One sweet man...

The world lost one of the most gentle souls I have ever known today, August 13, 2008.

This world's loss is heaven's gain.

I thought I would share with you some of my best memories. I am certain that his grandchildren have had the pleasure of many of these experiences as well.

• The first time I ever drove a vehicle I was about 10 years old, I sat on his lap and he let me drive down a busy highway 50 into town.
• There were times when we would fish for bullhead in his pond, and we didn't throw them back, we cleaned them and actually had bullhead for dinner.
• Going to the county fair and getting to ride the Ferris wheel.
• I remember getting my first digital watch from Grandpa and Grandma. It was even a Dukes of Hazard model!
• Getting to ride his "Big Red" 3-wheeler through the fields, over the terraces, seeing how many cow patties I could avoid hitting.
• Butchering chickens, the experience speaks for itself.
• Sitting in his shop on countless Christmas days starring at all the hats hung in the rafters wondering, "where did he get all of these, especially that authentic Nebraska football helmet from the early 70's?"
• Fritz, the only German Shepard I knew that loved beer and "a chew."
• Harvesting beans and milo in the fall and realizing how precious the work is that farmers do.
• The joy in his voice when he heard he was a great-grandfather.

In the words of his 10-year-old great-grandson Kyle, " You know, sometimes we get to go to a friends house for a few hours, but then we have to come home after a while; that is kind of like our life on earth, sooner or later we have to go home."

See you in the relatively not-so-distant future, Grandpa Bernie.