Today our sweet Fred passed away peacefully about 4 p.m. in the V.A. Hospital surrounded by most of his kids.
Fred had been sick for quite sometime. About 9 years ago he was told that he had 1 year to live and here he had made it 8 years beyond that diagnosis! Obviously he was stubborn about living as he was about being kind and loving to his grandkids!
Sheila I am sure is so happy to have him with her after such a long time. I am sure that he is enjoying being loved by his father and his mom whom he hasn't known since he was a baby.
We, who are left behind are sad that we will no longer have him around to hug and talk to, to got to Micky D's, play with him in his backyard and sit on the lake side at Bear Lake, watching the kids ride jetski's.
One interesting fact about Fred that we didn't know so much about. He was a parachute jumper when he was in the military, was injured in some kind of a raid, served during the Korean War, and someone said that he earned a Purple Heart and no one knew about it! So he is recieving full military honors at his funeral. Too bad he never talked about it to Devin or Matt they would have loved to hear those stories!
Matt was able to spend time in Fred's hospital room the night before he passed away. He and Keith were there together. I am sure that was a very special time for him to spend time with the brother that he looks up to so much and his dad, even though Fred probably didn't even realize they were there.
I will miss Fred so much! I have such a special fondness for him and for Sheila because they helped take care of Devin and I, after Matt and I's car accident when devin was a baby. We would just sit for hours talking to each other, watching Nate play Soccer, Helping Sheila cook dinner (even if i didn't like Mexican food.) But by watching them together, I learned how much they truly loved each other by the way the treated each other, how Fred always wanted Sheila to be able to do what she wanted to do,talk to her about her day working in Nates class, coaching Nate's soccer teams, doing anything that made her happy and I loved how Sheila took such great care of Fred and all of us when we were all together. She taught me how to write down what I was learnign about in Church, my thoughts throughout the day, but her letting me read her journals about what she was reading in the Scriptures, what book she found interesting and what crocheting/crafting project she had going! But mostly I learned that Fred was such a great example about working hard, doing things for others just because he cared and serving no matter what he was asked to do!
I know that Fred has missed Sheila for the last 14 years and i rejoice in the fact that they are together again!
Fred we love you and will miss you, but are thankful that you were in our lives!
