My wonderful Daddy left us today at 12:25 for his new life with God, the Angels and all those he has loved and who have crossed over waiting for him on the other side.
What excitement and celebration there must be over there for his arrival.
My heart breaks as I write this..but I know he is happy and safe..young once again..laughing surrounded by love.
We will forever and ever love him and forever and ever miss him.......................
(http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp225/tt11758/DaddyFred-1.jpg)
Thoughts and prayers to you and yours.
Hugs to all. :(
Teresa, Jo, Sherri and all. Al and I send our deepest condolences from here in the east. It was a privilege to have met him. Your kindness and strength will be long remembered. Hugs to you all.
May he be at peace, and may your family be comforted by that knowledge. Blessings to you all.
Treasure your memories and find comfort in each other. Our thought and prayers are with each of you.
I'm so sorry. Grief knows no boundaries. Your dad was a lovely person.
You are in my thoughts and prayers. Jo, my mother sends her prayers to you.
My tears were shedding as I read your note. I am sorry for your loss
I am happy for Fred's peace.
Just think, Jesus met him at the door and they both are sitting at
God's feet.
Hugs my friends. You are so loved.
We love you, Teresa. And we're so proud of your entire family for the example you have shown us.
I so agree with Rudy. Give your Mom a hug for me.
To the McDonald family:
Over the years I have met people that I greatly admired. When some of these people passed away, I chose that moment to reflect on what their life must have been like. I tried to imagine and picture what they knew and what they saw. Each of them was a great loss.
Over the years I have seen or read stories about people whose lives were admirable and I was intrigued by them.
Now, I read about Fred McDonald and he falls into the category of: People I wish I had known.
My sympathies go out to you and my prayers, as always, are with you.
Larryj
Teresa & all your family....Richard and I are so sorry you have lost Fred, but we are joyous that he has no more pain and is with the angels.
Jo, Teresa, Sherri and all of the family, Myrna and I send you our love and will keep you in thoughts and prayers.
Frank
So many of my fondest memories include my Uncle Fred. For those of you who did not know him; well, you missed out.
My sympathies on your loss.
To the McDonald Family -
We can say we're prepared for what we know is coming. We accept that it is for the best. But when someone you love so much passes from this earth, it is hard to convince ourselves and let go.
We can rest in the knowledge that Fred is awake, in no pain, and smiling down on his family. As God calls each one home, a grand reunion awaits.
Many thoughts and prayers for each of you as you face such a difficult time in your lives. Your love and devotion to your beloved husband and father, and to each other will be what sustains you through the days ahead.
May God Bless you, comfort you, and give you peace.
Flo
Special thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Dale and Barbara
Sorry to hear of your loss. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
May God comfort you all, you are in my prayers.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Teresa, Jo and family ...know that you are in the thoughts and prayers of so many. Fred was well loved and respected, and will surely be remembered with great fondness. We send our condolences to all of you.
Lynne and Terrell
Friends like you all.... well~~ there isn't any words to say how grateful and thankful we are for you.
All your words ..emails ..notes and texts have been so much of a comfort to me.. Even more than I ever thought they would be.
We are all kinda feeling like we are getting our feet under us a bit.. I know Tuesday will be so hard..but we are all 3 of us very very strong women..( Daddy didn't help raise any weaklings.. ;) ) so we will all be fine.. Time is a marvelous thing.. It allows us to remember the happy times and slowly let go of these past 3 weeks.. ( but it is 3 weeks I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to have had with him either .. so its kinda like a double edge steel bladed sword.)
That's all I wanted to say...
just thanks... and .well..........thanks... :)
Love to all~
Teresa
Jo and family
Our thoughts and prayers are with you through your sorrow.
Marc and Sharron
You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Pat
Teresa...
In my mind's eye, I see your father, striding confidently through the Gates...
The angels are one in chorus for a brilliant pair of wings awaits...
A smile is on his face, as his God he finally sees...
And being the honorable man he is, he goes down on one knee.
God rests his hand upon your father's head and bids him to rise
As the angels' joyous song fills the Heavenly skies.
"You'll not spend anymore time kneeling", God does smile and say...
"You've spent enough time on your knees...That ends here, today...
No more pain, no more strife...No more earthly woes to mark thy way."
That is what all of us should be so lucky to have our good Lord say.
May our Lord and Savior make your pain easier to bear,
May healing be swift and true...
Always remember that my heart is remembering
Each and every one of you.
All my love...
Cat
Cat, I wondered if you would pen something...beautiful!
Cat.. That is beautiful....
I'll see if we can work it into the service.
We have ask Roma Jean to do the service for Daddy...He spiritual beliefs coincide with all of ours..and we just thought she would be the perfect one .
I will make sure mama and Sister read this..
it is beautiful..thanks again..
Marla just told me yesterday about your precious Daddies passing. I will be bringing donuts for all of your visitors in the next day or 2. My heart goes out to you and your family and just know that your Daddy has a lot to be proud of. I only met your Dad a few times, but I knew right away he was a terrific guy. +
As I sit here reading all the wonderful caring words that everyone of you has posted, my heart aches. The void that he left will take a long time to heal, but our faith is very strong, and our family was bound by love of God and love of one another.
He told us several times these past few days that he was ready to go to his heavenly home..and how much he loved all of us.
Friends like you all will sustain us through these heartbreaking times. We are so grateful for all that is being done for us and
the loving comfort of your words and deeds. God Bless all of you.
Mrs. Mcdonald, I have come to realize many times when God takes something we love from us, he replaces it with something better usually. It may not be another person but maybe just maybe he is making more room for him to be in your life and to show you how much he loves you. I saw last year how he bestows his blessing and his mercy and how he met every need when Sarah lost Ember.
Sometimes he removes our source of strength and support on this earth in order to get us to rely on him for our support and strength. I told you today that God takes care of my needs. Whenever i have needed something, the need is met. And a lot of the time i don't know i need something and its met anyway. :)
Thank you, Steve.
God Bless
Jo
It was a blessing for me to meet Sherri today when I dropped by Jo's apartment. Great family. It's always reassuring to see how believing people work through these difficult times.
And, I'm sure Teresa will be glad to get Kjell back home. Wish I could attend the service on Tuesday but simply can't be there.
I know this is a thread about my sweet daddy.. but listen here Rudy. >:( . My mother told me what you said to my sister ( when I wasn't there to hear it OR defend myself I might add!!)..
I am totally appalled that you would say ..not ONCE but TWICE.. (and with such awe in your voice) how uhhh"normal?" she is..
:o Like.. Uhhhhmmmm.. I'm NOT??
Seriously?? ::) how can you say that she is normal and I am not normal and that ..how did you put it?... I'm **showing with my hands like you did)) just crazy out there....!!?
I am in shock. :o. I am NOT "out there"..
I can be as calm as she is. I can focus on you and calmly talk and vis..........OMG!!!!.. LOOK!!!!.. a falling star!!! I LOVE falling stars!! Don't you?? I also like pancakes... Isn't this weather right now soooo perfect?? .. You want to color?"
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family!! Jeff and Angie Town and Girls
T: The crazy thing is --- I actually understood all that stuff.
And, yes, it's a good day to color.
How about we choose the brightest hues in the rainbow!
Teresa, you are a real hoot! ;D
Teresa, that post was about your Daddy. It shows that he taught you to see the humor in all things and to be yourself, regardless of the circumstance. A lesson well learned. I had the priviledge to give your mother, sister and niece a hug yesterday. This is your hug "HUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG". Now I got to go to work. You and Rudy go color. :angel:
From the Lion King:
Can you feel the love tonight?
It transcends the printed word and comes from all over the country!
You know, there are all kinds of emotion when a loved one passes.
Yes there are tears, they/he will be missed...........20 or 50 years from now you will want to tell him something and then you remember he has been gone all these years. But, still missed.
We laugh, we cry, we scream, we sink into a deep depression, we may (God help us) sink into a bottle of booze or a bottle of pills..anything to escape the pain.
Teresa, you go ahead and let off what ever emotion you need to here. I am so glad that under all that hurt/angst, the real (did I say, real?!!!) Teresa is still there.
In a family you can be whatever you want to be and all of us are family. We may not reconize each other when or if we meet, but this is what I call a blessed family.
Let er rip. I see nothing wrong with coloring. In fact when I need a relief from me, my favorite activity is either coloring in a book, or blowing bubbles..............Now, all the younguns, I use to blow bubbles with are all grown up and wouldn't blow bubbles UNLESS I paid them................but thats ok, still my choice of fun.
OK, enough words, just wanted to give you a hug and if God so will's, I will give you a big hug this afternoon.
I am riding up with Bonnie and Bob Mustoe and you know Bonnie and your mom will be comforting each other,.
Hugs, and God bless!
For Jo, Teresa and Family....A song from the poem, "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep"
Sung by Katherine Jenkins and written by Mary Elizabeth Frye The Balm Of God's Love by M.S.Lowndes
"When we lose someone we love
The loss seems too great to bear
God sends us friends to comfort us
To show that He deeply cares
But in the dark hours of the night
When there's nobody else around
When we feel the saddest and loneliest
It's there God's love can be found
It's like a soothing, healing balm
To soothe our broken hearts
The healing oil poured over us
That flows into every part
We can rest secure in God's love
And know He's by our side
He holds us when we feel as though
A part of us has died
We can know that God will listen
When we just want to talk
And when we feel we need to cry
We can share it with the Lord
For He is always waiting there
Ready with arms open wide
As we pour out the hurt within
He pours His love inside
Our Father above loves us so much
And will never leave us alone
He will not forsake us in our need
To face this on our own
He comforts us and strengthens us
And rubs us with His balm
And as the dawn breaks through the night
We'll awake in His loving arms."
Perfect! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you!!
What a loving, caring tribute. Stand real still....I am sending you a long distance hug.
Jo
Thanks for everyone's hugs and love and support.. and yes... we have laughed so hard we couldn't breathe... and cried so hard we couldn't breathe... and we will continue to do so I am sure many times as we reach more crossroads in our lives..
We will keep Daddy in our hearts..loving him forever..
we will slowly heal.. and to do that we have to "as Daddy always said".. get back to living...
No matter the circumstances.. I am still that crazy woman who laughs and makes others laugh.. It is the only way I know how to be. :)
That ain't no lie. ;D ;D ;D ;D
For video ..
http://www.cascity.com/howard/forum/index.php/topic,10001.0.html
Great job, Teresa!! Thank you for sharing this.
Larryj
Teresa--I don't usually respond to the postings but want to say you did a very good tribute to your father. I knew him but wasn't around him very much.
Fred Edgar McDonald was born October 12, 1927 to Don and Cleora (Lanning) McDonald at Busby, Kansas, the youngest of three sons. Fred went all eight years of grade school at Busby, graduating from Longton High School in 1945. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduation and took his boot camp training at Sn Diego, California. He was chief cook on the USS Antares, serving in the Asiatic Pacific. He received an honorable discharge after two years of active duty, then served four years in the Naval Reserves. He was a member of the Howard United Methodist Church, Past Master of Hope Lodge #155 AF&AM, American Legion Post #149, and Ladonia Chapter #243 Order of the Eastern Star.
On May 16, 1947, he married Jo Workman of Longton, Kansas. To this union were born two daughters, Teresa Ann Cookson-Heilevang and Sherri Lynn Wilder. Fred worked for Mid-Continent Butane from 1947 until 1954, for Yates Center LP Gas Company as a transport driver until 1956, and for Union LP Gas Company as a plant manager in Welch, Oklahoma and Pittsburg, Kansas from 1956 until 1963. He moved his family back to Howard, Kansas in 1963 and later shared ownership of McDonald Brothers Propane with his brother, Donald. He worked for Farm Bureau Insurance for a short time. In 1974, he went to work for Fairbank Equipment Inc. of Wichita, traveling all of Oklahoma, Eastern Kansas and eastern Colorado. Fred retired from Fairbank Equipment in 1992. He enjoyed gardening, traveling, hunting, fishing, camping, dancing, and playing cards. He had a lot of fun times with his family and friends. He and Jo spent 15 years as fulltime RVers and made many lasting friendships.
Fred is survived by his wife, Jo, of the home; daughters, Teresa Heilevang and husband Kjell of Howard, Kansas and Sherri Wilder and husband Curt of Bucklin, Kansas; brother, Russell McDonald of Howard, Kansas; grandsons, Danny Cookson and Derek Cookson and wife Rochelle of Howard, Kansas; granddaughter, Tania Muller of Colby, Kansas; three great-grandchildren, Ashley, Mason, and Caleb; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Helen and Bill Troutman of Salina, Kansas, and sister-in-law, Rosalie McDonald of Howard, Kansas; several nieces and nephews, and a host of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, and a half-brother.
Fred passed away at home with his loving family at his bedside. He left his earthly body at 12:25 p.m. on May 14, 2010. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, 201 at Zimmerman Funeral Home, 206 E. Washington, Howard, Kansas 67349. The family suggests memorial contributions to Midian Shrine Children's Hospital and Hospice Care of Kansas. They may be left with the Zimmerman Funeral Home.
(taken from the Countryside Funeral Home website)