My Dad's Story

What can I tell you about my Dad…well, he was very proud to have
served in the Army Reserves as a Mess Sergeant. A Mess Sergeant supervises
and controls the activities of mess personnel in garrison or field kitchen
installations and prepares menus from a master menu.
Bob is a wonderful father, who loves me and my brothers. He is an
excellent husband of 62 years that loves my Mom more than anything else in the
world. Presently, my Dad has Dementia. Bob sometimes gets confused, but
constantly tells my Mom how much he loves her.

Bob loves people! He had a lot of friends and used to enjoy traveling. Dad
was in crime stoppers and he and my Mom supported their local police. He got
along better with my Mom’s parents than my Mom! He was a Webelos leader,
member of New Berlin Booster Club, and usher at St Lukes church in Brookfield,
Wisconsin. As a family, we worked for years at the Lions Club corn roast at
Wisconsin State Fair. Bob was very active as an avid golfer and swimmer.

 

In his youth, he delivered the newspapers on his paper route in Fletcher
Hills, California on his horse. Bob loved horseback riding. He gave up the paper
route to become a Master Plumber and years later, a plumbing inspector.
Everybody loved him. He was called ‘the bus driver’ because he had a
ready smile and was willing to help everyone he could in whatever way he could
help. He brought my mom breakfast in bed every Sunday.

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Bob’s favorite places were horse races and Las Vegas. His favorite shows
are westerns. He used to love dancing the jitterbug with my mom. His tastes
have changed from his favorite pepperoni sticks to Oreo cookies. He can’t get
enough of them!

I know many people suffer from Dementia but this is personal! I am hoping
that in my lifetime a cure can be found. Dementia robs us of our memories.
Imagine how frustrating not to remember your past or even what you ate for
lunch. Imagine how a spouse feels when their mate cannot even remember their
name…it hasn’t happened to my Mom yet and I am dreading when that day
comes.
We are united, over the globe, by the things that make us human. We are
born into this life, we love, we cry, we rejoice, we feel pain, we suffer, we build
memories, we serve, we grieve, we laugh, we live, and one day we will die. No
matter our ethnicity, culture, beliefs, values, or faith; we live on this planet
together for a short time and disease touches us or the one’s we love, without
favoritism or bias or discrimination.
We can unite and give to research to find a cure-one disease at a time.
This is Bob’s story but each of you probably knows someone who has memory
loss in your life or the life of someone you know. Let’s find a cure, together. 50%
of proceeds will go toward Alzheimer’s Research and you can track the amount
of money contributed on this website. A memory is a piece of your life. Wear this
bracelet as a reminder of how you would like to be able to cherish your own
memories and not have them taken away but keep them forever in your heart.

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