Eulogy for Dad

EULOGY FOR DAD, JOHN HEITKEMPER AUG .1,1915-AUG.26,2008.... On behalf of The Brothers and sisters and Mom, I would like ex tend a heart felt thanx to all those who have helped in any way to make these last few weeks more comfortable for us and especially Dad, mANY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN OFFERED UP AND WE THANK YOU, It seems that always in matters that are trying such as this, that something is left, out, done wrong, or simply just forgotten TO BE RETURNED, , for those trespasses I humbly apoligize, and I ask for your understanding and to be at peace with one another, I know Dad would want it that way .. My Dad Was peace Loving. HOWEVER He spent over 3 years of his life in the south pacific DURING WWW2 fighting for this country and a way of life He loved, many of you stopped by to veiw his medals, . 4 different island campaigns, 4 battle stars, , Purple heart, with multiple WOUNDS, INJURED MORE THAN TWICE, Oak leaf Cluster, the good Conduct medal .. All a badge of outstanding Human sacrifice and courage, , that reaches beyond the limits of what a Man should ever be capable of, , But he Did it, And it marked my dad and many others like him for life, And He never wanted to talk about it. P My sisters want me to mention the fun Dad, the comical dad, the playful Dad, Who liked to tease and play games such as More sacks and horsey, , Who was very content sitting in the swing with Mom at the end of the day, Just talking about everthing .wHO LIKED MAKING EYES WITH THE GRANDBABIES. he liked Jackie gleason, red Skelton, Andy griffith and the Beverly hillbillies, AND kRAMER ON sEINFELD .aND ice cREAM ..CHURCH PICNICS AND FISHING He liked Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Hi Chapperal, and the Virginian, often with a cigar in his favorite chair, aND MUSIC ...And Dad liked His beer. aND HE LIKED TO TRAVEL, ,mY sON MICHAEL AND I HAD THE HONOR TO TAKE HIM TO hAWAII, , AND bY GOLLY hE STILL KNEW HIS WAY aROUND FROM WWW2 DAYS, hE NEVER EVER SEEMED TO GET LOST IN ALL THE PLACES WE WENT TO .......BE IT THERE OR IN HIS TRAVELS AROUND HERE dAD WAS EASY TO TRAVEL WITH, , a FEW YEARS BACK CUZIN sTEVE ELBLE AND I TOOK hIM BACK TO HAWAII , , aND wE WERE ABLE TO PRY AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS WARTIME EXPERIENCES ..IF HE HAD ANY REGRETS, IT MAY BE THAT HE DID NOT STAY THERE TO LIVE IN HAWAII AFTER THE WAR,HOWEVER, FATE DID NOT ALLOW THAT CHOICE EASILY, HIS BURN INJURUIES DEMANDED THAT HE GET STATESIDE QUICKLY FOR BETTER CARE dad Came into the world when Walking was a accepted practice to get anywhere, and witnessed the 1st man walking on the Moon, , My the changes He saw, iT would be almost bewildering for the faint of heart, But Dad was too busy to look back, he took Us KIDS fishing from salem to bardstown, marysville to Ferdinand, And caught turtles out of Farm ponds to make soup .TOGETHER WE built fences and Barns, shoved in ditches and built terraces to control erosion, and HE Encouraged his neighbors to do the same he was a good farmer that inspired All his sons to farm as well...HE DID IT ALL WITH TRACTORS THAT HAD LESS THAN 40 HP hE WORKED A JOB IN TOWN FOR OVER 20 YRS TO MAKE ENDS MEET ... A mAN WHO BELIEVED IN hARD wORK AND hONOR AND sTRENGHT AND LIBERTY. aND HE WANTED US ALL TO GET A BETTER EDUCATION THAN HE GOT.. hE LOVED AND WAS WAS PROUD OF MY mOM ALWAYS, aND HE KNEW HOW TO STRING HER ALONG, AND OFTEN TOLD ME HOW LUCKY hE WAS TO HAVE HER TO DO SO MANY THINGS WITH hIM, aND HE BUILT HER A NEW HOUSE TO PUT ALL OF US IN, I MARVEL AT ALL HE WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, EVEN THOUGH A CHUNK WAS MISSING OFF HIS RIGHT ARM BELOW THE SHOULDER .. iT FURTHER AMAZES mE hOW MOM AND DAD WERE ABLE TO RAISE US ALL SO COMFORTABLY ON A SHOESTRING STYLE ECONOMY. HE AND mOM ARE PRACTICAL AND RESOURCEFUL, ,,,,,dAD, ,SOMETIMES uNPREDICTABLE AND FULL OF SURPRISES, LIKE THE TIME HE SLID MY SISTER BEHIND THE WHEEL AND TOLD hER SHE WAS GOING TO LEARN TO DRIVE .AND TOLD HER NOT TO WORRY HE WOULD SIT NEXT TO HER. dAD WAS A PATIENT MAN P MY SISTERS ALSO WANTED yOU TO KNOW THAT dADS GAURDIAN ANGEL CERTAINLY WAS ON HIS TOES mANY TIMES DURING hIS lIFE, mOM HAS A PRAYER BOOK THAT HE WORE OVER HIS HEART DURING THE WAR THAT HAS A SHRPNEL TEAR ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK COVER, MANY OF YOU KNOW HE WAS THE ONLY SOLDIER WHO MADE IT OUT OF HIS AMPHIBIOUS TANK WHEN IT GOT HIT BY JAPANESE SHELLS, fEW KNOW ABOUT HIS LST AND SERVERAL OTHERS THAT BLEW UP AND SANK JUST BEFORE BEING DEPLOYED TO sAIPAN, ,AND THEREFORE DAD LANDED ON SAIPAN A COUPLE DAYS LATE .P OR DURING PEACE TIME ... THE TIME THE BIG GIANT bURR OAK SPUN ON ITS STUMP AND NEARLY GOT HIM AND A NEIGHBOR, THE TRACTOR FIRE OR THE NEAR MISS LIGHNTNIG STRIKE WHILE RACING IN FROM THE FEILD TO BEAT A THUNDERSTORM,, JUST TO MENTION A FEW ..........AND THE RISKS HE TOOK TO SEE HOW FAST HIS BIG RED DESOTO WOULD GO, WE NEVER KNEW BECAUSE HE BROKE THE SPEEDOMETOR , .DAD LIKED TO LIVE AND PUSH TO THE LIMIT YES dAD lIVED BOUTIFULLY IN A SOMETIMES SPARSE LIFE, AND PROVIDED WELL TO MOM AND THE 8 OF US KIDS hE WAS GENEROUS WITH HIS TIME AND HIS RESOURCES. gAVE ALOT OF CORN AND POTATOES AND TOMATOES AWAY .. AND hE WOULD WANT US TO GO FORWARD, hE WAS FINE WITH HIS DAD AND THEY RESPECTED AND TREATED ONE ANOTHER AS EQUALS,,....HE PREFERED THE COMPANY OF HIS CUSINS AND UNCLES ON GRANDMA rOSA BISCHOFF SIDE . hE WAS MARKED BY THEIR GENEROUS INFLUENCE TO FARM AND WORK AND ENJOY LIFE ..HE LEARNED ALOT FROM THEM AND ENJOYED THIER FELLOWSHIP ..THEY VISITED ONE ANOTHER OFTEN . FORMED HIM TO BE THE MAN WE KNEW AND WERE PROUD TO CALL DAD,,THEY CALLED HIM JOONY,, aND NO DOUBT THEY HAVE WELCOMED HIM TO THE BEST THRESHING CREW IN THE Heavens MAYBE THEY WERE NOT PERFECT MEN, BUT THEY WERE GOOD MEN, WILLING TO EARN THEIR KEEP AND TO SERVE HONORABLY. WE ALL KNOW THAT DAD LIKED TO FISH, ,, IT WAS A RELAXING PASTIME FOR HIM THAT GAVE HIM PEACE , AND I WILL CLOSE WITH THIS FISHERMANS PRAYER , ,,,,,,,,IPRAYTHAT I MAY LIVE TO FISH UNTIL MY DYING DAYS,,, (AND HE DID )..AND WHEN IT COMES TO MY LAST CAST, I THEN MOST HUMBLY PRAY, WHEN IN THE LORDS GREAT LANDING NET AND PEACEFULLY ASLEEP, , THAT IN HIS MERCY I BE JUDGED, ,GOOD ENOUGH TO KEEP .. DAD WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU AND WILL NEVER FORGET YOU, GOODBYE YOU OLD SOLDIER YOU, I SALUTE YOUY AND I AM HONORED TO BE YOUR SON J im Heitkemper , IN, entered 2008-08-31 My Email Address: Not Displayed

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