4:26 p.m. - Sunday, Jun. 28, 2015
Bill
Found myself thinking about Bill and Hazel today. Bill, former chief of police of our village used to come down to our lakeside humble home to visit when Michele was a toddler and it was just the two of us there.
He worried that we were so isolated and alone and sometimes brought Hazel but not often. He also came weekends when Dan was there. I remember him always with a smile, always protective, helpful, always teaching ways of the woods, the country.

We tapped trees for maple syrup with him, planted and cleaned up trees, cut firewood and played cards. We went to St. Paul's the same church Rev. HowArd pastored and helped make pancakes and serve with him. What a man! What fond, enriching memories!
He was our friend although close to 50 years older than me and almost 70 years older than Michele.
Bill passed in 1981 in his upper 70's. I saw him as a loving substitute grandfather and when he died, I thought he was old. Now, with people living into their 90s, he was young. In spirit he was always young.
I remember him in the hospital, he slipped away when everyone left...how like him, no fuss. I remember him saying it was the doctors fault. He went to the office for something and was given a cortisone shot, something you don't give a diabetic. He died.
I remember crying so hard in the pew during his memorial service and ran out of Kleenex. I helped write the eulogy which partly consisted of a letter I sent him during his last days when he was sick. It seemed important that he knew how much we cared.

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