So Many Memories

I will forever be grateful for having spent time with Dad this past February. He was doing remarkably well during this time and Sharon, Elaine and I enjoyed so much talking with him and seeing him feeling better. We had a great time at Fish & Chicks and he loved those hush puppies and fried pickles! It was such a pleasure to see him enjoying life again. It's a final memory I will always cherish!



Other memories I have run deep and date way back. I want to share a few:



The Scholar
What I remember most about Dad was seeing him sitting in his recliner reading, night after night, hour after hour, with a pencil in his hand, circling and underscoring the important words and phrases and writing illegible comments on the side. This made such an impact on me and birthed my own desire for study. To this day, it is impossible for me to read a book without a pencil in hand, circling, underscoring, and writing illegible comments on the side....



Kids for Christ
Friday nights were the most fun as an adolescent. Dad had started "Kids for Christ" and about 70 kids would pile into the church bus for a night of skating at the skating rink. How proud I was to see my Dad out there in the middle skating with all the kids. Forwards, backwards, and smooth turn arounds, looking so confident! I wanted to be just like him and have to say I haven't lost my moves!

Cleaning the Church
There were no spend-the-night parties for me on the weekends; I had to get up on Saturday mornings with my two sisters Sharon and Kinsey and clean the church. My job was to straighten the hymnals, dust the piano & organ, vacuum betwen the pews, wipe down the chalkboards, and clean the toilets. Sharon and Kinsey got to do things like buff and mop the floors. We got into a lot of mop fights and Dad would have to come out of his study to break things up. As we got older, I was left to clean the church on my own and earned $25 each Saturday. It was quiet and there were no sisters to fight with. But I remember loud noises coming out of Dad's office, and it was him praying out loud as he paced the floors in his office. What an impression that left on me!

Picking Muscadines
I don't remember where we went...some woody area some distance away from home. It wasn't blackberries....they were round grape like things that had a sour taste and we Dad and I picked them by the bucket fulls. Not sure who ate them when all was said and done....

The Messenger
It all started when I was about 12 years old. I would ride my bike down the street to some hole in the wall stip mall area and help Dad out scrubbing plates until late in the evening. Printing plates that is. My arms were tired and my clotes were sopped with black ink and water. At the end of the night, Dad would throw my bike in the back of his truck and we would drive home. It felt good to work so hard.

Once printed, Kinsey, Harold, and I would have to hand deliver the Messenger to the homes in the area. We got paid a penny or two for each one we delivered. To make things easier, I dumped a couple of hundred in the bushes. Saved me some time and maximized my profits.
Thank God Dad started mailing the papers out after that and the message indeed got out!

The Preacher with the Big Nose
Dad would sometimes come to my christian school and preach at chapel time. Not everyone knew he was my dad. One day at lunch a kid said excitedly, "Did you see the nose on that preacher?!?" "Yes," I replied. "He is my Dad." :)

Oneonta
Before computers, email, or even word processors, I spent one summer of my high school years typing individual letters Dad wanted to get out to churches to market the messenger. I would sit for hours on end typing letter after letter. If I made a mistake, I would have to rip the whole thing out and start over. I became a pretty good typist that year....

What I Learned

• It was the Woerner work ethic that became so deeply ingrained in me from as early as I can remember. I am proud I learned not to be afraid of hard work.
• To study to show myself approved....Dad was a fine example of this. I cherish the Pulpit Commentaries I have from his years as a pastor, with all of his circles and underscores and illegible side notes. Watching my Dad has given me a thirst for knowledge and study. Just give me a pencil and a book and I will be perfectly content!
• Compassion. Dad showered this on others and it left an indelible mark on my own heart. Dad had such a unique way of connecting with others. He showed such interest in them and made them feel so special. EVERYONE loved Dad and I adored him as well. I am so proud to have been his daughter!

What I Gained

Everything. Life, hope, love...new beginnings. Dad believed in me when there wasn't much to believe in. He sent me to college more than once, paid for me to earn two graduate degrees, out of state tuition, rent, daycare, and much more. Gave me a couple of cars. Helped me buy a house. Helped me get into business. Dad gave and gave to me and inspired me to be all that I can be. He spent countless hours talking ove rth eissues of life with me and helping me sort through so many things. He was my strength, my foundaton. I love him for that! Losing him has taken my breath away. It's like the rug was pulled out from under me and I'm trying to find soem solid ground. But as many others have already expressed, I too am inspired to carry on his legacy, in honor of him, in honor of what God has done through him. I too want to live life with passion and purpose and carry out God's calling on my life with complete devotion, committment, and unwavering faith. Dad, thank you for being the man that you were. You live on inside of me! I love you!!!

Pamela