I had this idea (just before my parents got there mission call) to interview my dad on Father's day. I thought it would be nice to be able to ask him some questions about fatherhood and his life in general. Growing up you're kind of selfish and don't tend to ask many questions about your parents. At least I didn't. So I don't feel like I know much about my dad's childhood or my parent's courtship. Talking to a few of my siblings I discovered they felt the same!
I came up with most of the questions myself, but I also got in contact with each of my siblings to see if they had any questions they wanted me to ask. Before each question if it is from one of my sibling I have typed down which one it's from. I hope my siblings enjoy reading this and learning a little more about Dad!
-Did that feeling change with your other kids? Yes, kind of.
-How so? With 8 kids, each experience was not as unusual or out of place. The birth was always an amazing experience, but the birth with each child did not have the same spiritual impact as Jessica's.
3. What is your best memory of being a dad? For me it was being able to see my children get married in the temple, it is a very special experience.
4. What has been the hardest part of being a dad? I don't want to touch on anything too tender, but a good example would be when my children would make mistakes. Seeing my children hurt, or making decisions that are hurtful to them or cause them pain.
5. What has been the best part? I guess you could say the direct opposite of the last one. Those things that I have been able to be a part of that have brought my children great joy, like going to the temple. There have been so many great achievements that each of you have had. Like finding the person you love, that's special. I love all the people that my children have chosen to marry.
6. What has surprised you the most about being a dad? How each person comes here and they have such a distinct personality. It's a testimony of the preexistence.
7. What are your keys to strengthening your family? Living the gospel and trying to be a good person myself. Set an example. Obviously I married right.
(This next question is from John)
8. Is there anything you would have done differently as a father? I think that with the circumstances of the military it would make it difficult to spend more time with my family. In general, no, I don't think I would change much.
9. Why do you call us booger bums? I have no clue. It rhymes, it goes together. I don't know.
(Both Ben and Matthew asked this question, but the answer is mostly directed to Matt asking it)
10. Who is your favorite child? I've already agreed that Matthew's modesty and his unassuming nature makes him a good contender. I have no favorite children. Every one of my children please me in different areas.
Life
(Matthew wanted to know more about Dad's childhood so questions 1-3 are for that)
1. Where would you say you grew up? Columbus, Ohio. I moved to Columbus, Ohio when I was 5 and graduated from high school there.
2. Where did you graduate from high school? Whetstone High School, we were the Whetstone Braves.
3. What is your best childhood memory? My best childhood memory or memories are, every Summer after school got out we would drive to Mt. Carroll, Illinois and typically I would spend the Summer with my grandparents and my parents would go back to Columbus. I would quite often go to work with my grandfather, he worked at the local college as a maintenance man. He used to butcher hogs and cattle and I would also go with him when he went out to do butchering for local farmers.
The other thing I remember was my dad was a sales man and when I wasn't in school I would go around with him when he was on his route and one neat thing I remember about that is there was one place we would stop and we would get a piece of pie.
(Sarah wanted to know about Mom and Dad's courtship, so questions 4-6 were for that)
4. What was yours and Mom's first date? Our first date was going out to dinner. We probably went to the Filowa Cottage Restaurant in Addis Abba, Ethiopia. It was kind of like a small cottage in downtown Addis. I probably had a steak.
-Did you kiss her goodnight? Yes.
5. Did you propose to Mom or was it just mutually decide to get married? I proposed, but I didn't get down on one knee. We were on a date and I can remember being in the Filowa Cottage and getting the ring out and asking if she would marry me. I tried to go online and look up Filowa Cottage and haven't been able to find anything. I suspect it's not there anymore.
6. How long had you known her? We started dating late November, early December. I proposed in March. We got married in July.
7. What's your favorite thing about Mom? Clearly her intelligence, and her memory is incredible. We enjoyed talking to each other and we could talk to each other easily. That was something I really appreciated because I thought, this is some incredibly good looking female who is paying attention to me for some reason. And then clearly that beautiful voice captivated me. When I heard her sing in the Christmas program at some Baptist church, I'm pretty sure it was a Baptist church. She had a solo, she sang Oh Holy Night.
So her intelligence, her good looks, and her beautiful voice.
(This question is from Ben)
8. Where would you be without Mom? There's no telling. Probably in Florida, if you want to talk about geographical location. I'm sure wherever I would be I would be apart of some church. I think Heavenly Father was after me. I could tell you this too, I'm not sure without her if I would have a college degree, she had a great help in that. She certainly helped with my English assignments.
9. When did you get baptized? March 27, 1970 in Sodere, Ethiopia. On the banks of some river that had Hippopotamuses and crocodiles in the river and monkeys in the trees. I remember your Grandmother being really upset at the monkeys because they came down and stole her bananas.
10. What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you? Your mother married me.
(This question is from Jessica, she asked it to dad 20 years ago and wanted to know if the answer had changed. It hadn't, but the reason did)
11. What has been your favorite age and why? I suspect somewhere around Jessica's age. 35-45, somewhere in that range, because I was old enough to be more mature and to have had a lot of experiences with kids and church and life in general but still young enough and physically able. That was when I was in my racquetball prime.
(This question is from Matthew)
12. What have you always wanted to do, but not been able to for whatever reason? I can't think of anything! There are lots of things that would be nice to do, go to Machu Picchu, that would be nice to do and I would like to do it. I've got the time now, but I just have to get your mom to spring for the money. She's says she's not going to. She says she's going to go to China before she does that.
Never mind, she just wants to go on a mission.
13. What are the top three things you stand for? Church, family, and country.
14. Describe yourself in one word. You mean besides short? I'd like to say caring, but I'm not convinced that that's correct.
15. What has been your greatest accomplishment? I don't know if having children is necessarily an accomplishment, and I don't think I had a great deal to do with how good all of you are. Mom and I thank Heavenly Father all the time for the great children we have. I think she's primarily responsible for that because she was with you all the most. If I had to point at something and say that I'm most proud of that, that is what it would be. I'm very proud of the fact that I made Lt. Colonel in the Air Force. I'm also very proud that I am still married to your mother after 43 years.
16. What is some advice you have for your family? Live long and prosper. (Dad chuckles) Learn how to split your fingers down the middle like Spock does. That's probably pretty good advice. As long as don't put dollar signs on the prosper.
I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure that it goes for everyone when I say, I love you so much Dad! You have been a wonderful support in my life. Happy Father's day!
