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July 11, 2006
Bill Barger
A month ago today, Gary lost his dad. He had been sick for a number of years: a surgical mishap had taken his speech and caused him to suffer a stroke.
This has been a hard post for me to write. All of this happened to Bill just before I met Gary, so I never truly knew him.
But what I did know was that he loved Gary, and his family, evidenced by his smiles and greetings of "hey!" when he saw them. He enjoyed seeing pictures and videos of our animals, and his visits to the farm, while few, I know he enjoyed.
Gary would tell me stories of his childhood when his dad would bring home animal after animal, mostly poultry, after working and driving all day. Bill loved to drive and would often take a road he did not know just to learn a new route or see something different.
He was also a hard worker. He grew up on a farm and had many skills. In fact this is the farm where he grew up, right on 34B outside of King Ferry. From nickel-plating at NCR to redoing houses to installing tv antennas, running a tractor or backhoe or truck or boat, building his cabins in Canada and his family homestead from the basement up, he could and would do it all.
He was also an avid outdoorsman and travelled many places, especially with Gary, for special hunting trips. On these trips he would bring a video camera and record every minute. It is from these tapes that I feel I know Bill best, hearing him talk and laugh, and seeing Gary with him.
He was happiest when he was outside I think. He never stopped working. I see a lot of that in Gary too.
He will be missed by all who knew him.
Posted by roosterh at July 11, 2006 4:20 PM
Comments
Thanks for sharing a little bit about Gary's dad with us. :-)
Posted by: Mark at July 23, 2006 6:08 PM
Posted to Personalthat's really nice. how fortunate you guys are that you have him on tape that way.
Posted by: sharon fisher at July 24, 2006 12:02 AM
Posted to PersonalThanks for a very nice tribute to a very nice man. He is missed.
Posted by: Dolores Teeter at November 13, 2006 2:12 PM
Posted to Personal