Travels Down the Dusty Road of Life

Through life we sometimes travel not only a dusty road but one full of bumps and pot holes. Losing a loved one is about as rough as it can get.

On Oct 22^nd I experienced the roughest ride of my life with the death of my wife, my lover, and my best friend.

Carole’s life 1942 - 2010

Carole had many health issues over the last ten years. Starting in 2000 when she had heart surgery, then losing eyesight a result of mini strokes and blocked arteries. But! If you met Carole and asked her how she was doing.

She always said, I’m fine.

I cried when my parents passed, I cried, when my brother passed. I cried for family and friends. They say crying is good. It is a healing process.

None of it prepared me for the tears I have lost losing my most precious possession. My, beautiful wife. Nothing has ever hurt this bad.

Life with my Carole spanned from, Aug 1959  to Oct 2010.

It is those years in between that are so important.

Memories are all that are left.

We were a team for 51 years. And I have lost the most valuable player.

Carole and I met when she was in high school and just 15. I fell in love with her immediately. We married when she was 17..... Aug 1959. We had our first beautiful daughter in Dec 1960. Bought a house and set up a home.

Over the next 10 years we had 2 more beautiful daughters and a two bedroom home; time to start looking for more space. We bought a new home in a survey and I wasn’t happy. I wanted country, she wanted city, and country won. She always did without for her family happiness.

It wasn’t long before she was the happiest person in the country. She had a wonderful neighbor and friend Betty Rock (nee Jolley). The kids were happy, I was happy, the world revolved around one big happy family. She cemented us together as a family. I do believe she invented crazy glue before they bottled it.

Kids grow, start their own families, and move on. We were blessed with 3 wonderful daughters, great son in laws and grandchildren to be proud of.

Grand children were now her number one priority. She loved them all.... equally. She was like a Momma bear in a honey hive when surrounded with her kids. The special family gatherings were important to her and that is how she left this world; Surrounded at bedside with all her family as she struggled to stay with us for just a few minutes longer.

I wish I could stop for a commercial break and turn back the hands of time. I wish, I could say....sorry, for not protecting her.  I wish I could wave a magic wand, I wish most of all that my prayers were answered.

For 51 years no matter what transpired, we always kissed each other goodnight.

Thank you Carole, for a life time of love.....I love you.

Please view the photos of Carole's life.

Is there any wonder why I was in love?

She was such a beautiful bride.

 

One last stroke of the pen and we are legally Husband & Wife.

At 17 years of age she was a mature woman.

 A Vacation to Virginia with her parents; Virginia is my mother's birthplace.

This was in Aug a year after we married and Carole was expecting.

Her father died in Nov, a month before the baby was born.

 My favorite sailor.

 

 She loved to travel.

 

 Soft sands and far away places. 

This picture is only 2 years ago.

 

Happiness was with her family and

nothing pleased her more than a family gathering.

Here we are all together on my 70th birthday.

Carole's last picture. 

Taken by our 11 year old Grand daughter Abby, on Canadian Thanksgiving Day, Oct 11, 2010. 

Hard to believe we lost her just 11 days later.

 She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and wife. And a fact that people never quite believed, she never colored her hair once in her lifetime and she had no gray.

Put your arms around her Lord

Treat her with special care

Make up for all she suffered

And all that seemed unfair.

With only memories for us to keep

These are the words she would reply

“This life for me has truly passed

I, love you all to the very last.

Weep not for me but courage take

And love each other for my sake.”