Farewell Friend

 

In the quiet misty morning, when the moon has gone to bed,

When the sparrows stop their singing and the sky is clear and red,

When the summer's ceased its gleaming, when the corn is past its prime,

When adventure's lost its meaning, I'll be homeward bound in time.

                                             Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.

                                       Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.

 This week we said farewell to a helpful neighbor, a wonderful man, a terrific example, a real cowboy :0)  Jack was the sweetest, most generous man I know (except maybe my Dad!)
I lived on the wrong side of the block to be Jack's true neighbor. I didn't really know him well, but I can tell you he was a man of God. He had an amazingly strong work ethic. And most of all, he was smart enough to have chosen an absolutely amazing woman as his eternal mate.  Liza...beautiful, delightful, classy, and funny, Liza is a woman I often thought of after we moved away from Provo. I admire her so much I considered naming our daughter Reagan after her.

I don't think I ever saw Jack without Liza by his side. We would walk by their beautiful home (complete with orchards, garden and corral) every day on our way to school. The freindly horses would be nudging the gate to see if the kids had brought them, a snack or just get a rub on the nose. Just a few weeks ago, jack and Liza were in their beautiful yard, he was trimming and Liza was watering.

I remember when we first moved back here  in 2009 the first church activity was Halloween. We have a Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot of the church. We rounded up our vehicles and began the walk of candy, and there in the middle of it all, was Jack and Liza with their big 'ol cooker, handing out hot dogs to everyone! That's what they did, they always seemed to be feeding us :0)  Amazing people...

He was loved and respected by his family. They presented a wonderful service complete with a table set with beautiful old and new pictures of his family, his toolbox, saddle and even bowls from which to sample his favorite candies! His family is so talented--his father in law long ago wrote a song called, "I'm Headin' Home Today", his daughter told the story in a kind of a poem fashion of riding the trails with Dad and his grandson wrote a poem about his Cowboy Grandfather.

If you find it's me you're missing, if you're hoping I'll return,
To your thought I'll soon be list'ning; in the road I'll stop and turn.
Then the wind will set me racing as my journey nears its end,
And the path I'll be retracing when I'm homeward bound again.