One of my memories of dad that always brings warm fuzzy feeling to me and I don't know why it just's. When I was little dad would always put me in the top and while I was bathing he would always be at the scene shaving. I would always watch and say to myself that I wanted to grow up and be like him. Right now I'm not sure if I have lived with all that he did but I hope so.
Dad taught me to weld. It started with arc welding. I was in grade school. So in writing this talk I have realized this was a way to babysit me while my mom worked at the Cannery. I would weld on Jack Condie's farm equipment. I don't know of dad went over my welds but when Jack would come back something different was broke so they must have held. Next came oxygen/excetaling weld, keeping in mind I'm still in grade school. Dad would raise a customer's car up the boys only high enough for me to look up and weld on exhaust pipes. So I would weld, dad would come back and have to bend over and walk under the car to check my welds. He would make fun of me as he could not stand up. He would start the car and listen for the exhaust leak, put his finger over it so I could hear and see the league so that I could finish welding.
I've been helping build a days of 47 Parade float. I called Janet to tell her about it and what should I do,... ...[come over and see dad] or work on it. We decided work on it. Dad passed away while I was welding doing what he had taught me. Everything I weld from now on I will be thinking of him. It would have been [neat] if Dad could have seen the float finished.
Dad was suffering from Alzheimer's and I refused to believe it. I seem to come and go as to what he remembered, I think I have Alzheimer's to a few years ago I was at dad's house visiting and we were just at the kitchen table talking almost for an hour. You're the one who does upholstery and then the whole conversation started over, "how does your business?" Or "you got work." "You keeping busy."
Dad came and stayed with me a little while ago for two days and night. The first day we were in the garage working on a custom bike seat. After we had dinner and watch TV. I put dad to bed. I was worried that if he woke up and wandered around the house that with the Alzheimer's and in a different place, would be scary. So at about 4:30 a.m. I heard that up walking. I went out and found him, I don't know how long he was up for, but I asked him "where are you going?" And he said "oh just going for a walk." I took him back to bed, he didn't want me to leave him so I stayed with him for a while. He told me I should get out to the garage and get the bike seat done. That surprised me to know that he remembered what we were doing the day before. I still just stayed with him and told him I was waiting for day light. He laugh. He told me that night that he loved me. Dad was a man with no words, his action and his kindness towards me always told me that he loved me. I'm guessing dad knew this was coming and was getting ready to take his next big walk.
Back to sitting in the tub and wanting to be like him, I try to let my kindness tell my kids that I love them. I want to change that and tell them that I do so all shock my kids. I'm working on.
My dad was very nice man and I remember people who would stop by and visit just because they like him.
I feel blessed to have gone to the College of Byron's body shop. I learned so many things there but of course I hated it then. I would always sneak away and dad would come and get me and put me back to work. What I learned from him I would never trade and I will use it the rest of my life. I am going to miss my dad so much. Love you dad
Presley Dale Hancock
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