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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> This is not a sad post (pic added)
        
(Message started by: JenniferD on Jan 27^th, 2007, 7:36am)

Title: This is not a sad post (pic added)
Post by JenniferD on Jan 27^th, 2007, 7:36am

Hannah decided to try for the Miss Flame contest in '04 almost as a joke- she was so NOT into beauty contests or anything like that. As you know, she won. Thru the Miss Flame thing she, and we as a family, met Joe and Loretta Gruebel, the chaperones and coordinators of the contest for the last 20 years.

I wish you could've seen this unlikely pairing - little spit fire Hannah and grumpy, gruff old Joe. She'd have her bare feet on the dash of the brush truck, driving Joe nuts while playing on the radio, singing at the top of her lungs and we could hear him laughing in the background. "That girl is crazy" he'd say, then grumble that he wanted to eat. And Hannah would give him all kinds of crap, which he promptly returned and he'd chuckle as he walked away and she'd make faces at him. He drove the brush truck in all the parades while Hannah sat atop waving, and he protected her and laughed at her goofiness.

She came into his life because of a joke, he came into hers because of his love for and service in the fire department, and a sweet friendship between Hannah, Loretta and Joe began.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m211/darryljen/HannahandJoe.jpg

Joseph Gruebel, 71, answered his last call on Monday, January 22, 2007. His last parade was on Thursday.

I wish I could share with you the day, but I truly learned what it means to write something on your heart. I had to help my daughter grieve and face loss for the first time in her life. In that, she also learned what Honor means.

I don't know who on here said it, but thankfully you did and I shared your words of wisdom with Hannah. "Isn't it a precious gift that we are able to love someone so much that it hurts to say goodbye?"

Joseph Gruebel was truly honored in the ceremony, a full firefighter's funeral. This world lost a good man and Heaven gained Joe.

Love to all,
Jen

Title: Re: This is not a sad post
Post by Mosaicwench on Jan 27^th, 2007, 9:39am

A lovely tribute to both your daughter and her gruff friend.

Congratulations on bringing significance into her life and showing her what it means to be truly human.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Title: Re: This is not a sad post (pic added)
Post by artonio7 on Jan 27^th, 2007, 11:56am

That is very moving. I'm happy that you all got to share a part of each others journey. Sorry for your loss.

with warm regards,
Tony