Jane's dad, Henry "Heinie" Kalkwarf passed away yesterday at the age of 90. A good representation of relatives were present to see him off. He was a life long farmer in Central Illinois. He had a son and 2 daughters and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. His wife, Bertha, survives. They were married 67 years and never quarreled or bickered. They were always together.
As a father-in-law he set a very high standard. It would be hard to emulate this man. He had so many great qualities. Never once did he say, "Bill, you've got to do it this way." Other than his initial stare at me when he found out I was crazy about his daughter, all I ever heard was positive things from him, like,"that's right" or "good job." He had a mountain full of friends and kept his family close to him. He was an absolute pillar in all walks of life and was one of those people whose friendly teasing and twinkle in his eye made you feel good. In short if I could turn out to be half the man he is I would die a happy man.
Heinie was a life long Cub fan who cheered them on til the end. He was a sports fan who always had time to go to my son's sporting events, awards banquets, musical concerts and plays. As a devout Lutheran who had 2 Lutheran minister brothers and a Lutheran minister son-in-law he will surely gain a front row seat in heaven. He will be missed but never forgotten.
[ October 10, 2003, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: Bill Diaz ]
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Sorry to hear of your loss. It sounds like you have a mountain of good memories to keep him close with. He sounds like a wonderful man.
Posted by Linda Schmidt (Member # 2337) on :
Bil & Jane- I'm so sorry to hear this. He must have been a wonderful and kind man to have raised such a tremendous daughter. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Bill & Jane,
My condolences. From what you wrote, Bill, I'm sure he will be missed, but never forgotten, by a great many people.
Rapid
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Bill and Jane,
Our condolences to you and yours. We pray that the Lord blesses you with peace.
Bruce and Dana Bowers
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
I know all too well what Jane is feeling right now. I also know how much it helps to have friends that care.
We will keep you both in our thoughts and prayers.
Posted by dave parr (Member # 3868) on :
Jane & Bill,
Clare & I are very sorry for your loss. I recall the health of your father was mentioned Sunday at lunch. For me, times like these bring out quite a bit of reflection and many memories. Our thoughts are with you as you adjust to the changes in your lives.
Clare & Dave
Posted by Barb. Shortreed (Member # 1730) on :
Jane & Bill we're so sorry to hear of your loss. He sure sounds like he was a great guy and we know you'll find comfort & strength in your memories.
Posted by Elaine Beauchemin (Member # 136) on :
Sympathy, pease & friendship
É
Posted by Amy Brown (Member # 1963) on :
Sorry to here of this. Hope your good memeories help you in this tough time.
Posted by Janette Balogh (Member # 192) on :
Jane and Bill,
So sorry for you. Hold on to good memories and take care of each other during this difficult time.
Nettie
Posted by Donna in BC (Member # 130) on :
So sorry to hear of your loss. By your description, what a pleasure it must have been to be a part of his life.
Posted by FranCisco Vargas (Member # 145) on :
Sorry to hear of your loss, my condolences to your family.
Posted by AdrienneMorgan (Member # 1046) on :
What a great guy he must have been to know...
Sorry for your loss, I know he will be missed.
Adrienne
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
Bill & Jane, I wanted to share my condolences as well, but also would like you to know how meaningful your comments were Bill.
We can find inspiration in several places each day, but your description of this mans character rises above most & I know, just by reading it, that in many ways, he is still touching lives with inspiration. And in recognizing those qualities in him enough to pass on that spark in your writing, thank you too for your inspiring words today.
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
My Condolences, 90 Years Old, that's an accomplishment, also a Time for Celebration, What a trip he must of had.
Posted by Cheryl Lucas (Member # 1656) on :
Thank you for sharing this sad news with us. I too, was touched by the thoughtful words you have written in memory of 'Heinie.'
Sending love, comfort and prayers...
Cher.
Posted by Dave Utter (Member # 634) on :
Kay and I are so sorry to hear this. In knowing Jane, if she is anything at all like her Dad, he was one heck of a guy. Our prayers are with you all.
Posted by Deb Fowler (Member # 1039) on :
Jane,
My heart goes out to you at this time. May you have peace and loving memories of your father, as I will be thinking of you and your loss. His spirit lives on within you.
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
Thank you ALL for your kind words. Our family appreciates the many kinds words and stories about my Dad over the last few days. My Mom is handling it as well as she can, considering she has lost her best friend and love of her life for 67 years. A little story to sum that up....I NEVER heard my parents fight. I know that sounds amazing, but they just didn't do it. (My Dad would "Go do something in the barn" for an extended time every now and then.) The only time I ever heard him raise his voice at her was when I was probably 8 to 10 years old and she was sick. Dad wanted her to go to the hospital and being the stubborn German that she is, she refused. Dad said he was going to call the neighbor and they were going to carry her to the car if he had to so she better get in the car! She went, but I remember crying to my Grandmother who stayed with me because I thought they were going to get a divorce! (I had never seen them mad at each other!) My Dad farmed all of his life. He put both of his younger brothers through college and seminary and was very proud that they were both Lutheran ministers. My sister married a Lutheran minister too. My Dad's faith was probably the most important thing in his daily life and he LIVED his faith, not just talked about it. He was everyone's friend, a real jokester/trickster, had nothing but praise for all of his kids and grandkids and would literally cry with pride at our accomplishments. When there were times when someone need a kick in the pants, all he had to do was look at them with those dissapointed eyes and not say a word. He was the kind of person that everyone that ever knew him looked up to. I was VERY proud he was my Dad. Thank you ALL for your caring comments. I wish you could have known him and enjoyed him like we did. He was a great guy and someone that I will try to live up to the rest of my life! His last words to my nephew were "Don't forget your faith."
Posted by Colleen Henderson (Member # 906) on :
Our thoughts are with you Jane & Bill. He will live on forever in your memories. give out prayers to your mother. It was such a pleasure meeting you in Tomahawk & I know we'll be good friends for a long time.
