Dad was large in personality as he was in stature, with a voice to match.  Pity his neighbors, as the walls shook with his gargantuan sneezes and renditions of his favorite songs such as "Kansas City, Here I Come", "You Get a Line, I'll Get a Pole" and favorite yelling phrases such as "Guff that ball!!" and "NEROoooooooooo".  Accounts of his life's memories were always exciting too.  Whether the tales were of "coon hunting" in Kentucky, "working on his parents tobacco/dairy farm", or "trying to fly from the top of a barn with buzzard wings", you knew his stories would leave you chuckling and asking for more.  He always made his presence known, and there are few who came into contact with him that do not have a lasting memory of his unique personality.

     Camping and fishing were two of his greatest pleasures.  He was never happier then when he was camping down on Lake Degray at Shouse Ford.  Other regular camp people knew of his penchant for night "crappie" fishing and his regaling of fishin' and life stories.  He was also an avid birdwatcher. Not only did he construct several purple martin houses to lure those birds to, he would sit on the front porch watching them soar and nest.  He also enjoyed playing pool and watching his favorite televison shows; "Andy Griffith; Gunsmoke; Honeymooners; Touched By An Angel; PBR Rodeo and 'boxing' bouts".  He was known to eat strange concoctions.  One well known breakfast meal was a bowl of Cheerios with buttermilk and added pork-n-beans stirred in for extra flavor.  Home grown tomatoes, watermelons, Almond Joys and strawberry ice cream were just a few of his favorite treats.  He also had a love for card games.  You could find him playing "Farkle; Skip-bo; Rook; and Canasta" with family and friends.  For him, the fun was not in winning but in playing.  One of the things he never parted with even when his health made it impossible for him to smoke was his "old-faithful".....his pipe.  He would jokingly ask those around him, "Did you hear it?  Can you hear it?  The pipe is calling me".  He would leave the room and in a few minutes return with pipe in hand, smiling.

      Due to his ability and cleverness to "fix" things, Dad made hardships seem amost minor.  He had a knack for all things.  He could deal with electrical, plumbing and construction maintenance.  The home he built is a testimony to that.  He made those impossible tasks seem possible.

     He never thought much of what others thought of him because he felt only accountable to God.  Dad always believed himself to be a man that was mentally and spiritually poor.  To his family and friends, he will be rememberd as a Husband, a Dad, a PoPo and a Friend that was rich in both love and spirit.  

     We will cry, laugh and rejoice over his death because we know everything is done in the Lords timing and that September 06, 2003 was the FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF HIS LIFE.