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Kansas | I was 11. He was 48, in 1986, from a car accident 2 miles from home at an intersection that becomes blind as the crops grow in the summer. We had had a sprinkle the night before to settle the dust. My dad had noticed the other car and had locked it up trying to stop. They said he was all but stopped when he entered the intersection. We are still friends with the other family as we know all things work together for God’s good.
My 5 year old brother was with him and survived with 72 stitches in his face.
I was always with dad growing up. We had been filling silo that day. I would fill both trucks with the self propelled cutter and dump wagon and then we would head to the 100’ silo 4 miles back home to unload. After the first truck was empty, I’d go back and fill up and dad would switch trucks and keep everything rolling. He had some brothers working for us but alcohol was always a problem with them. After feeding cattle in the feedlot the cattle was drinking all the water from the well so I couldn’t get cleaned up to go with him. I had to wash dishes with mom. He was going to town to rent a video camera for our church’s 100th anniversary.
I didn’t know it at that time but the bank had owned the farm for 2 weeks. It was a large farm. Both parents were also full time school teachers. Dad was a 7th grade teacher and a jr. High coach that always had winning teams.
Mom is still very much alive at 82.
Through lots of grace and blessings we were able to keep the farm and rent out the land. Mom let me keep 10 head of his cows and a loader tractor. That was what got me through that first summer before I got a job. She had 3 tenants that did a good job and I went to work for one of them for 12 years. I remember going into 8th grade I had 3 job offers. I’ve had cattle ever since and after college I slowly started farming Dad’s farm. In 2000 I jumped out on my own and in 2007 I officially was farming all of Dad’s farm. I’m the 6th generation and have the 7th already in training.
God has been so good to me ever since going through those rough years!!! | |
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How old were you when your father passed?
