Wayne Franklin McLaughlin
August 11, 1927 – August 20, 2021
LOVING LIFE
Just like Snow White, he was deceived into accepting a rotten apple even though others could see suspicion of it coming. This was no fault of his own unless trusting people is a fault. As unfortunate as this was, it was a blessing for both of us for such a time as this. He was able to get away from the evil and it gave me the privilege of spending 9 months with my dad to be able to hear stories that I never had the privilege of hearing. It was a blessing to me even though I would have never wished for him to be in the position he was in due to the behavior of those that he not only trusted but also did a lot for. I believe he trusted them because he would have never done such a thing to others so he trusted others to behave appropriately also.
I am happy to say, his life overall was satisfying and he made the most of it. He had wonderful family members and friends that he loved being around and sharing whatever he had which made wonderful memories for us. He shared his time and his talents to give people moments to cherish.
I hope to continue to share some of his stories here as I have time and as those stories come to mind. Stop back for updates.
For now, I can say that he was a hard worker and committed to following through on his promises. My parents divorced when I was three with my mom moving 1.5 hours away and I remember him faithfully every other weekend driving to pick me up for visits and dropping me off after visits. I am grateful for the time I spent with him during those years in the truck with him hauling oil or coal, riding my pony (that would throw me off and run to the barn and dad would send me to get him), planting and harvesting (I especially remember potatoes). Later in life I was able to ride horses and he would saddle up horses for my children and hitch up a buggy or cart to give everyone a ride. I believe it was my 5th birthday that we had a big party with family and friends and a hay ride. Many happy memories. My wedding had a special touch of him making the drive bringing the horse and buggy to take us from the church to the park. I appreciate that effort and those that helped in that endeavor.
I am going to skip over to the few weeks prior to his passing. He had been doing great until about 2 months before he passed. Those two months point back to a specific event and were straight downhill. During those two months even with his increasing difficulties, he was able to make a 2.5-hour drive to spend 10 days with his brother, Norman, which I am so grateful to Susan for making that possible. He made the drive back home in time to spend two days at the fair in his belt trailer and going around to see the animals, especially enjoying the horses and purchasing a Trump hat.
His passing seemed to be quicker than I expected, With the weakness increasing, I still felt there would be a time of disability but nope, he did not allow that. When the weakness became too much, he was not interested. The day before he passed, he called me in to his room and asked for a pill. I said, “I don’t have a pill.” He asked again and I asked, “Are you talking about dying?” He said, “Yes, I can’t take this anymore.” I said, “Dad, I don’t have a pill for that. Jesus is in control of that. You need to talk to Him.” He turned away from me and said, “Jesus, I can’t take this anymore.” He then turned back to me and said, “Now give me a pill.” I chuckled but had to tell him once again that, “I don’t have a pill.” His request was answered by Jesus the following afternoon, with him being called into eternity. He was in the process for the last 4 months preparing to set up to continue with his leather work. That may have been cut short but it is my prayer that his grandchildren will continue his legacy here on Earth and he has a shop and horses on the other side, more than he could have imagined and beyond his wildest dream. May our blessings live on in our memories until we gather together again. It is because of Jesus that we have this hope.