Today, instead of celebrating the New Year, our family is mourning the passing of Mark's father, Bob. He died early this morning in Minnesota. I have learned that no matter how hard you try to prepare yourself for something like this, it doesn't mean that you feel the effects of it any less. If there's anything that I could share about him in the ten years that I have been his daughter-in-law, it's that he deeply loved his family. He spent his whole life caring for others, from his mentally handicapped sister, to his widowed mother, to his dear wife and five children. He worked extremely hard farming and taking care of his family. He and Maxine were married for over 50 years.
One of the things that brought him immense happiness was being around horses. He grew up on a ranch working with animals and even at the age of 80 years old, he still knew how to work a horse and he had great fun doing it! This picture was taken a few years ago at a family reunion and it's one of the best memories that I have of him. He was so tickled to be up on a horse again!
Bob was a wonderful listener, very wise, and he always had time for his kids and grandkids. Mark speaks often of the special visits he and his dad would have while they were out working together. They would talk about life, history, the Gospel, and SPORTS! He loved the Twins and Vikings but despised the Yankees (and who can blame him for that). He was also a scriptorian and he knew the Bible and Book of Mormon better than anyone I have ever known. Our family is not the same without him and he will be profoundly missed. However, we know that there is a grand reunion in heaven today as he is reunited with his parents, all of his siblings, and a granddaughter - all of whom he loved so much. We love you Dad and Grampa!
