Memories of good times spent with Dad, shared by area residents in honor of Father’s Day

Photo credit: Lauren Lulu Taylor on Unsplash.com

compiled by Mary Jo David

To celebrate Father’s Day, the Stockbridge Community News reached out to some area residents to ask them to share a favorite memory of times spent with their Dad. Following are their contributions.

“As a kid I felt like my dad knew EVERYTHING! Now as an adult I’m pretty sure my dad has been on every road in the USA. He has routes for every state. Also, one time, my dad and I were on jet skis and rode all the way to Hell. The last time he had been on the water in Hell was with his grandfather. It was great listening to the stories about the different areas and fishing holes.” –Deanna Kruger, Stockbridge

“My dad was a hard-working electrician. His name was Lovell, and he’s the one who named me Penelope…Why, I’ll never know! I remember his surprises—like the portable, alligator-printed record player that played 45 RPMs. My first “tunes” were Avé Maria and Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock! He also liked my 4H interest in sewing and bought me my first sewing machine at age 10. He would tease me by asking, ‘What are you building?’—the man’s version of sewing! Miss u dad!”  –Penny Kunzelman, Gregory

“My Dad, LD Marshall, was a fun-loving man. Some of my best memories of him are from the many canoe trips our family took in the summertime, usually canoeing the Au Sable River.” –Dorothy (Marshall) Craft, Stockbridge

“I was the youngest of 5 kids, and every Saturday morning for almost 7 years my Dad took me to my horse-riding lessons. Years later, as an adult, I realized how special Saturday mornings were and, sitting next to my Dad, a stroke victim at that point, I thanked him for all the time he gave up for me. Taking time to get his words, he told me ‘It was the only time I got to be alone and quiet as I read my book.’ Side note: I begged all those years for my own horse—all the other kids did skiing or other sports—and I have never forgotten Dad’s reply: ‘Never invest in something that is eating while you are sleeping.’” –Suzi Greenway, Stockbridge

“My favorite memory of my dad is when Chris and I were stuck in the mud on our Kawasaki mule. He came and pulled us out with the four wheeler, but the strap snapped apart so it made him do a back flip off the back of the four wheeler!”   –Kaylee Dalton, Stockbridge

“My favorite memory with my dad is when we went hunting last November. We weren’t seeing anything so we were about to leave. Then a huge buck came by and I shot it!  He was so excited after I shot it and he kept saying how nice of a deer it was.” –Madelynn Dalton, Stockbridge

“My absolute best memory is when my dad would take me to Tiger Stadium for the Shriners night twi-night double header baseball games for my birthday every year!!!” –Dennis Petsch, Stockbridge

“Some of the best times with my dad were sitting on his lap singing songs together with him…The Ants Go Marching, Sing a Song of Sixpence, A Capital Ship, to name a few…and making stuff up as we went. Happy Father’s Day, Dad (David Stoffer). Miss you!” –Yvonne Hopkins, Gregory

“I am what you could call a daddy‘s girl. I have many memories with him from the time I begged him to take me ice fishing and then regretted it, to our many years of downhill skiing together and suckering him into coaching our girls goalball team and carting us all the way to Pennsylvania for a tournament. I think my most cherished memory is from when I was in college. I was struggling to complete a computer course and spending night and day in the computer lab. I shot off a long, rambling email to my dad expressing my frustrations and got one line back. ‘Take some advice from the Eagles, “don’t let the sound of your own wheels turning drive you crazy.”’ Living with a visual impairment has created many obstacles that I have had to find creative ways to overcome, but I have always relied on my dad‘s advice and learned how to be comfortable in my own skin. I love you daddy.” –Jill Ogden, Stockbridge