To my friends on the forum I am sad to say that my father passed away yesterday. It was through his effort that I was given my first Lionel train which ran on an oval of track on a piece of plywood in an unheated upstairs bedroom in the old farmhouse we lived in. Of course, my goal was probably to run it so fast that would fly off the board onto the floor - thank goodness those were virtually indestructible. So now maybe it’s time to scratchbuild that cabin of his and find a special place on the layout that will be forever be called ‘Elmer’s.’ RIP Dad.
May he find his place in the great roundhouse in the sky.
And may you and your family remember him for a life well lived.
Harold,
My condolences to you, your family and friends that knew your dad. You will always warmly appreciate the wonderful moments, lessons, and memories he gave you ( and yes, even those times he had to “put you in check” as all good parents have to do).
God Bless him.
Harold: My condolences on the loss of your father. I can identify with how you must feel at this time having recently lost a parent myself.
Harold,My condolences to you and your family.
Harold, my deepest condolences to you and your family, yesterday was actually 13 years to the day since I lost my father. I put a garden in my backyard and grew vegetables in his memory (I really hate yardwork). The cabin sounds like a nice tribute.
[:(]
Harold,
Please accept our sincere condolences on your Father’s passing.
Fond memories and lessons learned from him will remain and be a joy to you and help you through these sorrowful times that a lot of us here have experienced. Myself I lost my Father and father in law over thirty years ago, but some of the Gang here more recently. Then we have some Buddies here that in the last little while lost their Wives. So we do know how you are feeling to some degree.
Prayers and blessings on you and your family. Look forward to a joyful reunion when your train reaches it’s destination in years to come.
Johnboy out…
It is a very sad time for you, Harold. I hope it will be a comfort to you as you go through this trying time knowing that your dad got a lot of satisfaction and pleasure knowing he’d had even this one small influence on your path through to adulthood and beyond. Many men have no such ambitions or success. He was a great dad, I am sure.
Best regards.
Crandell
Harold … Sincere condolences and prayers for you and your family.
Harold, I am so sorry for your loss!
I lost my father in 1974, when I was 24 years old. What I learned from it is that you never get over a loss such as this, you simply learn to live with it.
Harold, my sincere condolences on your loss!
My dad is right now in hospital, and prospects are none too good. I know I have to get prepared for the moment he´ll leave us, but my heart just refuses the thought that he might be gone soon.
Harold,
Sorry for your loss. Dad passed away suddenly in 1989 and I still miss him badly.
You mentioned building a cabin… Do it! Build something on your layout that will make you smile and think of your Dad. Talk about a labor of love !!!
My avatar is a pretty fair replica of my Grandmom’s house in Anna Illinois - as it was in the '50s. My Dad was born there, and I spent many vacation days sitting on the porch waiting for the IC trains to come blasting down the racetrack - right across the road. It brings back good memories, and makes me smile!
As long as he is remembered, he is not completely gone. Build something on your layout that will remind you of him every time you see it. But first, take a vacation away from all those familiar places that seem so empty right now.
I am the oldest of 5. We lost our dad in 1971 when I was 24 and the youngest was 14. To this day, the five of us gather at a local restaurant every year on his birthday. We like to believe he is there with us.
Please know that you are in the thoughts of all of your “friends” in here.
Condolences on your family’s loss…[angel]
Harold, sorry for your loss. Even if you know it’s coming, it still hits you hard. My Dad, the old B&O operator marked off for the last time on August 10th, and I still have a hard time believing he’s gone. We have to appreciate the great times we had with them, and try to live by the values they’ve taught us!
-Stan