About Our Father

A few months before he passed away, Dad had said that bone cancer surely had to be the most painful way to die. After watching him suffer through its final throes as he slipped away from us, it was clear that bone cancer is very cruel indeed and takes no prisoners. Dad accepted his lot, knew he was going to die, and never complained. In the month or so before he passed away, he reached such a heightened state of grace and forgiveness, that he humbled even the best of us. We can all learn from him. A little about Dad...

Dad was born on Feb 8, 1927 in Buckman, Minnesota. He married Lorraine Billmeyer on Sep 29, 1954 and together they raised twelve children. Through good times and bad times, life was never easy, but in the end all was as it should be.

After serving in the Army Air Corp and the U.S. Air Force and after marrying our mother, Dad took over his father's farm for a few years and was also self employed as a house mover. In 1961, Dad managed the Pierz Golf Course, where he lived with his family. In 1962, he moved his family to Milaca, Minnesota where he was employed with Johnson Construction Company as a construction crew foreman for two years. In August 1964, Dad took ownership of the blacksmith shop in Milaca, which he operated until July 1979. He was known throughout the area as the one person who could (and did) fix anything. In 1979, Dad moved his family to Harlingen, Texas, where he went to work for Emair Aviation as a machinist and shop supervisor. Dad finally retired to Lockhart, Texas, to spend his remaining years.

After his cancer was discovered on July 31, 1996, he only remained with us for under two months. He finally succumbed to the disease on September 23, 1996 -- just six days shy of his anniversary. He will be always in our memories.