In Memory of my Dad

                   Dad                       

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:” Philippians 4:11

Let me tell you a little bit about my dad. Dad lived a very simple life. He loved the Black Hills of South Dakota and he enjoyed going to flea markets, rodeos, and the annual Threshing Bee. He would be out of bed by 4 or 5 A.M. each morning. He would drink his cup of coffee, read his Bible and pray. Many mornings when I got up, his Bible was still on the table opened to a passage of Scripture.

Dad was a very sensitive and emotional person. I remember his tears when a little boy had been hurt. Often when he was telling a story, his voice would become emotional and there would be tears in his eyes. He was also a very generous person. He would help single moms by giving them money, and he would help strangers in need.

Dad was human, so he was not perfect. He was content with his life because he had a forgiving and loving God. Dad’s true test of contentment came early in 2005. Dad showed us contentment as he lay on his hospital bed. He winked at his great -grandchildren and smiled as they winked back. The doctors would offer us a thread of hope, but when we asked Dad how he was, he would always reply, “Not good!” He knew, and had known for quite a while that his time on earth was coming to an end. He was at peace with his Lord. He told a granddaughter on March 12th that he was going Home. Dad would never tell any of us “Good-bye” but on March 8th he told Mom “Good-bye” several times. That is the last time she saw him.

Let me tell you about the last day my dad was with us. I walked into his room and asked the nurse what our goal was for him that day. She said that we needed to get a lot of liquid in him. Dad heard that and he drank more for breakfast than he did the whole day before. He showed me that he cared enough to try. We all went to lunch while he was asleep. When we returned at 2:30 he was breathing heavily. I knew then that my dad was about to leave us. I shed a few tears and then walked into his room and sat down beside him. I held his hand but didn’t know what to say. I finally kissed him on the forehead three times. I then saw a tear by the side of his eye. I gently wiped it away to let him know that I had seen it. My two brothers were with me and I asked my oldest brother, “Would you pray for Dad? He knows that we are here and he can hear us.” My brother prayed and then told Dad he loved him. During the prayer, Dad opened his eyes and looked at each of us. Things were quiet except for Dad’s breathing. I then told Dad, “We love you. You have been a great Dad, and a wonderful husband. We will miss you, but we know that you are going to a better place.” I then closed my eyes and prayed, “Lord, please do not let him suffer too much longer.” That was the last breath that Dad took before he was in Eternity.

Unknown to me, my sister-in-law had asked the Lord two days earlier to give me the wisdom to let my dad go. I am so thankful that we as a family were there to support Dad in this, his last change on earth.

For thirty years I dreaded and struggled with the day Dad would pass away. I never wanted to or knew how to say “good-bye” to him. It was a relief to me when we as a family decided to move my parents to Minnesota to live with my brother Delmer. I wouldn’t be there when they died. Well, God is still in control. He and Dad had other plans. I arrived at the Duluth, Minnesota Hospital on March 12th and Dad passed away on March 13th. I didn’t say good-bye to Dad that day because I knew that I would see him again when I get to Heaven. I did tell him that I love him. When I think back now, I realize that I would have missed a tremendous blessing if I had not been with my dad at his graduation to Eternity.

It has been five (now seven) years since Dad passed away and I still miss him, but I would never want to bring him back from the perfect place he is in now. Someday we will be together again for all eternity.

Death is unique to each person, as is dealing with the death of a loved one. That day, I learned how to die and I learned how to deal with the death of a loved one. Since then I have learned how to continue living after a loved one passes on to eternity. I learned that a Christian doesn’t need to fear death but take it one day at a time in faith. As my younger brother told me that day, “It is like falling asleep and waking up in a far better place.”

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”


“The greatest gift I ever had

Came from God; I call him Dad!”

~Author Unknown


Taken from the book, Life on the Ranch: Life Lessons I Learned on the Ranch.
 (Written from the heart.)

In the Valley With God

He led me through the valley,
There were fears on every side;
But He gently led me onward,
So in Him I would abide.

I felt He wasn't hearing me
When I to Him would pray.
"Just wait, my child," He'd tell me,
"I'll show you a better way."

He took me through the valley
But He didn't leave me there;
Although the way seemed rugged,
He began to answer prayer.

"I led you through the valley, Child,
So that you would lean on Me.
It's when the way seems hardest
That you need more faith to see."

The faith to see God's goodness
In the valley of distress,
Is the way that God must lead me
If I will learn to know His best.

Author Unknown

Happy Valentine's Day

Just want to say Happy Valentine's Day to all my family and friends.

Today we celebrated Star Math Achievement in my classes.  First hour was almost over when we went into Code teal, which means that the drug dogs are in school.  My poor first hour class was tired of celebrating by the time they were released to go to third hour.  I think that they were about ready to ask me for a math assignment. :)

The cake was great and the students were wonderful

Hope that you had a fantastic day.

Jake

When a person has a sweet, loving and smart dog, one needs to brag about him once in awhile.

Today Chip and I were headed to church.  I take my car to Alzada and Chip follows in the pickup.  He picks me up in Alzada and we head to town.  That way after church I can leave from Alzada and head to Lame Deer.

This morning as I was driving out of the driveway, Chip called to me  and asked if I had Jake with me.  I replied "No! Where is Jake?"  All of a sudden I saw him run up to us and stop about 4 feet from my car.  He looked at me as if to say, "Here I am, Mom!  What do you want me to do?"  I looked at him and pointed at Chip as I said, "Go with Chip!"  He didn't waste any time as he ran under the fence and jumped in the pickup with Chip.

As we travelled together in the pickup, Jake laid between us with his head touching Chip and his back touching me.  Sometimes he would turn around and face the opposite direction, but he was getting all of the petting that he wanted.  Well at least he was between the two people he loves the most.

What a dog!

Happy Thanksgiving

Since it is Thanksgiving and since a friend asked me the question, "When did you begin to hunt?", I think that I will do a little reminiscing this time.


Sometime in Junior high, we met a couple of friends, Swan Loften and Harold Parke. I don't remember all of the details, but I do remember that I became the "spotter" for them. I was getting pretty good at seeing the deer in the forest, but what I really enjoyed was seeing different areas of the Black Hills.

I remember one time that Dad and I went hunting with Swan in his Volkswagen Bug. I was sitting in the back and could only see out of the side windows. Dad or Swan spotted a deer on the hill in front of them. I remember the difficulty of them crawling out of the car and getting their guns out and that the deer didn't run. Dad shot the deer and we loaded it on the back of the Volkswagen and headed home.

One year my brothers came home from college and went deer hunting. I believe that they were both successful. Then came the year that Swan brought out his 22-250 for me to practice shooting. I remember Dad and Swan saying that I was a good enough shot to hit a deer, but when deer season opened we didn't go hunting. Dad was concerned that I would get hurt. I accepted it and went on with life.

In 1992, I moved to Alzada to teach in a country school. I met Chip in March of 94 after breaking my wrist. The first time I went out to his ranch was after I had the last cast taken off. We went fishing in his trout dam. I remember that every time I made a cast with the fishing pole, my wrist hurt. I did catch my fish for lunch and then had to quit. I pretty much kept Chip a secret from everyone until after the 4th of July, when I told my family (who had all been home) that I had met a pretty special guy.

That fall, I was talking to Chip in church and told him that I had always wanted to go hunting. He told me to go get a tag. At that time we could get them over the counter so while I was in the "store", I bought an antelope tag as well. The day of opening antelope season, I asked Chip when he was going to take me hunting. He told me that it was two weeks away. I told him that I had an antelope tag. We went hunting that day. I got my antelope!

Chip had a couple of people a head of me to help get a deer for that year. One night he called and told me to come up right after school. I had a parent stop by and was late getting out. I drove home and was changing clothes when there was a knock on the door. Casey C told me to hurry up and get my deer because he couldn't go hunting until I had shot mine. I told him that I was trying but someone was keeping me from going. That evening I shot my first 5 X 5 symmetrical buck. I really wanted to take a picture of it first, but didn't think that was what a hunter was supposed to do.

I called Dad and Mom and told them that I was bringing their Christmas present to them that night. Mom was waiting for a phone call when Chip and I arrived. Mom asked Dad, "What should I do about the phone call? I want to be in on this too." Those of you who knew Mom and Dad will understand the dilemma when Dad said, "Let the phone ring. They will call back!" This was the first time that Dad and Mom had met Chip. Chip said that he wasn't sure if Dad was studying him or the deer more.

Several years later, Chip came to Belle and stopped by Mom and Dad's where I was living. Dad heard the pick up door shut and heard Chip's cowboy boots on the porch. Dad "jumped" out of his chair, walked quickly to the door and opened it. He said, "Well, come on in you ole bum!" I sat on the couch and knew with all of my heart that Dad approved of Chip. Mom later apologized and I told her that wasn't necessary. I knew that they approved of Chip.

Thanksgiving of 2004 (Wow! Ten years later!) I went into town and picked Mom and Dad up and brought them out to the ranch. Dad was getting pretty weak, but I didn't really give it much thought. Chip had to give me the heads up on that one. Chip, Dad and I went hunting that day. Dad had a hard time getting into the pick up, but he crawled in the best that he could. I did shoot at a deer, but didn't hit it as I was shooting down hill. I remember Dad laughing! He had had a good time hunting with his daughter. March of 2005, Dad passed away.

I have many good memories of all of my hunting trips.

As you spend Thanksgiving this year, think of all the memories that makes your heart thankful. I know that someday, I will even be able to look back at this school year and be thankful.

Beautiful Snowfall

We received about 5 inches of snow from Friday to Saturday.  Everything is is white and beautiful.  Next week the temperatures are to be in the 40s and possibly the 50s again. 

Thankfully the roads are starting to clear off and traffic is back to normal.

Memories of Danny Oliver

I would like to share a few memories that I have of Danny. After I heard that he had passed away, I tried to remember where I first met him. After a couple of days, I remembered seeing him in the Alzada post office talking with Helen Spiedel in 1992. I didn’t get to know him very well until after I met Chip in 1994. I/we would meet him on Hwy 323 at his mailbox or Chip’s. He always had a smile and was very quick with a humorous comment.


After hunting mule deer on Chip’s for a few years, I wanted to try my hand at a white tail. Chip didn’t have any at that time, so he suggested that I ask Danny. Every one knows that Danny wouldn’t allow hunting on his mule deer or his antelope, but that he would allow an occasional hunter to hunt white tail. That November I went with Chip to watch him and Wade work cows at Danny’s. After a little bit, Danny had to give me a hard time and asked me what brought me down to the ranch as it was evident that I wasn’t working very hard. I replied, “Danny, I came down to collect birthday presents!” He grinned, paused a second and asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told him that I wanted to hunt for white tail. He gave me permission. On the day that I was to hunt we picked up the key to the locks on his gates and went hunting. White tail deer don’t stand around waiting to get shot, so I went home empty handed. When I returned the key he asked how I did. When I told him that all of his deer were still alive, he smiled and said, “Good!”

After Chip and I were married in 99, I once again asked Danny if I could hunt on him. Once again he gave me permission. The day before I was to go hunting, I saw him at his mailbox and stopped to talk to him. He told me that he wanted me to leave Chip at home when I went hunting. I was in a panic and said, “But Chip is my guide, I can’t hunt without him.” He said, “Why not?” I said, “Danny, I still get lost on our place, I will never find my way out of your place with out him.” He smiled and said, “Tell Chip to leave his rifle home.” I said, “I can do that.” Once again all of his deer lived for another day.

As I think about it, his deer were better off with me hunting them than driving a car. It was a few years after that, that a doe ran out from under the Little Missouri Bridge and hit my car. She died quickly. Danny then gave me a hard time about being hard on his deer population.

My last deer story happened a few years ago. The white tail finally moved up to the Dye ranch so I could hunt on our own property. Chip took me out hunting one after noon up by our hay yard that is next to Danny. There was a very nice 5 X 5 white tail buck peeking out at us from Danny’s. The temptation was great, but I valued Danny’s friendship too much to kill a deer on him without asking his permission first. Wouldn’t you know it, the very next day Danny was at our mailbox turning around. We visited for a bit and then I said, “Danny, I have a question.” He knew something was coming, so I started with “Danny, If we are hunting on our property and we see a neat white tail on your property, may I shoot it?” He looked at me and said, “What?” so more slowly I said, “I am standing on our property, the white tail is across the fence on your property, do you mind if I shoot it?” He repeated what I said, laughed and said, “Go ahead!” I shot a very nice 5 X 5 white tail that Chip had mounted.

One time we were at some Carter County gathering. I know it wasn’t a wedding as Danny didn’t go to weddings. He said that between Chip and me, he received four invitations to our wedding and he still didn’t come. I told him the number of invitations meant that we wanted him at our wedding. Any way Danny was giving someone a hard time about drinking. He finally said, “Well, I have always said that a little bit of alcohol doesn’t hurt anyone.” I smiled at him and said, “Danny, a little bit of church doesn’t hurt anyone either.” He chuckled and changed the subject.

One year Chip helped Danny ship his yearlings. It just so happened that one of the heifers had just calved and they couldn’t turn her back to her calf. Chip told me about it and I just couldn’t handle letting the poor calf die. I asked Danny if we could go look for it and he said yes, but with the grass as tall as it was, it would be very hard to find. Chip and I looked for 2-3 hours and couldn't find it. I prayed all Sunday morning that God would help Danny to find this poor calf. That afternoon Danny came driving into the yard. I gave him a hard time and asked him if we had cattle on him. He said that he brought me something. When I saw the calf, I said, “Danny, you are an answer to prayer.” He said that was the first time anyone had said that about him. He let the calf out and I fed her. This was a cute black baldy calf that thought Danny’s pick up was her mom. I called her Alpha as she was the first of my cattle herd. I still have her.

Danny and I talked about many things other than hunting and livestock. Danny was a very intelligent man and read a lot. He had read several different versions of the Bible of which he shared his opinion. I loaned him one of my favorite books called Why I Believe by James Kennedy. This book tells how we can know there is a Heaven, Hell and the Return of Christ. Because of the prophecy fulfilled in our Bible we know that it is true. After my dad passed away, I began to wonder what Heaven is really like. I found a book by Randy Alcorn called Heaven. The book changed my view. I, like many people, thought that Heaven was a time that we would sit around and sing and praise God. As good and right as that is, I am the type of person who needs to be doing something. Randy uses scripture to show how beautiful Heaven is and the fact that we will be doing something that we love to do there. This book also explains that Hell isn’t like most people think. It is not a place to socialize and party; it is a place of utter darkness and isolation. Danny spent some time reading this 500-page book.

My last memory of Danny is in the Billings Hospital. I had gone to Rapid City to see Danny but he had been transferred that very day to Billings. I was quite disappointed until I remembered that I had to be in Billings the following week for Math training for school. Monday night I got out our GPS and plugged in the address. I finally found where he was. I visited with him for about a half-hour, filling him in on the neighborhood. As I got ready to leave I asked him if I could pray for him and he quietly said yes.

Just as I thought that my dad was invincible and would live forever, so I thought Danny was invincible. Just as Dad was blessed to have a nurse pray with him while in the hospital, so I wanted Danny to have that as well while he was in the hospital. Even though I visualized him coming back to the ranch and once again having many talks with him at the mail box ---his or ours --- As I look back on that day, I think that Danny knew that he wasn’t going to make it back home.

Danny was a special neighbor and friend and will be missed. Today I want to extend my sympathy to Phyllis and each of his nieces and nephews. My prayers are with each of you.