A crazy little farm kid from southern Illinois
Had only the farm things around him to enjoy
A boxcar for his house and a farm for his playground
He always thought he was the richest boy around
Running with dogs, plowing fields with a horse
He always seem to have fun, even while doing his chores

Losing his mother while so very young
A very sharp knife to shape the great man to come
Plucked from his farm in southern Illinois
Replanted in the big city when he was just a boy
While still in school he went to find work
At a part time job in Hausermann’s greenhouse in Melrose Park
Not realizing he would find more than work at Hausermann’s green ~
He would find the future mother of his children ~ the beautiful boss’s daughter, Irene

Just a spark with gram then, and nothing more
Because he was rushed through his senior year and sent off to war
He was put on a ship he called a tin can
In the middle of the fighting just off of Japan
Risking his life for people he didn’t know
He was always one of the most unselfish people you would ever know

He finally made it home to restart his life
Along with taking his better half, Irene for his wife
Working with orchids and raising 3 girls
He always put God in the center of his world
He became elder of the church to serve Him even more
Not wanting anyone to perish, willing to go door to door
He later became grandpa to every kid he’d meet
I just called him gramps ~ The biggest hero to me

He taught me so many things
I don’t know where to start
Most of all he taught me to love like Jesus did with all my heart
Always quoting scripture and teaching with the way he lived his life
I feel so blessed to have been so close to one of God’s brightest lights
He was my mentor, my encourager, my very best friend
He’ll always be my hero until the very end