he was. Something sparked, though, and they were married in 1955.
Before marriage, Dad was in the service and fixed airplanes. He farmed for 40 years. He was also an insurance salesman for many of those years. After retiring, he drove tour buses for awhile. Dad can fix anything mechanical, but remembers that people are more important than machines. We kids learned that with his calm acceptance of any car accidents we were in. He was always an innovator, and we had things like snowmobiles and interesting farm equipment. Even today, he is driving a motorcycle in his 70's. He was the National Corn Picking champion two years in a row in the 1960's. He loves to travel, eat and talk to people.
As a father, he always loved my mother. He made sure we were in church every Sunday, and that our friends were always welcome in our home. He encouraged us to follow our interests and talents, and always supports us emotionally. He and Mom welcomed a wide variety of people into our home and practiced hospitality: they were foster parents for about 40 years, they had families in transition and unwed mothers live with us, they invited foreign visitors and strangers into their home. I don't know how many youth group meetings they made time for or prepared and provided food for over the life of 5 kids's raising. But I do know they enjoyed it and did it joyfully.
Dad took us with him while he worked. We went along to the neighbor's, the sale barn, the implement dealer and into the tractor cab. He had time to swing the car through the yard at night when we arrived home from things to look for bunnies. He taught us to mow, walk beans, fix things, do chores, and enjoy life and people.
He has been a great Grandpa, and is always ready to take a grandkid along to a show or lunch out. He lets them practice driving before they are of age. He takes them to theme parks and will stay as long as they want to. They have let three of our kids live with them for a summer or a year during their post high school years. When our big kids were young and Dad and Mom lived close, the kids thought it was a great treat to go to the dump with him. When he drove bus, he would sometimes take a grandkid along on day trips or tours. When he and Mom lived in a motor home and travled for a few years, they would often take one or two kids along for a week or so.
Happy Birthday, Dad. Ya' done good.
My dad grew up on a farm just a mile and a half from where he and Mom farmed when I was growing up. We saw Grandma and Grandpa G. nearly every day. Dad had an older brother, Donald, who was killed in a hunting accident when Dad was about 13, and has a sister Marilyn. The kids were all about 5 years apart in age.
Mom and Dad met on a blind date when my mom was on this end of the state attending nursing school and working is a small hospital in Dad's hometown. She says she thought he was "an idiot," and he says he was. Something sparked, though, and they were married in 1955.
Before marriage, Dad was in the service and fixed airplanes. He farmed for 40 years. He was also an insurance salesman for many of those years. After retiring, he drove tour buses for awhile. Dad can fix anything mechanical, but remembers that people are more important than machines. We kids learned that with his calm acceptance of any car accidents we were in. He was always an innovator, and we had things like snowmobiles and interesting farm equipment. Even today, he is driving a motorcycle in his 70's. He was the National Corn Picking champion two years in a row in the 1960's. He loves to travel, eat and talk to people.
As a father, he always loved my mother. He made sure we were in church every Sunday, and that our friends were always welcome in our home. He encouraged us to follow our interests and talents, and always supports us emotionally. He and Mom welcomed a wide variety of people into our home and practiced hospitality: they were foster parents for about 40 years, they had families in transition and unwed mothers live with us, they invited foreign visitors and strangers into their home. I don't know how many youth group meetings they made time for or prepared and provided food for over the life of 5 kids's raising. But I do know they enjoyed it and did it joyfully.
Dad took us with him while he worked. We went along to the neighbor's, the sale barn, the implement dealer and into the tractor cab. He had time to swing the car through the yard at night when we arrived home from things to look for bunnies. He taught us to mow, walk beans, fix things, do chores, and enjoy life and people.
He has been a great Grandpa, and is always ready to take a grandkid along to a show or lunch out. He lets them practice driving before they are of age. He takes them to theme parks and will stay as long as they want to. They have let three of our kids live with them for a summer or a year during their post high school years. When our big kids were young and Dad and Mom lived close, the kids thought it was a great treat to go to the dump with him. When he drove bus, he would sometimes take a grandkid along on day trips or tours. When he and Mom lived in a motor home and travled for a few years, they would often take one or two kids along for a week or so.
Happy Birthday, Dad. Ya' done good.
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