Happy Birthday, Daddy

I write this in memory of my Dad, on his birthday. If he had lived 3 more months,he would have been 84, as was his Dad,when he died, but it was not meant to be. He was diagnosed unexpectedly, that June, with cancer.It was more than one human could endure.He had survived a quadruple by-pass in 1996.He had survived a stroke. He had lived with prostrate cancer for many years,with doctors keeping it in check.He operated bulldozers in and around Hardin County, Kentucky,for 30 years, before retiring, on account of the accumulation of dust in his lungs.I have heard many folks say that my Dad was one of the best bulldozer operators this country has ever known. That makes me so proud.He sold his 120 acre farm,and relocated the remainder of the family to an island in south Georgia.There, he and Mom remained for 28 years, and finished raising their last five children.We were never wealthy in a monetary sense, but we were extremely rich in so many other ways. Dad made sure we always had a home that no one could put us out of. That in itself, was worth more than gold.We never went hungry. Dad made sure we always had land to grow most of our own food. Us kids learned so much by living the simple life that we led, we've had very few problems surviving any of the hard times we've had to face during our lifetime.We never had a lot of the luxuries which a lot of folks had, but we were a lot richer in so many ways that others only dreamed of. Dad was one of the strongest men I have ever known, and his large hands were his trademark. It's been said you can judge a man's heart, by the size of his hands, and it must be true. Dad had one of the biggest hearts, I've ever known. I could fill a book with stories that friends and family have shared with me, about him. He was a loved man and will be remembered by many for years to come.

We Love and Miss You Daddy. Our thoughts are with you daily.Your loving, second born child of nine,Sue.