Story written by my son, John Hacker.   When we lived in Baltimore during the 60's, Bro Paul and I used walk down to Herring Run Park about four blocks from our home at 2207 Kentucky Ave. to fly home-made kites during the summer and slide down snowy hills on cardboard boxes during the winter.  It was one of our favorite places to play outside.
     One sunny day, we went over to the park to walk around by a stream which snaked through the park.  Bro decided to climb a trunk which leaned out over the stream (he loved to climb up trees as much as I did)!
     He shinnied up the trunk with excitement and started sliding out along a long, thick branch hanging out over the water.  I looked up at the last second to hear a loud 'cracking' noise bellowing from the tree.  It seemed as if time had shifted into slow motion as I witnessed his descent from my position on the bank.
     He was wailing and laughing with delight as he rode the heavy branch downward, landing with a heavy splash into the water directly below.  All this occured in just a few seconds but it seemed much longer to me.
     The water seemed to absorb his fall as he rose up off the severed limb and climb out of the stream onto the bank, soaking wet.  As we started to head home, I noticed a sign in the stream which read, "Warning, Polluted Water, Typhoid Poisioning, Stay Away!"
     By the time we reached our house, Bro was much more composed and had dried off considerably.  I determined that no real damage had been done and decided not to bother mother with the details.  All was well that ended well!

Father's Day has coime and gone.  You were not here. Your daughters conversed on Facebook--they miss you so much.  The first of each holiday is so difficult. Life goes on and they too must go on and move forward. You are in the care of the Heavenly Father, and they can only turn to Him in their sorrow, 
                                                                                                                                   I am remembering other Father's Day celebrations- you spent many with your Dad..  He loved you John and Dede so much.  He was a good father and always protected and cared for his children You were blessed to have a loving father. 

I know time will pass and eventually we will all be together to celebrate with our Heavenly Father in that glorious place. 

It was your 60th birthday-- a year ago.. Julie, Joel and their new baby, Josie, came from Lake Havasu, AZ for the special occasion.  Cathy and Jasmine were able to join us as well. We decided to go over to Los Vasqueros, a Mexican Restaurant  nearby.  Everyone was relaxed and having fun.  The food was good and the waitresses were enjoying the party atmosphere.  Before we knew it they popped a sombrero on you and were taking pictures--we took pictures, too.. How thankful we are to have had that special day together.

When my son was 18 months old, I took both he and his Nana from Ohio back to Texas where our family lived.  Nana had a stroke and needed our love and care.  Watching a toddler and caring for an ill mother was a little too much for me. The conductor came and picked up Paul and took him all around to see the people and then he let him run up and down the aisles.  He was very popular and he loved the "twain".

A few years later, he, his brother and sister rode in a very modern, sleek train with a large viewing station on the second floor.  They spent all their time watching the train move through the country from Texas to Ohio.  What fun it was!Trains were very important to them in those days,.

A few weeks before my dad passed away we were all at home on the weekend.  Jasmine had been out in the family room watching TV and I was on the phone.  I went out to the family room to check on her and she wasn't there.  Down the hall I could hear her talking to grandpa.  She had crawled all the way down to his office to see him.  When I got down there she was sitting on grandpa's lap playing with the strings on his jacket.  She was so very happy.  When she noticed me she turne around with both strings in her hand and said "Mommy...I got grandpa's stings!!"  She loved her grandpa so much and I know he just adored and loved her too.  He was truley the worlds best grandpa.