James A. Wehrheim |
| Posted 2008-02-10 by Arizona Newspapers |
| JAMES A. WEHRHEIM, 87 PEORIA, Ariz. - Former Rockford resident James A. Wehrheim passed away Oct. 21, 2007, in Peoria. He is survived by son, Jim Wehrheim of Anthem; daughters, Susan Brascugli of St. Cloud, Minn., Sandy Weis of Freeport, Ill.; and grandchildren, Wesley, Lance and Cameron Wehrheim, Andy Moses and Elizabeth Wallmo. Grandpa's in heaven: A father's letter to his sons about their grandfather, former Rockford resident James A. Wehrheim. Dear Wesley, Lance and Cam, I hung around and helped the undertaker move my dad from his bed to the gurney and into the hearse tonight. I'm doing better now. My dad, your grandpa, was quite a man, and his life was an exceptional one. It was just the two of us when he passed this evening at 6:14 p.m. I held him in my arms and encouraged him to not be afraid, to go home and be with Jesus; his wife, Lucetta; and his mom, Olive; who died when he was only 13 years old. My face was buried in his neck when his spirit left his body for paradise. He was a strong man who at one time during World War II was the "bodyguard" for Gen. Eisenhower who eventually became the president of the United States. Their relationship included drinking champagne toasts together in Eisenhower's tent on New Year's Eve. Your grandpa was 80 years old when I finally heard the story about the Nazi soldier who rifle-butted out his teeth before grandpa killed him with his Thompson sub-machine gun. Two weeks later your grandfather was wounded at the Battle of The Bulge in Germany and was awarded the Purple Heart. Your grandpa hunted and killed two bears, built two log cabins, three homes, worked for NBC television for 40 years and took his beloved wife, Lucetta (of 64 years), to 31 countries around the world. Every Friday night (payday) he would purchase and bring home a new record (album) and dance with my mom in the dining room. He was passionate about his wife, kids and life. It's this same passion I've tried to instill in each of you, his grandsons. He loved me (your dad) so much, there wasn't anything I could do wrong in his eyes. I gave him his share of heartburn with bad report cards, mischief and getting expelled from college, yet he always loved me unconditionally. Once when he dropped me off for my freshman year of college he began to weep when it came time to say goodbye, took me in his arms and told me, "I can't live with you, but I can't live without you." I remember when in my defense, he went after my varsity high school football coach (at a track meet) for not playing me more earlier that season; and the time he grabbed me by the shirt collar when (as a teenager) I disrespected "his wife" (my mother) at the dinner table when I called her the "B" word. He gave me two dogs, two log cabins, Lake Puckaway in Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, a love for nature, vacations, toys at Christmas, handmade train sets, my first ten-speed bike and his car the night of my junior prom. He taught me how to tie my shoes, ride a bike, catch a ball, shoot a gun, fish, water-ski, ice-skate, swim and how to love others by loving my mom. For as large as he was and as hard as I tried, I could not beat him in a 20-yard foot race until I was a sophomore in high school. When he was 60 years old, I shared the gospel with him in his workshop down in Arkansas. When I was finished, he took me by my two hands and said, "Let's do it," praying the sinner's prayer with me and asking Jesus to forgive his sins, come into his heart and be his savior. It was on that day his name was written in the "Lamb's Book of Life" and the reason why he's in heaven tonight with my mom (your grandma). There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for me; he loved me so much, and I'm going to miss him. From this point forward he and my mom will live in my heart until I can be with them again forever in heaven. We all have two dads when we are born: our earthly father, who is imperfect; and our heavenly one, "Abba Father" (Hebrew meaning "daddy"), who IS perfect, sent his only son, Jesus, to die for us and loves you boys a million times more than my dad loved me. I love you, Dad Published in the rrstar.com from 2/10/2008 - 2/16/2008. |
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