Born: January 24, 1917
Died: March 27, 2004
Dad's birthday was always in the coldest month of the year. He was born at home - I wonder what the weather was on that day. He was the first born child - later got two sisters and a brother. His sisters still survive him - Lois living in Alabama now and Leora in Piqua, Ohio. They were a close family and remained so throughout their entire lives.
I can't say that I was close to my father but I learned to live with his cantankerous ways and admired many of his qualities - his work ethic, his honesty, his skill at argument, his sense of responsibility, his irreverance and his love of travel. All of those could be taken to the extreme and I wished sometimes that he had showed more of his loving side, had shared more of his musical ability with his children, had laughed more and allowed himself to relax. In the end, he was a good father, a good provider, a faithful husband and a good citizen. I do miss him and think of him around his birthday. It makes me wonder how, when he was a boy, having a January birthday must have brought a sparkle to those long dark days of winter.
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