October 27, 2008

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  I had put this picture up in mid-August, when we stopped at Ken’s brother in Chippewa Falls for a short visit.  He had lung cancer.  I am so glad we were able to get there to visit then, when he was still feeling fairly well.  When Ken’s sis went to visit him a month later, he was having breathing problems then, and was also weaker.

  
  

  We received the phone call Saturday that Warren had passed away Friday nite.  He died peacefully with almost all his family around him.  Oldest son is a trucker, and he couldn’t get back home until Saturday morning.  We had called there earlier in the week, and Doris said Warren was bedridden now and on hospice.  The pastor had just been there to visit, and the pastor broke down.  They were good friends.  Warren, his pastor, and two of the pastors from our churches in Eau Claire would go out together for a potato pancake breakfast at Perkins once in a while.  Everybody loved Warren.  He always showed such a sincere interest in everyone!

  
  

  Tomorrow morning we will be driving the 4 hours there for the memorial service, and probably back home the same day. 

  
  

  Warren was a very special man.  He was a Christian who lived his Christianity.  When he retired early, he worked hard at his church, and when our Lutheran synod’s Builders for Christ program began, he and his wife, Doris, traveled the country in their motor home several times a year, helping to build and remodel new churches, schools, and parsonages.  They even flew to Antigua to work.  Some jobs would only last a couple weeks or so, and others lasted months. 

  
  

  Our son, Jeff, (the “traveler”) said that so often when they would visit one of our churches around the country, they would find people who remembered Warren and Doris—-usually from work done on their church.

  
  

  Warren and Doris have four sons.  All good christian men, also.  They will all miss their dad very much, but know that Warren is now out of his earthly struggle.  One son and grandson were sitting at his bedside not too long before he died, and the 14 yr. old grandson was reading the 23rd Psalm to Warren.  Doris said that even though Warren was not totally conscious anymore, she could see a change come over his face—-that he knew that Justin was reading this special psalm to him, and that he loved it.

  
  

  Doris said he never had pain.  Since he was terminal, they were able to give him anything he needed.

  
  

  Doris is a very strong woman, and admitted that she will do fine—–until everything is done, and she is all alone.  Then she will have time to grieve.  But her youngest son  and two grands are just a few miles away, and her oldest son, who is single, comes home on most weekends from trucking.  The other two sons are just a couple hours away.

  
  

  Anyway, that is where we will be tomorrow.  Keep Warren’s family in your prayers.  Thank you all ahead of time.

  
  

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  Also wanted to let you know that the “Travelers” are now at West Palm Beach.  They arrived yesterday.  They drove through some rainy weather, and saw several bad accidents along the way from Nashville. Jeff said they came around a corner in S. Tennessee just in time to see a car flip end-to -end and go into the median right ahead of them.  They cannot stop their big rig very quickly, so they didn’t stop.  Jeff said others behind them stopped to help.

  
  

   They have found out that camping is VERY expensive in West Palm Beach.  They will be staying at a nice county park (campground) about 15 minutes from the Trump Golf Resort where he will be working. The campsite will be costing them $700 a month!!!!!  Unbelievable.  But they had looked at a private RV park closer to the golf course, that was the same price, but the sites were so close to each other that Jeff  wouldn’t even be able to fit their bus in a site. And it was in an undesirable neighborhood.  They will be there through Thanksgiving weekend, which is when the LPGA golf tournament will be.  He starts the sign job on Nov. 3.  His Thanksgiving will be spent on the golf course.  He has to be on the course at all times when the tournament is actually going on, in case any signs are damaged they can be fixed or replaced right away.  The sponsors pay good money for the signage, and they have to be seen at all times.

  
  

  I hope you all have a good week.  Ken was supposed to start his skin cancer excisions tomorrow, but that whole schedule had to be rearranged.  He had 4 appts. set up.  This one will be rescheduled to be done last instead of first, and the others will stay the same.  Now, he won’t be done until Dec. 16, instead of Dec. 2.—Merry Christmas!!  lol

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