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A Tribute to Warren Wayne Berger
Not how did he die, but how did he live?
Not what did he gain, but what did he give?
These are the units to measure the worth of a man, regardless of birth.
Not, what was his church, nor what was his creed?
But had he befriended those really in need?
Was he ever ready, with words of good cheer, to bring back a smile, to banish a tear?
Not what did the sketch in the newspaper say, but how many lives did he touch before he passed away?
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Thanks Dad for all of the wonderful times! You will be missed but remember everyday. I will always embrace my Dad’s life for its true value that can never be replaced.
I am so thankful that I had the ability to spend a lot of time with my father in his final weeks to tell him how special his life was. What a terrific man!
I am someone, as was my father, who lives life without regrets. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to speak at his funeral. That came from my heart and still brings a tear to my eye.
My father was always a figure of great strength. He taught and practiced patience, kindness, loyalty, devotion, and true unconditional love. These are valuable traits that are difficult to find and maintain in our society today. He worked extremely hard everyday as a dairy and crop farmer for over 60 years. He never had a sick day or a paid vacation. He never worked for anyone…never hoped that a company pension or company retirement fund would be his future. He MADE his future, and asked for nothing in return. So to him, farming was more than a job…it was his calling in life. He always put his family first. He was a man of few words, but the words he did speak were always kind and important. He had a wonderful and fulfilling life. His love was truly without end.
His wealth was not measured by material goods, but rather by the closeness of his family and the comradery of his friends…and by those standards, he would be considered one of the richest men around.
So let’s all reflect on Warren Wayne Berger’s life of 89 years. Please take a moment now to remember how Warren touched each of your lives.
Now that you have that in your mind, place it firmly in your heart forever.
Let me share with you now some of the memories that my heart has captured.
† Working on the farm with my father
† milking the Holsteins
† feeding the calves
† plowing the fields
† stacking the hay
† picking the sweet corn and selling it at our roadside stand
† The handmade Barbie birthday cakes
† Playing countless hours of board games
† How he always checked the oil and tire pressure with my car before every road trip I took
† Eating black raspberry ice cream at Green Dragon Farmer’s Market
† His pride at the high school and college graduations
† Our pool parties
† The snowmobile rides
† Our Caribbean cruises in 2000 and 2003 when he went on a helicopter tour, visited a butterfly farm, and enjoyed hours of sightseeing.
† Going to church
† The joy at our wedding ceremonies
† His visit to our home in New York where he went bass and trout fishing in our ponds to catch our dinner
† His fun at our trip to Knoebel’s park
† His visit to the beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina to celebrate the first birthday of Emily, his granddaughter
† His Christmas visit to our home in Manteo, North Carolina
† All of the wonderful time he spent playing with all of the 4 grandchildren
† Our time together this past Easter
Over the years, he MADE each day special. While I would not consider my father a man of poetry, I have found a poem that reflects much of how he lived his life. It is called The Station by Robert Hastings. It is a poem he read at my wedding and I know he enjoyed the message. I would like to share that message through the poem for you now.
The Station
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train.
Out the windows we drink the passing scene on nearby highways, of children waving at the crossing, of Holstein cows grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.
But upper-most in our minds is the final destination. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there our dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
How restlessly we pace the aisles….waiting, waiting, waiting for The Station.
“When we reach The Station that will be it”, we cry.
“When I’, 18.” “When I buy a new Mercedes.” “When I put the kids through college.” “When I have paid off the debts.” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement. I shall live happily ever after.”
Sooner or later we have to realize that there is no Station, no one lace to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life if the trip. The Station is only a dream, an illusion. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish the moment” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are the twin thieves that rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and stop counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, grow more plants, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Enjoy the TRIP!
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My Dad’s life was entirely about the journey, the trip, and not the destination. He lived every day to the fullest and found joy in life’s simplest pleasures. There was a sense of sweet contentment. Let us take a moment of silence to wish my Dad Gods speed on his new journey.
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In closing, I would like to say that my father’s life could best be described as gentle simplicity. He never used a computer or bought a DVD. He never owned a cell phone or an ipod. He never had to have the latest or greatest of anything. He was the epitomy of selflessness. His farm was his sanctuary. He found peace and solace in tilling the soil and caring for his cows. He was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word…a gentle man. It was through his work that he taught me so many of life’s lessons…that every job worth doing is worth doing right…there is a solution to every one of life’s problems…that family always sticks together…take responsibility for your actions…know the real differences between wants and needs.
He was a great farmer. He was a great father. He was a great husband to my mother. He was a great role model. So simply put, he was the greatest man I have ever known. I will be forever grateful to him and will cherish all of my memories of him with a heartwarming smile. I will celebrate his life.
I would like to thank all of you for being part of his life. For sharing in these words and in honoring my father’s life. I bid you the tranquility and love that my father found in his life. It is my deepest wish that each and every one of you know his peace. May the Lord bless and keep us all close. Thank you.
Karen Haupt
<haupttroy@hotmail.com>
Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 22:08 (EDT)
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