A Tribute to My Beloved FIL! (R.I.P.)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This entry is in memory of my father-in-law, a proud veteran, all deceased veterans, and in honor of other veterans, as well as our current military who are presently serving our country whereever you might be, but most especially those of you in Iraq.

You should have turned 86 today, Dad. Instead, we are mourning your death. At the same time, we continue to rejoice that you are no longer suffering and have gone on to a better place.

I still feel so honored to have been the one out of our very large family to have stayed by your bedside all night long the night before you left us. I adored you and I know the feeling was mutual. I also feel honored to have been holding your hand when you took your last breath on this earth the next night. Leslie, one of your many granddaughter's, was holding your other hand, and some of your grandchildren and another daughter-in-law were also gathered around you with other family in the living room and kitchen. Those of us in your bedroom with you sang Amazing Grace, one of your favorite hymns, as your breath became more and more shallow, and you stepped from this life into eternity. We continue to be comforted by knowing that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, when you are one of His children, as we all know you were.

You left behind your wife of 60 years, your five sons and their wives, your four daughters and their husbands, along with 26 grandchildren, (our daughter being the youngest and one of which preceded you in death), and 30 plus great grandchildren. Within those five sons is a set of twins, one of which is my better half. On October 7th, we were blessed enough to have celebrated 30 years together. I have been with your son over half of my life now, so his family is my family, as I have lived with him longer than I lived with my parents.

I always said our family was like The Waltons x 3 because you came from a big family, Mom came from a big family, and then you both had your own large family together.

With only a 4th grade education, you ran your own construction business as a contractor and supported your wife and nine children on this meager income.

You served your country as a Sargeant in the United States Army during the European conflict in WWII pulling telephone lines from the front lines back to your base camp. It was a dangerous job, but somebody had to do it.

I shudder to think what my life might have been like had you been killed in the war like so many others. Mom and you would have never married and none of your nine children would have been born, nor your 26 grandchildren, or 33 great grandchildren. Three more have been born since your death and there is yet another on the way! I would never have met your son because he wouldn't exist and we wouldn't have our own two beautiful children. Because of Mom and you, I did meet him, we were engaged after two weeks, and married five months later, and the rest, as they say, is history. We have had a wonderful life together, for the most part. All of it has not been a bed of roses, but I don't know anyone who could say that. The thing is, we meant our marriage vows and though we have had some rough times, we were committed enough to each other to work it out. Mom and you stayed together through thick and thin, and you taught us well what for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health means. I thank you for that.

There are 68 human beings on this planet so far because of the children Mom and you had together, which in turn have had children, and now your grandchildren are having children. That is quite a legacy!

You served as deacon in your church for many years and were even known to preach a sermon or two during your time there.

I watched you manage money with awe. I have a high school education, yet you were better at math and managing money than I am! It is definitely not my cup of tea!

Yes, today is what should be your 86th birthday, but now you are celebrating with the angels with your perfect whole new body in Christ. We rejoice with you that your suffering here on earth is over and we look forward to joining you when our time comes, but until then, as long as your memory lives within our hearts, you will live on, and you continue to be sorely missed by your loving family and many friends.

Rest in peace, my dear beloved Father-in-law! You deserve it!~

One of your devoted daughter-in-laws,

Susan