Our Grampa, Ken's dad, went to be with Jesus just this past Friday, October 3, 2008. It happened so quickly -- just 3 weeks ago he was singing Karaoke! But soon after, we found he had pneumonia again and along with some other health issues, this time he boarded the train bound for glory!
Grampa 'never met a stranger'! That's one thing we all know about him. Every time he traveled, he'd come back with an amazing story about how this person he met had a mutual connection to a another friend of his ------- This happened so often that it became family legend - even generating T-shirts @ a family reunion that read, "I KNOW CLIFF MILLER".
Wherever Cliff went he made a friend --- his last big trip was when he moved from our little town to the Retirement Center that would be his last home on this earth.
Cliff struggled with the confinement he found there -- nothing familiar, no sense of purpose, missing the old routines of life. We had numerous conversations about that -- us trying to encourage him to look for the good things. He continued to struggle with some of those issues, but little by little we saw him reach out to others around him ---- residents and care-providers alike; Cliff was no respecter of persons - he enjoyed them all. We saw him make the effort to draw out those who tried to keep people at a distance and watched him just extend himself in friendship to many - trying to let Jesus show thru.
I think he was successful. Yesterday, as we waited for the funeral home to transport him, person after person came to offer their condolences and tell us how much he was loved - from the administrator to the kitchen helpers, who in their broken english said, "a good man die, a good man die".
Yes, a good man died --- but a good man lived too ..... and because of the choices he made in his life he left a legacy of faith for his family --- something that can't be bought and the reason that each of us in the Miller family can say proudly ........
"I KNEW CLIFF MILLER".
3 comments:
I heart Cliff Miller. I spoke with Ashley recently and we are in agreement that he must be entertaining all of the children in heaven with his pencil-in-chin routine (if you are one of the miller grandchildren, you'll understand). We love you grandpa....
Wow I can't believe that! YOu are all in our thoughts and prayers! He was a great Man!
Leah
Beautifully written Beckie! And I am sure Jenna is right about the pencil-in-chin trick... all the little children in heaven are surely smiling. Our grandpa was a wonderful man!
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