Warning! Long post ahead! But it is very deserving of the man I am going to talk about.... My daddy! I was a daddy's girl probably from the second I was born! My love (obsession) of Kentucky basketball was started by my dad! He would tell my mom he would "watch" me while she cleaned up after dinner time . Yep, we watched Kentucky basketball. Days old !! We start them young in this family! My dad knew the important stuff! If he was around today he would be the best grandfather. I feel like my kids and his other grandchildren are being gipped by him not being here. But we tell stories so they know who he is. Meredith talks about "papaw Louie" all the time. She tells me all the time how she wishes he was here. Me too. Me too! Today, on his anniversary, Meredith makes her First Communion. I am believing that Dad had a hand in that.
April 30, 2009.... 7 years ago today ! 1 day before Meredith's 1st birthday . 3 days after a granddaughter was born. April 30, 2016 and it still feels like yesterday. I can remember each day leading up to it starting a week before when I got a call at work from my mom saying the word "hospice". Hospice shouldn't be a word associated with your 56 year old father. One would think, though, you would be prepared for that word after you have spent 9 months visiting the first man you ever loved in a nursing home after he suffered a stroke.... Exactly 6 weeks after his 2nd granddaughter, my Meredith, was born. I guess I lived in a bubble and thought I would visit him there until he died as an old man. That dream land was quickly crushed . How does a family make such a decision? You just do. Quality not quantity . We chose quality. One day you mourn the loss of your father and the next day you celebrate your daughter's first birthday . God knows what he is doing always. God knew that after a horrible loss that I would need something to make me smile.
Dad with his 6 sisters: Donna, Mary, Melva, Annie, Markie, & Chritsy
Louis Habermehl , Jr. Also known as my dad was one of seven kids.... And the only boy!! He was a former respiratory therapist and his favorite job besides dad that he held was mayor of Augusta. Oh he loved his city. So much so that he wanted his final resting spot to be overlooking his beloved city. I think we did a pretty good job with that. I love this article that was published in the Ledger Independent right after he passed away. http://m.maysville-online.com/news/former-augusta-mayor-dies/article_0b5f825c-5346-5793-bb07-7e0eefec8b25.html He loved Augusta so much. Every where you look at "home" I see his touch. When I think of Augusta, I think of Dad. Hand in hand!
Dad holding his granddaughter, Meredith
May 1, 2008
What made my dad one of the best was his ability to make each of his kids feel like the favorite (but we all knew baby Nathan probably won title for most favorite . That's what being the youngest and only boy gets you Nate !) When I was just 16 he had a heart attack. Some things our etched in your memory forever! That day is also one. But it was what he did after that I will always remember. It was prom time. He made the doctors discharge him so he could get home and take his daughter prom dross shopping. Most dads don't do the shopping let alone prom dress shopping. But that was ole Lou! So we headed to Maysville and the one I wanted was a little too expensive but he didn't care. If it's what I wanted and made me happy he was willing to hand over the money . My junior or senior year of high school he bought the cheerleading squad I was a member of new warmups.... With his own money. He rode the bus several hours away to one of my cheerleading competitions (my mom had worked night shift and he wasn't going to let no one be there for me). That's just the stuff he did for me! He did just as much for my sister and brother! No wonder we assumed we were each the favorite. Then my wedding. How many dad's plan your wedding? Mine did! He was the wedding planner before being a wedding planner was cool. He planned so many weddings for people at home that when it came time for his own daughter's we just sat back and let him do his thing. And you know what, our wedding days were perfect ! Not only did we marry the man of our dreams but our father gave us a wedding that fairy tales were made of! Dad picked a Garth Brooks song for our dance together. To this day when I hear "Yes my life, it's better left to chance. I could have missed the pain, but I'd have had to miss the dance", I cry like a baby.
My wedding day! Dad in his element!
Dad loved buying old houses and fixing them up! We lived in 6 different houses. Ya'll Augusta is small. That's a lot of houses to live in! But he had a magic wand and could turn a house that was falling apart at the seams into a masterpiece. He loved putting them on the house tour each Labor Day weekend much to our dismay. I can still remember moving furniture from one house to the next by carrying it literally up and across the street! There was no putting the furniture in a truck and moving. You could just see us all walking carrying it ! Oh and he loved antiques!! Loved antiques. He would just happen to bring a new one home that my momma would discover... All the time! It's where my love of vintage probably came from ! I have a few of his pieces and will cherish them forever. He loved working in the yard. It would be almost dark out and that's when he would start to mow the grass! How he ever saw to mow I will never know. He made us kids pick the weeds from his flower beds ! Lord, how I hated it! Like I hate pulling weeds to this day!! But I would go back and pull weeds for him in a heart beat! Dad could fall asleep anywhere! He would be laying in the middle of
the floor asleep at My grandparents Christmas. He fell asleep at my wedding reception! The man worked and did for us until he was plum wore out. He would stay up on Christmas Eve after midnight mass putting all our gifts together and would tell a story about why he bought each gift for each one of us. Poor Lucia . If my mom would be working our next door neighbor would help him. Everything he did he did with intention and he knew how to spoil us and make us feel loved .
Did I mention my dad could fall asleep anywhere?! Including my wedding reception!
When Meredith was only 6 weeks old and I was out on maternity leave, he had a stroke. That stroke would cause him to spend 11 weeks in the hospital followed by 9 months in a nursing home. Unimaginable. That's what it all was. But I was blessed with a father who loved me and my siblings and my mom and his family and friends whole heartily. It was finally time for him to rest! I could not have asked for more. Every one says they have/had the best dad. I know I did. Today I will be sad . But today is also the perfect day to smile with all the memories that I will cherish forever ! I love you Dad!
Dad bought this teddy bear for me when Nick and I found out we were going to have a baby. Meredith sleeps with it every night and she calls the bear "Louie".
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