A VIEW  TO FATHER DICK

 

         WE GROW UP IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD HERE IN MINNESOTA BOTH OUR FAMILIES PART OF THE FITZGERALD GREATER FAMILY . THE TIMES WERE HARD IT WAS THE DEPRESSION TIME . THOUGH IT WAS TOUGH TIMES I LOOK BACK ON THOSE YEARS WITH GREAT FONDNESS . ALL THE FAMILY GET TOGETHER AT GRANDPA FRITZ'S FARM . IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WERE HUNDRED’S THERE AND THE VISITS TO THE LOOMIS FARM AND THE DINNERS . I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE SQUIRREL DINNER THAT MARKED OUR LAST MEAL  AT THE LOOMIS FARM  BEFORE WE MOVED WASHINGTON .  THAT WAS DELICIOUS SQUIRREL BUT I WISHED AFTER DINNER THAT THEY HAD SHOT THE SQUIRREL WITH A 22 INSTEAD OF A  410   I’LL BET I ENDED UP WITH THIRTY SHOT IN MY PLATE.  AS I SAID THE  SQUIRREL WAS DELICIOUS . THAT WAS THE LAST TIME BUT BEFORE THAT THE GOOD TIMES PLAYING IN THAT OLD BARN , CLIMBING UP IN THE HAY LOFT , CHASING THE SHEEP , THAT POOR RAM WHEN WE WOULD STAND IN FRONT OF ONE OF THOSE BIG OAK TREES AND YELL AT HIM THEN JUST AS HE GOT TO US WE WOULD STEP SIDEWAYS AND LET HIM HIT THE TREE  , I HOPE I HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN FOR THAT CRUELTY TO ANIMALS . WE SORT OF PAID FOR IT WHEN JOE CAUGHT US . [ KILL MY GOOD RAM ]  . THE RUNNING IN THE FIELDS , OH LORD I WISH I COULD DO THAT JUST ONE MORE TIME ,   IN A WARM RAIN SOAKING WET MADE IT EVEN MORE FUN . I’M SURE ANY ONE THAT KNEW JOE ON THE FARM KNOWS HE ALWAYS HAD A JOB FOR YOU AND WE WERE NO DIFFERENT , YOU WERE THERE YOU GOT A JOB . SOME HOW THEN IT SEEMED MORE LIKE FUN  THAN A  JOB  . EXCEPT THE LAST JOB I DID THERE  FATHER DICK AND I HAD TO TOP OFF THE SILO . THAT DON’T SOUND SO BAD DOES IT , BUT WHEN WE GOT TO THE FIFTH ROW OF SNOW FENCE ABOVE THE SILO I CAN TELL YOU I WAS WORRIED . NOT ABOUT BEING UP THERE BUT ABOUT CLIMBING DOWN . THOSE LITTLE WOODEN SLAT’S  I WAS SURE WOULD BREAK  WHEN I GRABBED A HOLD OF THEM . FROM DICK I DIDN’T HEAR A WORRIED WORD .. HE JUST WENT OVER THE SIDE AN CLIMBED DOWN WITH OUT A CARE . I THINK HE WAS ON THE GROUND BEFORE I EVEN GOT TO THE FIRM SILO STEPS .BUT HE WAS GOING TO BE A PRIEST SO HE HAD SOME ONE HELPING HIM ? THE TIMES THE TALKS THE VISITING AND SHARING , MY GOD THEY WERE WONDERFUL . THAT AND THE MEMORIES WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF ME . IT MADE UP WHO WE ARE   TODAY AND I FOR ONE FEEL THAT THE ENFIELD'S THE LOOMIS'S , THE SULLIVAN'S AND ALL THOSE NAMELESS FAMILY’S THAT ONCE WERE THE GRANDEST FAMILY GET TO GATHERS OF OUR TIME . WITH EACH FAMILY INTERMINGLING  MADE US ALL WHAT WE ARE TODAY . FATHER DICK YOU OF ALL THE FAMILIES HAVE CARRIED THE FITZGERALD GREATER FAMILY TRADITION TO IT’S PINNACLE , WE ALL SALUTE YOU AND MAY THE GOOD LORD GIVE YOU MANY MORE YEARS .