Goodbye Dear Friend

I've been out of the loop for a while and many of you already know why. Ten days ago the world lost a remarkable soul when our friend Todd left this world for a better place. There are no words to describe the confusion, helplessness and devastation one feels when such a good person, so loved by so many is taken suddenly and far too soon. Even with the assurance of Todd's place in eternity, it is an impossible reality to accept that there can be a world without Todd in it. Todd was a beloved friend and confidant to my husband and cherished brother of my best friend Tammy. He was a brother in the truest sense to his brother-in-law Brian as well as his own brother Ted & wife Angie. His nieces & nephew Brandi, Brittany & Tyler simply adored him. He had found and married the love of his life, his beautiful wife Abbey and was a loving and devoted dad to Drake, Gracie, Lexie and Dalton. He was a source of pride and happiness to his parents - mom Nancy & Ken, dad John & Louise, Grandma Lois, Grandpa Bud & Edna, Grandma Martha, and parents-in-law Mike & Joellen Wehrle. For these, his beloved family, and for all of us who were simply blessed to know and love this incredible man, the world will never be the same.

Todd was a visionary, incredibly creative and talented beyond description. He built beautiful homes for a living. He was an artist, his ideas were always outside the box and he had the skills to make them a reality. He was a workaholic, passionate about whatever project was at hand. In the 12 years that Todd lived next to us, it was routine for him to come over and take up some project with my husband that would most likely drag on past darkness while I begged them to take just a little break to come in and eat something for goodness sake! Sometimes we would come home and find our yard mowed or some other little something magically done. When you mentioned it, he'd just grin. Todd was one of those kind of people. He was multi-talented. He was proud to be a volunteer fireman, he loved and was loved by his fire department family. He was a great outdoorsman, a morel mushroom hunting king and world class hunter. Ask his buddy Brent about that. Mere days ago Brent's phone received a self-portrait of Todd posed in camo against a tree gazing into the great beyond and below the picture a caption -"Hunter of the Year". His sense of humor was as big as his heart. Yes Todd, we will miss your jokes, your deep chuckle and your endless wisecracks. So save them up - until we meet again . . .

And Dear Todd, Please watch over your beautiful sister, she needs you so.