GOOD MORNING…
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY NOT KNOW ME, MY NAME IS KARIN AND I AM ERNIE’S DAUGHTER. 

I DECIDED TO SPEAK TODAY TO HONOR MY DAD ON BEHALF OF MY MOM, MY TWO BROTHERS, AND ALL 8 GRANDCHILDREN.

DAD WAS EXTRA-ORDINARY. HE WAS BIGGER THAN LIFE. HE WAS AN OUTSTANDING OFFICER OF THE LAW, A LOVING HUSBAND, GRANDPA, UNCLE, BROTHER-IN-LAW STORY TELLER, HANDY MAN, AND OBVIOUSLYALL AROUND GREAT DAD. DID I MENTION HE WAS A PRANKSTER? SOMEONE OF YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT FIRST HAND.

DAD TOOK MOM ON HER FIRST DATE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT MANY MOONS AGO. THEY WED ON JUNE 26, 1959 WHICH RESULTED IN A 54 YEAR MARRIAGE THAT INCLUDED THREE CHILDREN, KEITH, KEVIN AND MYSELF ALONG WITH EIGHT GRANDCHILDREN:
ADAM
ANDREW
HUNTER
DANIEL
KATHERINE
KEATON 
MARSHALL AND 
BEAU

HE JOINED THE BLOOMINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 1964 AND BECAME ONE OF THE YOUNGEST TO EVER EARN THE CHIEF’S AWARD OF MERIT. HIS SPECIALITY IN THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION UNIT WAS FINGERPRINTS. I RECALL WHEN ONE OF THE GRANDKIDS WAS A BABY AND HE EXAMINED THEIR LITTLE HANDS LOOKING FOR THE CIRCLES AND RIDGES. HE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING DEVELOPE A CRIME LAB AT THE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AND ALSO BECAME QUITE GOOD AT TAKING AND DEVELOPING PICTURES. HE GAVE ALL THIS UP IN MAY OF 1989. “WIMPY” AS HE WAS KNOWN AROUND THE DEPARTMENT DECIDED HE HAD ENOUGH AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER MOUNTJOY WOODWORKING WAS BORN. 

IF YOU TRULY KNEW MY DAD, THAN YOU KNEW ONE OF HIS GREATEST PASSIONS IN LIFE WAS FOOD. IF I HAVE HEARD THE TOBIN’S PIZZA STORY ONCE I HAVE HEARD IT A 100 TIMES BUT IT IS WELL WORTH REPEATING TODAY. IT GOES ALONG SOMETHING LIKE THIS…DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR IT IS FROM TOBIN’S PIZZA TO THE BLOOMINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT? THE CORRECT ANSWER IS ONE LARGE PIZZA. 
HE ALSO TOLD THE STORY OF DROPPING WATER BALLOONS OFF AN OVERPASS AT ONCOMING POLICE CARS. HE WOULD LAUGH EVERY TIME HE TOLD ONE OF THESE STORIES AND EVEN THOUGH WE HEARD THEM ONCE WE WOULD ALWAYS LISTEN AGAIN AND MOM WOULD SAY…”YES ERNIE…WE KNOW”. 

DAD HAD FRIENDS EVERYWHERE. NO MATTER WHERE YOU WENT WITH HIM YOU WERE BOUND TO RUN INTO SOMEONE HE KNEW. ALL WE COULD DO IS STAND THERE AND BE PATIENT BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER A HI…HOW ARE YOU DOING CONVERSATION. 

THROUGH HIS LIFE OUR FAMILY SEEMED TO ALWAYS HAVE A DOG OR TWO AROUND. THERE WERE SEVERAL OVER THE YEARS BUT A FEW REALLY CAPTURED HIS HEART. POOCH…WHO I BROUGHT HOME AND SAID” HE WILL ONLY BE HERE FOR A FEW DAYS UNTIL I FIND HIM A HOME” A FEW DAYS TURNED INTO 11 YEARS. HARLEY…THE BOSTON TERRIER WHO THOUGHT DAD WAS HIS PET AND OF COURSE WILLIE WHO PASSED ON JUST THIS LAST FRIDAY. 

HOLIDAYS, BIRTHDAYS AND OTHER SPECIAL DAYS WILL NOT BE THE SAME EVER AGAIN AND WE KNOW THIS. THERE WILL BE NO RUNNING AROUND ONE OR TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS. HE WASN’T RUNNING AROUND GETTING LAST MINUTE GIFTS…HE WAS JUST STARTING HIS SHOPPING. I WAS NEVER REALLY SURE IF THIS A BAD HABIT WITH HIM OR TRADITION BUT COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON THAT LAST MINUTE PHONE CALL…WHAT AM I GOING TO GET YOUR MOM??? WHAT DAD NEVER KNEW IT THAT THE SAME EXACT WORDS WERE COMING OUT OF MOM’S MOUTH…”WHAT AM I GOING TO GET YOUR DAD?” 

WE ARE VERYS GRATEFUL FOR THE TIME WE DID HAVE WITH HIM. WITH HIS OUTSTANDING RECORD IN THE MILITARY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A SOURCE OF PRIDE I TRULY BELIEVE THAT FINDING HIS BIOLOGICAL FAMILY OVER THREE YEARS AGO WAS A HIGHLIGHT IN HIS LIFE. MUCH LIKE HIS NEED TO SOLVE A CRIME, HE HAD THE NEED OVER THE YEARS TO KNOW WHERE HE CAME FROM AND THAT PUZZLE WAS SOLVED AS WELL. 
DAD THERE ARE A MILLION AND ONE THINGS I COULD SAY ABOUT YOU BUT AN OLD FRIEND NAMED BILL WILLS SUMMED IT UP QUITE WELL FOR ME YESTERDAY WHEN HE SAID THISL

“YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE PROUD OF YOUR DAD. HE WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKING DETECTIVES BLOOMINGTON HAS HAD. ERNIE WAS ALWAYS BUILDING OR REBUILDING SOMETHING TO MAKE LIFE BETTER. HE WAS A GREAT FRIEND AND YES, A GREAT STORY TELLER BECAUSE HE HAD EXPERIENCED THINGS MOST PEOPLE ONLY SEE ON TELEVISION.”

MY BROTHERS AND I WISH TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THIS PAST WEEK FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, PRAYERS AND CONCERNS FOR OUR MOM. THANK YOU FOR PAYING YOUR RESPECTS TO OUR FATHER AND MOST OF ALL THANK YOU FOR BEING HIS FRIEND OVER THE YEARS.