Denny in the "Promised Land"

Dear Family and friends,

I found some things in my file of Denny's letters that some of you may not have seen or heard before. I am going to share some of them. They are as he wrote them.

Sunday the 18th (of October, 1970)

Dear Mom, Dad & Rick,

I hope you enjoy the "scripture' half as much as I did when I wrote it. I wrote it about myself. Read it with one grain of salt  and two pounds of humor.

I've found out that there is more to being M Men and Gleaner class president than meets the naked eyeball. it's a lot of fun.

I'm doing fine and having fun. Thanks a lot for all of your help and efforts. They weren't in vain.

Talk to you later, like maybe the next Sat or Sun.

Love, Denny

PS     I wrote the "scripture" more or less with Dad in mind 'cause I know how he's going to laugh himself silly.


And it came to pass there was an individual in the promised  land, and he was one who always sitteth through the sermons.  Yea, and there was evil and wrong doing which breedeth and burneth within his bod, from his toenail to the topeth of his pointed little head.

And lo, his heart and soul became hardened in the ways of unrighteousness, like unto rock candy.  Yea, and he did have arthritis and he was truly a stiff necked sinner, and a man of the world.

And it came to pass, that he passeth out of the promised land, and lo, he did settle in one small place, and behold he was surrounded by many waters, and he was West of the promised land, and he dwelt in the land of sin and iniquity for many sabbaths.

Verily, the sun shineth and setteth on this land of iniquity. And he tooketh part diligently in the sins of the people.

And lo and behold, one fine day he did waketh up from his iniquitous ways, and lo, he did see the straight and narrow path before him. And behold, he did become exceedingly frightened within his heart, that he would fall from the narrow path into a gutter and would therefore bust his butt into many small pieces.

Nevertheless, he did putteth his size nine and a half D onto this path and thus began the journey upward and onward.

And it came to pass, that he did not falleth from the pathway, for he did weareth his combat boots. And behold he repenteth many times for his sinful ways, yea, and he did mend his wrong doings.  Yea, he did gird about his loins and weareth the armor of truth and righteous, and his boots, forever after.  Amen.

Denny

Papa

3 Months

Last Friday Dad's headstone was finally placed on his grave. Becky and I went that evening to see and to visit. I was very sad to see it there as it's so final and so heartbreaking to see his name and the dates on a plaque in a cemetery. Unbelievable. But I'm also glad that this final step is done. It was the last loose end that needed to be wrapped up in this process of losing a loved one.

He has been gone for 3 months today. The grief is getting a bit easier day to day, but it still seems to jump out of nowhere, wrap it's devastating fingers tightly around my heart and send me straight into a crying fit for a short while. When it gets to the point that I can't stop thinking about him, I go to the cemetery for a visit and a chat. It seems to help.

Jen