This is my mom’s tribute that she gave at Pop-pop’s funeral.

I am very thankful for my father.  The most important thing about Dad was that he knew the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior and he knew he was going to Heaven.  There was no need to fear death because he knew that Heaven awaited him.

Mom and Dad gave us a very stable Christian home – for which I praise the Lord.  I did not grow up hearing my folks fight.  Instead, I knew they loved each other and they loved us.  We as children did not have to face even the thought that our home would be torn apart by divorce.

Two traits of my father have especially meant a lot to me:

First, he had a cool, calm, and patient demeanor.  He didn’t get frustrated, worried, or upset over things.

“He was as cool as the center seed of a cucumber.”

If a problem arose, he just handled it calmly – no yelling, no outburst, no big upset.

Secondly, he was very hardworking.  He loved farming and didn’t need a vacation.  In the 70’s, he even worked on the farm through an 18-month round of chemotherapy.

I very much appreciate the example my father was to me.

Dad was a real testimony to us in how he faced his diagnosis.  He accepted it without questioning God and without complaint.

He knew he need not fear death – Heaven was on the other side.