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One of Henry's favorite expressions when asked how he was doing was "Oh still walking vertically, I guess that's a good sign." On New Year's day Henry stopped walking vertically. We are here today to celebrate Henry's life, and to know that we all have been blessed to have known him. A wise man once said, "To cry at a wedding, and laugh at a funeral." Certainly there is emptiness and sadness within us all, yet the riches that we all have gained to have had Henry for 78 years must be cherished.
I looked up the word "eulogy" in Webster's dictionary. It is defined as an expression of high praise. We all know that Henry was a private person and not to ever boast or seek out praise. For that reason, I will respectfully not stand here and brag about my Uncle Hank. He wouldn't have liked that. I will however share with you his beliefs, values and his many talents and attributes.
Henry was so, so tender, so gentle and soft spoken. Not caught up in life's fast pace or by all of its trimmings, Henry chose to take the time to enjoy a humble life. Henry had a thirst for knowledge and enjoyed self learning. Henry had faith in God and always followed in Jesus' footsteps.
Most important to Henry was to share his life with Mary. Husband meant soulmate, workmate, playmate, best friend and partner. He beamed to be in the presence of his Mary.
Henry's gentle ways were worn on the cuff of his sleeve for all to see. You would only have to look into his blue eyes to see this tenderness. Hear it in his chuckle. You felt it in his strong handshake. He had endearing attachments for others... My Mary... My good neighbor.... My nephew... In the barn yard, my Pinkie... my Buffy... and my Tommy2 were all giving the same respect and dignity.
Henry cared for the most simple things in life. He valued his surrounding countryside and it fit like and old leather glove. A stump of a willow to carve into a cane. A Sunday afternoon walk on freshly turned summer fallow to look for artifacts. The pleasure of good family, friends, and neighbors. Henry got a lot of pleasure from preserving the old and keeping it operational rather than shopping for the new. Sand, polish, shine, and smooth, he would bring objects to their very best form. I believe he was doing that with all of us too. Neighbors would attest that a few times when they were stopped in the field waiting for parts, Henry would be going round and round with his old equipment. In short he was creative and sparing with his use of resources and stewardship of the land. Yet generous. After a day's help on the farm he would take you to the barn for pay in kittens. He teased in the sweetest way. Rocks, bones, fossils were an excuse for a picnic.
One time we were all around the table and talking about what we liked for entertainment. Various activities like StageWest or Stampeder's games were mentioned. When it was Henry's turn to say what he liked he said with excitement, "It's a lot of fun to raise a baby calf." At first it seemed almost off topic. Henry explained himself. "To take a little orphan from the auction market and milk a cow to feed it and watch it grow up is a lot of fun!" Henry searched both slopes of the Rockies for wild berries and helped in the effort of rebuilding bluebird population in the community. He loved the landscape and he loved the living. He also loved the soil. Big time did he love the soil. Gardening vegetables and the crops. Its really hard to find anything at all materialistic that Henry took interest in.
Henry had a great thirst for knowledge and never stopped learning throughout his life. His love for non-fiction was an adventure in itself. He literally read by the bushel and encouraged others to do the same. From North American explorers to local homestead lore, he valued this understanding. It was very much a part of him and his surrounds.
Henry's legacy to us is that life can be captured and valued so easily in
such simple ways. His reverence to life and stewardship of his resources
is an example for us all. He showed us that learning was a lifelong journey.
All the while our Henry walked with Jesus. The attributes of this one loving
person has affected us all deeply. To have loved him, to have known him,
it's a gift and we are all better for it.
This page was last modified:Sunday, 14-Apr-2002 19:27:52 MDT