Memories and stories of Dad....
I have talked about my dad many times before but in the mood to
put down all good memories online to sort of help my grief some.
After ten years the missing and grief is still there and will probably
never go away. It's life though and eventually everyone experiences
this so you can't avoid it. Dad and Mom both had their flaws and
issues which I have forgiven them for but I also realized over the
years there is not one single perfect person on the planet. God knows
I have all kinds of flaws. The understatement of the century I'm afraid.
Despite this always felt more closer to Dad and sought his approval over
anyone. I was a difficult kid and teenager so I sort of gave him or anyone
authority the business at times growing up. I feel bad about that now but
atleast we found common ground, a better relationship and apologizeds
to each other over various crap before he passed away. I'm good on that
stuff but there is still alot I wish I could say and I miss asking his advice.
My earliest story my mom told me after I was born she tried to breast feed
me and I guess I was a tad fussy ( imagine that) and was crying. She said she
was nervous and I probably sensed that. She was a new mother and had no
clue if she was doing things right. She passed me over to Dad and I quieted
down and he got me to eat via bottle feeding. He had two other daughters with
another woman so he knew how to handle infants plus his years as Santa
probably helped. There is also a 1983 picture my half sister and relatives took
me to the Coal Mine at Trivoli where Dad worked to visit. He was a mechanic
for machinery at the time by what I was told. He had worked there since 1968
probably since it opened. I don't remember the incident but it's one of my favorite
pictures. I wish I could ask him about his mining experience and anything about
the 1960's and such. Also would ask about his days at the International Harvestor
in Canton for four years before the mine. I would love to take him on a railfanning
trip as well as go explore the Trivoli area with him where he could point out things
like areas where the mine was and the pits. I do know he told me about the winter
of either 78 or 79 that was so bad snow, ice and temp wise he got snowed in at the
mine for about a week. The miners all survived by relying on each other how it
should be in situations like that ( help one another). I would love to hear that story
with all the details and i'd be more open to ask questions since i'm older now and
care more about historical facts and just details of events.
(1983 Mine picture Dad and me, I was two):
Dad also told me about the July 1975 Canton Tornado event. I guess Dad took my
mom and his two other daughters down to Six Flags at Saint Louis and were on the
way back when the tornado struck town. Once they entered the area they seen corn
fields blown down and started seeing signs of damage. The town was blocked off
naturally to outsiders so since Dad was a resident he was allowed into town and it
took them an hour to get from the south end to North Avenue B. I guess the first
order of business was check up on relatives like Grandma and Grandpa and the
relatives that lived at Trailer Parks. I guess he helped out with clean up and helped
others the following days as I was told. Canton would have another brush with a
tornado in June 1990. I guess the tornado touched west of town but alot of wind
damage did occur in Canton. I remember this because I seen the damage and the
power was knocked out for about six hours. It was a night time storm and I was
a sleep so Dad woke us up and told us we all need to go to the basement. He had
a police scanner with a weather section on it ( a bearcat) and we all went to the
basement. I heard howling winds and remember lots of lightning. I was scared
at the time but I was eight almost nine so didn't know what was going to happen.
I slept with my parents that night not wanting to be alone after that worrying about
what if another one strikes. Silly kid!
Dad was also fascinated by Space stuff like stars, meteor showers, eclipse and Nasa
expeditions. He had a telescope and would watch the Stars at times. I have quite a
few memories of seeing meteor showers, moon eclipses, looking for planets when it
was time for one to be seen. We watched a space station pass by in the 1990's or
early 2000's. He'd take us out of town at night to get out of the light to see the Big
and little dipper and other cosmic stuff. I also grew an interest I still have to this day
over some space stuff. Another thing he was into the eventually grew off onto me was
fishing. The man loved to fish and had alot of poles and a few tackle boxes loaded with
goodies. He'd take us fishing at Canton Lake, the Spoon River and Illinois River. He was
the one always catching stuff. I didn't have the attention span at the time and would walk
around or troll my mom who was trying to fish. I would later go into fishing myself and
remembered what he taught me. I did pick up some stuff so it's not like I didn't pay
attention. He used to have a riverboat well before my time he would go on and take
his dog Sweetie Pie with and the boat was named Daisy May. No idea why the name I
wish I asked. I just remember some of his stories. He'd fish alot around Havana and
on the Illinois River.
When I was a kid he'd be making stuff in the garage and I'd sit out there playing near
by sometimes he'd let me use nails and a few pieces of wood to make just random crap
to be creative. I'd help him paint sometimes. He made barn storeage sheds and other
stuff. He made sure I had birthdays and Christmas'es so probably spoiled at times.
I developed a like for trains when I was a very little girl probably around two and it
gave me some pleasant memories. Dad never discouraged it or shame me for it so I
give him credit on that. Most people would be like you're a girl go like girl stuff and
such. While girls were playing with Barbies and other boring girl crap I was climbing
trees, playing with cars and Ninja Turtles as well as had a ATSF Train set with F units.
I rode bikes and also played Nintendo and Super Nintendo. Dad tried to play Super
Mario World on my SNES and sucked so bad at it I was literally laughing at everytime
he died in the game. I could play that with ease. It was still fun and even though i made
fun of him it was all out of fun. It's just fun times like that I try to remember than any
unstable stuff or his dying days in the hospital. I don't want to think about it much
as I'll end up in a puddle of tears and depression.
A random memory I remember was something any citizen of Canton living there in
1997 will all remember and that is the fire of the Old IH plant. I woke up to go to the
bathroom and had a feeling to look out the window. It was after five in the morning
and I did and seen flames shooting up from a block away. I went and got Dad and
showed him and he called the fire department and they told him what was going on.
He had to go to work in Havana shortly after but we walked down the alley to Second
and over to Railroad street where the TP&W had a siding and watched the fire for a
bit before we walked back and he went to work. He would later get me hired at the
same foundry years later in 2000 and our relationship improved there. I already have
a blog about Intermet Havana Foundry so no need to go into all that. Another memory
was when he'd let me ride in the back of his truck as long as i stayed leaned up sitting
against the Cab of his old 1978 Ford pick up it was fine. Those are memories I will
never forget. We'd also go to plenty of family reunions in the 1990's and early 2000's
some held in Canton, Dunfermline and the funnest ones held at Lake Story Park in
Galesburg, Illinois. We'd also go put flowers on family members graves atleast a few
times a year.
Dad took us on quite a bit of trips in the 1990's and even some in the early 2000's
which was always fun. We'd go up to Wisconsin and buy Cheese plus explore and
I even took him to Madison in 2004 to show him where my favorite comedian Chris
Farley was buried. I'd love to go to Madison again but to railfan if i ever make it up
that way again. I wish Dad was alive to go with me. He'd take us to museums and
historical spots of interest such as New Salem State Park, Lincoln's tomb, Rockholme
Gardens and Grant's home in Galena. My favorite trips were Six Flag Saint Louis ones
as well as Galena or Hannibal, Missouri trips. We'd go visit the Mark Twain stuff,
went on a river cruise on a boat in Hannibal, and after the Titanic craze of 1997
( I sheepishly admit to being into that) went to Molly Brown's home in Hannibal.
He'd take us to Iowa too and introduced me to train city Fort Madison as well as
Keokuk and Burlington. For my 13th birthday in 1994 he took Mom and me up
to Chicago to the Science and Industry museum which was fun but I also blamed
my mom for a fart I loudly let and embarrassed her. Dad wasn't there or i'd get
yelled at for it probably. I also climbed under a maze to get through so I wasn't that
mature. Oh hell probably still not mature. The way I look at it is find humor and fun
in whatever you can life is no guarentee. He also took us to Starved Rock in 1995.
When I got into genealogy and was working on my mom's line he took us down to
Salem and Mount Vernon several times to find family graves and put flowers on
them and I also stopped at a library to look a few things up. He never discouraged
me on hobbies like watching trains or the geneaology. However i got told a few
times to act more like a lady. Pffft as if dad I'm a tomboy even as an adult. I have
zero interest in dresses, make up, shopping or all that girly women crap my gender
does nor do I want to produce kids. Thank god I haven't. That's just my personal
choice. It's more like not wanting to pass down the bipolar disorder or screw up
a kid potentially since i'm quite damaged. Plus poor so don't want to bring a kid
into that so probably a good idea not to have any. Give me credit atleast i'm that
smart unlike some people out there.
Dad also took us to the Peoria zoo, Wildlife Prarie Park and Zoo in Saint Louis,
Missouri. We had planned on another Wildlife parie Park trip in 2007 but I got
busy dating Shaun and he started taking a turn for the worse and ended up in the
hospital and diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. I regret not having that last
trip but he was sick so he probably wouldn't have felt too good. Mom did say he
looked forward to it months before he died so I do feel some guilt. I had planned
on it just didn't get around to it and regret it. Things happens you cannot change.
In the 1990's we'd also go out to watch movies at the local theater. He took us to
Jurassic Park in 1993. The line was a block long and we got in ten minutes after it
started. We also went to Armageddon and the disaster that was Star Wars Phantom
Menace. Dad liked the movie but Jar Jar Binks impressed very few still there is worse
films out there so whatever. We'd also go out to eat from time to time around the area.
Dad was a very good artists too and would draw pictures and use pastels and paint
to create pictures for people and he make lawn creations too from time to time. I
also can drawn but not as artistic as him or heavily into it anymore. I used to draw
alot in school to be honest because I was bored so over time just got good at drawing
some things. Thank you Canton schools for boring me into a semi talent. Haha. I
have some of my Dad's old work and some patterns for the stuff he made in a box.
I also have an old watch and his driver's license as well as a keep sake. I could
probably write a novel on memories but I'll end it at here. These I will always
cherish and sometimes wish I could relive them as well as ask questions and say
things I should have said like I love you more.
Some of his drawings and items as well as pictures:
A telegraph he sent his mother for mother's day when he was in the army:
My 16th Birthday party at Lakeland he got a cake and we went out to the park:
A 1994 trip to Chicago:
Random:
Pictures He took pf me or his leg is in the shot ( ha):
His 1993 Chevy Truck. I loved driving this truck and miss it. So many memories too:
He created a float for the fall parada for the Optimists club in the early 1990's:
put down all good memories online to sort of help my grief some.
After ten years the missing and grief is still there and will probably
never go away. It's life though and eventually everyone experiences
this so you can't avoid it. Dad and Mom both had their flaws and
issues which I have forgiven them for but I also realized over the
years there is not one single perfect person on the planet. God knows
I have all kinds of flaws. The understatement of the century I'm afraid.
Despite this always felt more closer to Dad and sought his approval over
anyone. I was a difficult kid and teenager so I sort of gave him or anyone
authority the business at times growing up. I feel bad about that now but
atleast we found common ground, a better relationship and apologizeds
to each other over various crap before he passed away. I'm good on that
stuff but there is still alot I wish I could say and I miss asking his advice.
My earliest story my mom told me after I was born she tried to breast feed
me and I guess I was a tad fussy ( imagine that) and was crying. She said she
was nervous and I probably sensed that. She was a new mother and had no
clue if she was doing things right. She passed me over to Dad and I quieted
down and he got me to eat via bottle feeding. He had two other daughters with
another woman so he knew how to handle infants plus his years as Santa
probably helped. There is also a 1983 picture my half sister and relatives took
me to the Coal Mine at Trivoli where Dad worked to visit. He was a mechanic
for machinery at the time by what I was told. He had worked there since 1968
probably since it opened. I don't remember the incident but it's one of my favorite
pictures. I wish I could ask him about his mining experience and anything about
the 1960's and such. Also would ask about his days at the International Harvestor
in Canton for four years before the mine. I would love to take him on a railfanning
trip as well as go explore the Trivoli area with him where he could point out things
like areas where the mine was and the pits. I do know he told me about the winter
of either 78 or 79 that was so bad snow, ice and temp wise he got snowed in at the
mine for about a week. The miners all survived by relying on each other how it
should be in situations like that ( help one another). I would love to hear that story
with all the details and i'd be more open to ask questions since i'm older now and
care more about historical facts and just details of events.
(1983 Mine picture Dad and me, I was two):
Dad also told me about the July 1975 Canton Tornado event. I guess Dad took my
mom and his two other daughters down to Six Flags at Saint Louis and were on the
way back when the tornado struck town. Once they entered the area they seen corn
fields blown down and started seeing signs of damage. The town was blocked off
naturally to outsiders so since Dad was a resident he was allowed into town and it
took them an hour to get from the south end to North Avenue B. I guess the first
order of business was check up on relatives like Grandma and Grandpa and the
relatives that lived at Trailer Parks. I guess he helped out with clean up and helped
others the following days as I was told. Canton would have another brush with a
tornado in June 1990. I guess the tornado touched west of town but alot of wind
damage did occur in Canton. I remember this because I seen the damage and the
power was knocked out for about six hours. It was a night time storm and I was
a sleep so Dad woke us up and told us we all need to go to the basement. He had
a police scanner with a weather section on it ( a bearcat) and we all went to the
basement. I heard howling winds and remember lots of lightning. I was scared
at the time but I was eight almost nine so didn't know what was going to happen.
I slept with my parents that night not wanting to be alone after that worrying about
what if another one strikes. Silly kid!
Dad was also fascinated by Space stuff like stars, meteor showers, eclipse and Nasa
expeditions. He had a telescope and would watch the Stars at times. I have quite a
few memories of seeing meteor showers, moon eclipses, looking for planets when it
was time for one to be seen. We watched a space station pass by in the 1990's or
early 2000's. He'd take us out of town at night to get out of the light to see the Big
and little dipper and other cosmic stuff. I also grew an interest I still have to this day
over some space stuff. Another thing he was into the eventually grew off onto me was
fishing. The man loved to fish and had alot of poles and a few tackle boxes loaded with
goodies. He'd take us fishing at Canton Lake, the Spoon River and Illinois River. He was
the one always catching stuff. I didn't have the attention span at the time and would walk
around or troll my mom who was trying to fish. I would later go into fishing myself and
remembered what he taught me. I did pick up some stuff so it's not like I didn't pay
attention. He used to have a riverboat well before my time he would go on and take
his dog Sweetie Pie with and the boat was named Daisy May. No idea why the name I
wish I asked. I just remember some of his stories. He'd fish alot around Havana and
on the Illinois River.
When I was a kid he'd be making stuff in the garage and I'd sit out there playing near
by sometimes he'd let me use nails and a few pieces of wood to make just random crap
to be creative. I'd help him paint sometimes. He made barn storeage sheds and other
stuff. He made sure I had birthdays and Christmas'es so probably spoiled at times.
I developed a like for trains when I was a very little girl probably around two and it
gave me some pleasant memories. Dad never discouraged it or shame me for it so I
give him credit on that. Most people would be like you're a girl go like girl stuff and
such. While girls were playing with Barbies and other boring girl crap I was climbing
trees, playing with cars and Ninja Turtles as well as had a ATSF Train set with F units.
I rode bikes and also played Nintendo and Super Nintendo. Dad tried to play Super
Mario World on my SNES and sucked so bad at it I was literally laughing at everytime
he died in the game. I could play that with ease. It was still fun and even though i made
fun of him it was all out of fun. It's just fun times like that I try to remember than any
unstable stuff or his dying days in the hospital. I don't want to think about it much
as I'll end up in a puddle of tears and depression.
A random memory I remember was something any citizen of Canton living there in
1997 will all remember and that is the fire of the Old IH plant. I woke up to go to the
bathroom and had a feeling to look out the window. It was after five in the morning
and I did and seen flames shooting up from a block away. I went and got Dad and
showed him and he called the fire department and they told him what was going on.
He had to go to work in Havana shortly after but we walked down the alley to Second
and over to Railroad street where the TP&W had a siding and watched the fire for a
bit before we walked back and he went to work. He would later get me hired at the
same foundry years later in 2000 and our relationship improved there. I already have
a blog about Intermet Havana Foundry so no need to go into all that. Another memory
was when he'd let me ride in the back of his truck as long as i stayed leaned up sitting
against the Cab of his old 1978 Ford pick up it was fine. Those are memories I will
never forget. We'd also go to plenty of family reunions in the 1990's and early 2000's
some held in Canton, Dunfermline and the funnest ones held at Lake Story Park in
Galesburg, Illinois. We'd also go put flowers on family members graves atleast a few
times a year.
Dad took us on quite a bit of trips in the 1990's and even some in the early 2000's
which was always fun. We'd go up to Wisconsin and buy Cheese plus explore and
I even took him to Madison in 2004 to show him where my favorite comedian Chris
Farley was buried. I'd love to go to Madison again but to railfan if i ever make it up
that way again. I wish Dad was alive to go with me. He'd take us to museums and
historical spots of interest such as New Salem State Park, Lincoln's tomb, Rockholme
Gardens and Grant's home in Galena. My favorite trips were Six Flag Saint Louis ones
as well as Galena or Hannibal, Missouri trips. We'd go visit the Mark Twain stuff,
went on a river cruise on a boat in Hannibal, and after the Titanic craze of 1997
( I sheepishly admit to being into that) went to Molly Brown's home in Hannibal.
He'd take us to Iowa too and introduced me to train city Fort Madison as well as
Keokuk and Burlington. For my 13th birthday in 1994 he took Mom and me up
to Chicago to the Science and Industry museum which was fun but I also blamed
my mom for a fart I loudly let and embarrassed her. Dad wasn't there or i'd get
yelled at for it probably. I also climbed under a maze to get through so I wasn't that
mature. Oh hell probably still not mature. The way I look at it is find humor and fun
in whatever you can life is no guarentee. He also took us to Starved Rock in 1995.
When I got into genealogy and was working on my mom's line he took us down to
Salem and Mount Vernon several times to find family graves and put flowers on
them and I also stopped at a library to look a few things up. He never discouraged
me on hobbies like watching trains or the geneaology. However i got told a few
times to act more like a lady. Pffft as if dad I'm a tomboy even as an adult. I have
zero interest in dresses, make up, shopping or all that girly women crap my gender
does nor do I want to produce kids. Thank god I haven't. That's just my personal
choice. It's more like not wanting to pass down the bipolar disorder or screw up
a kid potentially since i'm quite damaged. Plus poor so don't want to bring a kid
into that so probably a good idea not to have any. Give me credit atleast i'm that
smart unlike some people out there.
Dad also took us to the Peoria zoo, Wildlife Prarie Park and Zoo in Saint Louis,
Missouri. We had planned on another Wildlife parie Park trip in 2007 but I got
busy dating Shaun and he started taking a turn for the worse and ended up in the
hospital and diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. I regret not having that last
trip but he was sick so he probably wouldn't have felt too good. Mom did say he
looked forward to it months before he died so I do feel some guilt. I had planned
on it just didn't get around to it and regret it. Things happens you cannot change.
In the 1990's we'd also go out to watch movies at the local theater. He took us to
Jurassic Park in 1993. The line was a block long and we got in ten minutes after it
started. We also went to Armageddon and the disaster that was Star Wars Phantom
Menace. Dad liked the movie but Jar Jar Binks impressed very few still there is worse
films out there so whatever. We'd also go out to eat from time to time around the area.
Dad was a very good artists too and would draw pictures and use pastels and paint
to create pictures for people and he make lawn creations too from time to time. I
also can drawn but not as artistic as him or heavily into it anymore. I used to draw
alot in school to be honest because I was bored so over time just got good at drawing
some things. Thank you Canton schools for boring me into a semi talent. Haha. I
have some of my Dad's old work and some patterns for the stuff he made in a box.
I also have an old watch and his driver's license as well as a keep sake. I could
probably write a novel on memories but I'll end it at here. These I will always
cherish and sometimes wish I could relive them as well as ask questions and say
things I should have said like I love you more.
Some of his drawings and items as well as pictures:
My 16th Birthday party at Lakeland he got a cake and we went out to the park:
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