Dateline Dayton — Every day while eating breakfast, I read the obituary column in the newspaper. From this column I find out how I should proceed with plans for the day. Not seeing my name listed, I know God has given me another day, for which I’m thankful.
Why do I bring the subject of death up when Christians around the world have just celebrated the resurrection? Two weeks ago my Uncle Dick died. And the other day I learned my first fulltime boss’s wife died. Weeks earlier, my second boss died. All three people, two in their 90s and Uncle Dick a young 82, were unique.
Uncle Dick was my favorite uncle on my mother’s side. This probably could be attributed to being only twelve years older, the youngest of Mom’s brothers. I can still remember him living at home with grandma and grandpa, and I attended his wedding to Alma.
Then again, it could be his fun-loving, carefree attitude. He also always was a worrier.
Maybe that doesn’t make sense, but it really does. You had to know him. It could have been that he always was there to help. At our home on Parkwood, he helped me enclose a porch. I could not have tackled that without his help. Then there was the year he helped me paint the house. Or did I help him? He did most of the work. For over thirty years, Dick made his living as a painter, a good one.
Since he and Alma retired to Florida, I only got to see them a few times a year, but always enjoyed the visits. I’m going to miss Uncle Dick.
I am so glad Pauline and I stopped to visit him on our way to Florida this year. At the time, he was in a rehab center but looked good for just getting out of the hospital. He was at the center to regain his strength so he could continue his cancer treatment.
As often happens, Dick developed an infection while at the center. Or maybe the infection occurred while he was in the hospital. It was discovered shortly after our visit. He was taken back to the hospital and he was unable to recover. His memorial service will be this Saturday just north of Dayton, in Piqua.
Saying Another Farewell
While attending a junior college, studying accounting, I was hired by an accounting firm to reproduce tax returns for filing and the client’s copy. It was an elaborate process. Mr. Folker believed in providing the client with first class returns. His saying was, “It’s the only thing the client has to show for the money he paid us.” After graduation, I hired on fulltime, and I gained good experience during those six years with the firm.
Eileen was Orville Folker’s wife. A nicer lady would be hard to find. Each year after our Christmas party, she would have us over to the house to continue our celebration. I can remember some lively discussions that took place at their house.
Prior to my leaving the firm in 1968, Eileen was doing the job that I had when I started, reproducing tax returns. However, with the improvements in copy machines, my old job no longer was nearly as labor intensive. Since my departure in ‘68, I only saw her one time. According to the obituary in the newspaper, she was living in Florida at the time of her death.
I would have liked to have seen their two girls; however, there wasn’t any visitation. Another nice person has gone to her eternal reward.
Finding Out the Truth
I left O. N. Folker’s CPA firm to go to work at East Dayton Tool & Die as office manager. Mr. Hawkins was my boss. Cliff was old school. We didn’t always see eye to eye. During my eight-year stay, we went through rocky times. I had a difficult time with how he treated people, myself included.
I became good friends with his son, daughter and son-in-law. Cliff and I remained in contact in some form ever since I left in 1976. He was there for both Dad’s and Mom’s visitations, as I was for his family.
Not until his funeral did I learn about all he had done to help his fellow man. Possibly his gruffness at work was his way of making us better employees and individuals. God rest his soul.
Mr. Hennessey may be contacted at pmhenn@sbcglobal.net
