Early on in his life he married Mazie and had two children.  Luther (Carl) and Margurite Gladys (Margie).

   Life for all of them was more than difficult since the great depression was in full swing and work was hard to come by and caring for a young family became more than he could deal with.  He divorced Mazie and in the years to come moved to Michigan.

  Shortly after his move to Michigan he married Elise Feddern, he then went to work in the then Alaska territory working on the pipeline as a welder and pipe fitter, where work was plentiful.

  He had limited contact with his now grown children.  He loved them but all of their lives had gone in different directions.  His daughter Margie married and had 5 children and his son, Carl joined the Air Force where he met his wife Isayo. They have two sons.

  Upon his return from the Alaska territory in the early 1950's, he and Elsie had 3 daughters.  Julia, Deborah, and Carol.  He also took on the responsibility of raising Elise's two young sons, James and Charles.

  In August of 1955 (Labor Day weekend) he moved the family to a new home in Walled Lake Michigan.  He lived in this home until the time of his death.

   He continued to work as a pipe fitter throughout his life after his return from Alaska until he was forced into retirement because of a disability.  He had developed lung cancer and emphysema.
These illness did not stop him however.  You see, he had a very special hobby.  He was a beekeeper.
His bees provided him with an outlet and the ability to feel productive.  His children worked along side him in the appraise day by day... I became his eyes and partner for the majority of his beekeeping experiences.  Up until the time of his death much of his time and thought surrounded his bee hives and how each and everyone of the 95 hives were doing.  Through every season he worked slowly and diligently preparing for the summer's needs and then working the hives during the hot days of the summer.

   During the 1960's he vacationed in Missouri with visits to his daughter's home.  He enjoyed these visits and they were the single times were he actually took a bit of time to relax.  Though of course he busied himself doing things around Margie's home and enjoying his grandchildren.

   His illness forced him to slow down more than he ever imagined.  Often times he could barely move around the room as he was tethered to oxygen in the last couple years of his life.

  He found great joy in teaching his children mechanical skills and skills that would bring his three younger daughters independence as adults... and in this area he was very successful.

   The last few months of his earthly life were mostly spent in the hospital as he struggled with his illness.  Upon his death all of us were to grieve his loss.

   Now 23  years after his death we are now able to smile and laugh at some of the antic that were unique to him...  His sense of humor was dry and much of this humor was hidden in the small things that he would do.

  We will always miss the many little things about him and as time has passed our grief has become a distant part of our love for him.  It still hurts, our loss.  The intensity  is gone but the love is not.

 

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