20 Years ago - May 16, 1977

 20 Years ago - May 16, 1997

Yes, I remember, but it was on a Monday. The phones were in the
process of getting off party lines, or something, cause John had the
operator on the line, when he fell and got his head cut on the foot scrapper.
I had taken the pictures of Julies log cabin out there that morning,
and John wanted to stay out there, cause there was new baby kittens,
and mom was washing clothes, and she said they were coming into town
later that day, so they would bring him home. Dad was going to paint
on the barn, I helped him put up the ladder, I said "don't you get
dizzy up on these things?" He said "no, it didn't bother him a bit"
When I got home, I went to the basement to do some wash, and thought
about him being on the ladder, so when the phone rang, I ran up the
stairs, thinking dad fell off the ladder, was a wrong number, barely
got back to the basement again, and the phone rang again, again I
thought about it, this time was the operator, asking " are you Adolph
Holter's daughter?", I said "yes" they said" your mother needs you at
the farm". Man, I tore out there 80mph, and when I drove in, I saw
mom leaning over him at the base of the ladder, and I can still see it
in my mind, she was wailing--- I took his pulse, there was none.
As I drove in, I looked for John, I didn't see him, I asked about
him, mom said he is ok, he's by the house. I went to the house, and
John was washing blood off his face, " he said I got hurt, I tried to
call the doctor", I took a swipe with a wash cloth, and saw that it was
a tiny cut, I said," you will be ok", went to the phone, and the
operator was still on the line, I told her that my dad had just
died, and that I needed to make some calls, she helped me with every
one, I always carry my phone numbers of all my brothers and Julie,
called, Clairice too, dad had just talked to her that morning,
as it was her birthday, in fact I think he had sung happy birthday
to her.
After the coroner had been there and taken him away, I drove down to
Normies to tell them, Ray Oines was near the fence in his field, so I
stopped to tell him.
At times it seems a lot longer ago than 20 years, and yet at times,
it seems like yesterday.

It took a long, long time before when I closed my eyes, I didn't see
him at the base of the ladder, with mom wailing over him. I had
stopped at the coroner office to ask if he had a heart attack, and then
fell, or what might have caused him to fall, since there was heart
damage, they said there was no way to tell if it was new, or the one
he had in 59, but they knew that he died from a broken neck.
To this day, I don't get on a ladder without thinking of it, and mom
is real nervous when any one gets on, around her too.
Yes, this a sad day, along with his birthday, their anniversary,
her birthday, I guess we will never really know the extent of the
loneliness until we are faced with the same trial of being left
alone, hopefully that will be a long time yet, for all of us!
I usually always mention to her, that I remember what day this
is---don't know if that helps or not, but at least she knows then
that I remember.
The first thing Anitra said is" I'm sure glad WE did that anniversary
for them,"
Moral of the story is---always celebrate all occasions! Go out to
EAT!! Amen!! Love delf
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