My Dad

I have created this Blog in honor of my Dad. He was not only the best father anyone could ask for but also my best friend. Please use it to share your memories of this irreplaceable man.

He was in perfect health but had a heart attack on his way to the Iowa State Capitol to attend a rally in support of the marriage amendment. Paramedics were able to get his heart started again but his brain had been without oxygen for too long. After all his children arrived and had a chance to say goodbye, we took him off the ventilator at 8:15 on Thursday morning. We prayed and sang praises around him until he left his earthly body 7 hours later. The sense of peace we felt when he passed was tangible and we knew he was then with Jesus for all eternity.

Mere words cannot describe my father but I will use them to the best of my ability. I could fill volumes with the memories I have of my dad so you may see my name often on this blog. For now, I will share with you one of my fondest memories.

When I was 10 or 11, my father took me on a backpacking trip to Blue Lake in the Colorado Rockies. It took a full day to hike in from the trailhead and we sang songs like "Apple Red Happiness" the whole way. We spent 3 nights by the lake sleeping in our small tent and cooking all our meals on a single burner camp stove. The water was crystal clear and you could see all the way to the bottom of the lake. We fished every day and kept only what we could eat. At some point during the first day, Dad dropped his pliers into the lake about 3-4 feet under water but just a foot from shore. Although we could see the pliers clearly, they were well out of reach. Not being one to give up easily, Dad pulled off his shirt and told me to hold onto his legs. He leaned headfirst into the frigid water and retrieved the pliers on the first try. In fact, he had also grabbed another tool dropped by some less resourceful fisherman in the past. We have some great pictures of that trip and I will post some if I can find them.

Drew