February 26, 1915 -- 102 Years Ago

Gerald Vuhr Craig, born February 26, 2015 in Fulton, Freedom Township, Bourbon County, Kansas. It is hard for me to fathom that my father would be 102 years old this year.  Of course, that means I have moved to the top of the chain of life.  But that is another story.  My dad is the story of the day. What a unique person he was.  Every one of us is unique, but he was "extra" unique.  All of the trials and tribulations he went through as a young boy and then a young man tempered him into a very strong individual.

How I took for granted that I could grab the phone and talk to him, and I did not do that often enough.  How I took for granted he may show up at any time, totally unannounced.  I would give anything to be able to sit with him and play our traditional game of Cribbage when we were together. He always beat be, but I still  loved the challenge. The strong conversations that usually led to a serious and emotional debate on some subject or another.

I remember the time I rode my Harley to Louisville, Nebraska to see him and I parked my bike up on the small stoop that was at the front door of their home. I had nightmares about how I was going to turn that big machine around when I was ready to leave.  It was a just a few minutes and my dad had turned that 850 lb bike completely around so I could just ride down that slope to leave.  It looked like he was doing it on a stoop the size of a postage stamp to me.  He was quite strong and he was an old man at that time.

The last time I saw him was at his home in Superior, Montana. He was so happy to finally have his dream home in Montana.  I was happy for him and Betty. It was a good visit, but I knew as I drove away that I would never see him again.

All I can say now is, "Happy birthday dad."  I am proud to have your genes.  I am proud to remember you.  I love you, Patty