A Tribute - 90 Years
Love & Dedication
Andrew Hall - Don Ellis Hall
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Andrew &
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Happy 90th Birthday Grandpa Hall 90 years is a
lifetime 90 years and
still alive, But when you
have walked But you’re
living this dream, Andrew Hall
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I wrote a book for my Dad's
90th birthday in 2004
Happy 90th Birthday Dad,
Recently when I was asked how you lived
such a long, healthy life,
I knew the answer had much to do with the fact you have been
blessed with the gift of a deep faith in God, a loving wife, Alice and
family, a sense of humor and having a good set of genes doesn't
hurt.
Dad, you always enjoyed sharing with us
your dream from the
night before. Often, this brought you back to your roots in the Ottawa
Valley with a set of tattered, leather reins across the palm of your
hands or the firm grasp of the worn handle of a cross cut saw. With
a team of powerful Clydesdale horses, you tilled the sandy soil at
Sheridan’s Rapids, thrashed grain, cut pine logs in the bush at
Ladore, boiled sap up on the maple ridge and trapped mink and
muskrat down along the shoreline of the Mississippi River.
One of the wisest moves you ever did was marry Mom and with
her support, venture on ahead for greater opportunities for yourself
and the education of your children. A few years after your honeymoon
in Niagara Falls, you and Mom were drawn back with Tom and
yours truly tagging along.
Knowing the grueling physical work you did
on the farm, it’s no
surprise that you were a natural tackling construction jobs in Niagara
Falls which included rebuilding St. Thomas More Church after the fire,
custodial work in the schools, and landscaping to name a few of the
many jobs you held simultaneously to support your growing family.
Although you were not a young father with Jack, Ron, Dan and
Rosemary rounding out the backcourt, we never once heard you
commiserate about being tired or exhausted. By the grace of God,
you never complained about the trials and tribulations but rather continue
to grow closer to both God and your family throughout life. "The
difficulties we face can be used as stepping stones--carrying us to
where God desires us to be ... near Him."
When your meals were long out of the oven
and hastily eaten in
the bleachers at local ballparks, it was only something we noticed
because it was never an issue for you. Dad, you were always there
for each of us no matter if it was helping to deliver ninety copies of
the Niagara Falls Review in the rain, quietly cheering us on at a ball
game or helping us build a bird house. One ideal that I still shoot for
is to tap the university degrees I have received as well as you have so
successfully done with your education.
Thank you for showing us the profound
message that our life is the
greatest sermon we’ll ever preach; use words only when necessary.
You personified what is truly important in life by dropping to your
kneels at the end of each day in silent prayer. You gave God permission
to mold and transform you, and it has made all the difference in
the world.
Thanks also for honouring me with the gift
of bearing your name,
Ellis. It is a gift I will always treasure. Your youngest grandchild and
our son, four year old Anthony Ellis Hall carries that same remembrance
and soon will appreciate what a name you have passed down to us.
Some of the most memorable labors of
love I have ever experienced
come from rubbing shoulders with you building the log cabin
at Sheridan’s Rapids, and having a hand in creating this publication
which is an awesome out pouring of love from all your family and
friends on the joyous occasion of your 90th birthday!
I love you, Dad.
God bless you and your special day,
Don Ellis Hall
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Poetry of Life |
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A Tribute - 90 Years Love & Dedication Andrew Hall |
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| The
World of Grandpa Don www.plefka.net |
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by The JavaScript Source | |
