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| Loren in Nebraska in the 1940's. Army belt, pants, and shirt? Home for a visit before shipping over to Germany? |
| Loren in Orlando in 1980's. Posing for me, "Look mad Dad. Hey, wipe that smirk off your face, buddy bear". |
| Dad at 81 and a half, at George Suggs' house in April, 2003, just one month before he was killed. Looks like he was having a good time. Such a sweet smile. Dad was run over and his leg crushed off, by the marine travelift carrying his own beloved sailboat on May 12th, 2003 at 11:45 am in Harbortown Marina, Ft. Pierce, Florida. He was just about to set sail on the "sail of a lifetime". He arrived by helecopter at Melbourne Trauma Center at 1:15pm and after bering given eight pints of blood died in surgery at 4:17 pm. Cause of death, hemmorhagic shock, too long without blood. Four and a half hours later his strong heart gave out, run dry. The OR nurse at the trauma center in Melbourne said "your father was the most cooperative patient I've ever had." Why did it take an hour and a half to get him to the Trauma Center? Why did it take the paramedics an hour to decide where to take Dad? The Trauma Center received the call from the Ft. Pierce Paramedic Helecopter at 1pm and they arrived at 1:15pm. Dad was in surgery at 1:45pm, two hours later. John Morgan, the man who had tried to tournequet Dad's leg and shaded Dad's eyes from the bright sun said that Dad was soft-spoken, alert, helpful and gentlemanly the entire time that he was bleeding to death and waiting for the trauma helecopter. John stayed with Dad shading his eyes. Bless you John. Dad took good care of himself, body, mind and spirit, so that he'd be strong, useful, and not dependant on anyone into his 100's. He'd have been proud of himself when he was a pup, if he'd had a preview of this page. Most important as he aged, he kept his sweet nature . I love you Dad, just as you were. |
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| Arlyn left (Loren's older brother), Loren 8 right, and little Roger 2. I thought this picture was so dear because Dad always shaded his eyes and scrunched up his face like that. I'd wonder what he was seeing off in the distance. It looks like his brother Arlyn did too. What was the old saying? "He looked so far off into the distance, he could almost see the future." This picture was taken on the Collins homestead in Wyoming, 1929 or 1930. |
Forever Loren Please forgive me for not being there with you that day Dad, to pull you from harm's way, as you have so many times for me. My heart has always been with you, but my body should have been with you that day too. You needed and wanted my help, and I let you down. Silly me. I was thinking all wrong. I thought you'd wait for me to be able to come and sail with you. How could I forget your drive and iron will? You, taught me to be independent and resourceful. How fast we all gathered around you, just hours after you were killed. Yet when you were alive there seemed to be no way or time to come to you. You never let being too busy stop you from helping any of us. You always made time to help us wherever we were. I often dream of you at that big Thanksgiving table in the sky. I'm serving you my old fashioned pumkin pie and spooning on a mound of homemade whipped cream, waiting for you to say enough. You'd stop me when a sliver of pie was peeking out from under the mound of white. Then you'd ask for seconds. I'd wonder out loud how you stayed so thin. You'd laugh and say "I keep busy". Well Dad, I'll keep forging on, trying not to make too many more mistakes. I'll miss you big time the rest of my life. I hope that we'll be together again someday. In this life you were such a good man, strong, kind, and self controlled. I know you walked upright with your boots on, to the Pearly Gates and your God. Dad, please put in a good word for me with our Lord, so that I can gaze into your twinkling blue eyes, once again. I was your loving daughter, student, workmate, playmate, friend and sailing buddy. You were my Dad, my best friend, and my soul-mate. You have my heart forever Dad. Until we meet again, Mary Ann |
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| Dad and me. |
| Forever Loren |