Jewells of Thought

After 3 sons and a daughter had already been born to this couple, a new baby boy came into the world. He was born May 24th and would be their 5th and last baby.

He was born exactly a week before his big sister’s birthday. She would have been nearly 4 years old, possibly thought of him as an early birthday present. Don’t most little girls want younger siblings to boss around? She already had two younger brothers, since she was the second oldest child, but why not have 3 of them.

Some of his favorite things to do was help others and have fun. He also liked computers and was studying them at the University of Vincennes. The computer he had is the only one I think was ever used in this house while those 5 kids lived there.

He also enjoyed animals. He had two ponies named Rusty and Dusty. Then he had a horse named Prince. The saddle he had for his horse is still around somewhere. I have seen the fact he loved that horse so much he kept it as a souvenir not to throw it away all these decades later.

He was a farmer and I remember taking lots of rides with him to ADM. We would take the truck full of grain to ADM in Sullivan, where we would always get a soda and a chocolate bar. Another one of his favorite snacks. I have these priceless memories of rides with my dad, uncles and my grandpa. They are fond thoughts I like to visit from a time that is nearly extinct as farmers for my family.

Dialysis was hard on him, but he didn’t complain. I will never forget one of the last comments I heard from him about our brand new niece. She was so tiny… 5 pounds and he was seriously afraid… he didn’t want to break her. He died three months after she was born.

God and His timing is always mesmerizing. How fitting as He was about to call this man home that He brought this tiny little girl into our world. As one man’s laughter was waning a new sense of wonder would fill our hearts.

When Uncle Mike died, Grandma and Uncle Tony gave me his phone to use. Ironically, I was out of a phone, I think this may have had something to do with running it over with a lawnmower at my other Grandma’s house. To this day I get a message from our Chiropractor’s Office wishing him a Happy Birthday! It would always make me tear up like today. They actually kept the message but added my name to it thinking it was my birthday, which they do know better. I can’t seem to find the will to change this though.