Dad's Funeral

Dad was buried with full military honors. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He always joked and called himself a "propeller head". The funeral was held in Garden Valley at the LDS Church and then he was buried at Veterans Cemetery in Boise. It was a really nice funeral and I think Dad would have liked it. All his children spoke about their memories of him and he wanted me to give the eulogy. I thought it would be the hardest thing I had ever done, but it turned out to be really easy and joyful. He made it easy because I had so many wonderful memories of him and he had been such a stand up guy, Don't think he was perfect, he wasn't, but he was certainly the perfect father for me.
The honor guard presenting Mom with the American flag.
Dad's grandchildren all sang "I Am a Child of God" It was really sweet
This is Tony and Ammon leading the pallbearers out of the church in Garden Valley. Tony was just heartbroken about his grandpa. He loved Dad and was so close to him. He had been really close to Dad since he was a little baby, they just had this thing. Tony would go and stay about a month with Mom and Dad every summer. Dad built him a little bed that sat right next to Mom and Dad's king size bed. It was up high enough that Tony could reach out and hold Mom or Dad's hand. Dad didn't want him to be afraid! Mom let Tony wear Dad's favorite coat while we were there and the night before the funeral, Tony laid on the floor with his face in Dad's coat (he said it smelled like Grandpa) and just cried and cried. I felt so sorry for him, he was just inconsolable. Mom was so sweet and let Tony wear a pair of dad's boots, a hat, and one of Dad's western ties to the funeral in honor of Dad. After the funeral, she gave him Dad's boots.
This was Dad's favorite cowboy hat so it was only fitting that it was on the wreath!

This is the poem (really modified lyrics to a song) that I ended the eulogy with:

Daddy

He wore western shirts
Snapped, not buttoned at the neck
He'd sit in the yard and watch the chicken's peck
His old hand shook, but what the heck
I thought he walked on water

He said he was a cowboy when he was young
He could handle a rope and he was good with a gun
And some times he thought I was his oldest son
But I thought he walked on water

He'd tie a rope to the end of a mop
And say Deb here's a pony, keep er at a trot
I'd ride in circles while he laughed a lot
Then I'd flop down beside him

He married my Mom before I was three
And I loved him and he loved me
And Lord I cried the day he died
Cause I thought he walked on water

And if the story were told
Only heaven knows
That his hat seemed to me
Like an old halo
And though his wings
they were never seen
I though he walked on water