To My Dad

1975  My dad is holding me, there were still 4 boys to follow

Happy Father's Day to my Dad.  The one who worked so hard to put food on the table.  Who expected us to work hard & get along.  Whose love of watching every televised sport put a damper on my opportunities to watch T.V. & thus ended up making me a much more interesting person by all the books I read.  Who loved the Beach Boys.  Loved (and still does) meat & potatoes. 

The summer of 88'  my dad spent recovering from a broken leg.  I was watching my new baby brother Tommy a lot.  We had our routine every day.  It was reading the newspaper over breakfast.  Then onto a Perry Mason, Matlock, Game Show Marathon.  Good times.

Truth be told you were a little impatient and this is how you taught me to drive a stick shift - "Just drive".  Yup that was my lesson.  I was terrified driving down Monterey Highway but it got the job done.

I got my competitiveness from you!  When we play board games watch out.

We all love you Dad!  Thanks for being a wonderful Father!  Love, Marie

1991 at a Father/Daughter Church Activity

Happy Father’s Day Dad! Here are a few of my best memories:

        Your jokes.  I remember you told the best jokes.  The “hairlip” joke was my favorite & I remember once you humored us & told it to us twice even though it was quite lengthy because I incessantly begged you.

       Dancing.  I remember dancing to Beach Boys & Abba with you & having so much fun.

3        Baseball.  I remember how fun it was to play family baseball games with you teaching us how to hold the bat.

4   Advice.  I think I was in 5^th grade when I decorated a pumpkin for a contest at Hillsdale, but then decided it  wasn’t good enough to enter into the contest.  I remember you told me “If you enter your pumpkin in the contest you might win & you might not, but it you don’t enter it, you will definitely not win.”  It was a simple life lesson, but one I have reflected on over the years & passed on to my own children.

 Lots of Driving.  I remember you driving me to work at Great America, school, dances & anywhere & everywhere else I needed to be.  Now that I am a parent driving my children around, I know what a sacrifice this is & can’t imagine how many hours you spent in the driver’s seat between all of us children.  Thanks for the memories, hard work, and many sacrifices. 

I love you Dad. Love,   Jeannette

1989 Painting the House   Dad, Nielsen, Marie, Jeannette

One of the first of my fondest memories of you dad was the year I turned 16. I remember getting a letter in the mail from a secret admirer that wanted to take me out for my first date at 16. There were 2 boys that liked me at the time both accusing the other of being the one and I just had no idea. I remember going to the door when it was time for me to be picked up and there you were in a suit and tie! I remember we went to Kings Table at Oakridge mall, an all you can eat buffet and then we went and watched a movie. I believe it was one of the superman ones.

When I think of my you dad I remember all the times you used to stick up for us when other kids would bully us. I remember you would like to dance and that the beach boys were your favorite group! I remember you could always figure out riddles and really hard math problems! I also remember you helped me cheat on my written drivers ed.............should I say that.....(: I remember our favorite joke you used to tell us about the man who was a cripple.......for years we would beg you to tell us that joke! I know that you were always proud of all that we did and accomplished and would brag about us to your friends. I remember that my you always worked in the back yard and that you would always  help out others when you would get a call from a member who knew of somebody who needed help. I want you to know how much I have learned to appreciate all that you did for us through the years!

 I love you dad!!!! Love Margo