Community compassion, 3 weeks ago!

Approximately 10 combines, and half doz trucks and wagons came together on Aug 22,2010 to help with harvest . This was after the sudden death of my brother Dale Hanssen while he was swathing this wheat.

This time was a very emotional time for the family to learn of such a caring, loving community of friends and relatives.

After the wheat fields were finished, after only 3 1/2 hours of time, they all lined up in the field . It seemed to me they were saluting and giving respect to my brother. We give thanks to God for such good friends and the love they have shown to our family.

Jamie will continue to farm the land. I know with the help of friends and my father who has farmed for many, many years, he will do just fine. Here they both sit discussing the farm and what might be the next step for the future. We know God will guide them and give them strength as they carry on with the work of the Hanssen farm.

My blog will not let me add more pictures so now I will have to see where I go from here. I will let you know.

A celebration of life, memories! My brother Dale!

Me and my big brother Dale

Today would have been my brothers 62nd Birthday! Time is a funny thing, sometimes it goes slow and other times it goes fast. When I think of all the pleasant memories of when we were children, there were so many times we wanted time to speed up! Like when we wanted to drive our first tractor, drive our first car, get confirmed and be a part of the Walther League that was so very active and fun. Those times all came and past.

Kisses for his baby sister!

My big brother was almost 11 months older then me and I can always remember the childhood years when that time between Aug 5th (my birthday) and September 9th (Dales Birthday) I would always think I was the same age as my brother and could thus beet him up. This of course was highly encouraged by him as he loved the opportunity for a fun wrestle match with his younger sister. These are all pleasant memories. We had a lot of fun, me and him.

Time goes awful fast when you think back, where did those 61 -62 years go? How did time pass so swiftly by?
I think in Heaven there is no time since there will be no end. Why would one bother to count the years? My Brother is now having the celebration of his life in Heaven with Jesus.
What a wonderful thing to look forward to.

Our family was always surrounded by family, love and especially Gods word and strong faith in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 103 is a great Psalm of Praise along with many other Psalms. The first part is, Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Verse 11 - 15, For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

When I think of how fast the grass and grains grow, and then how fast the season is done and the grass is gone. It brings to reality how fast our earthly lives pass.

We thank the Lord of love and forgiveness for the almost 62 years we had with my brother Dale. We have many fond memories and a lot of pictures too. We know that this time on earth is just a drop in the bucket compared to the Eternity we will spend in Heaven and that time will be a perfect time, no sin.

Happy Birthday Dale!

I LOVE YOU

God called My Brother on Aug 17th 2010.

To those who loved my brother so much, it seems like the clouds of sadness will never leave. This picture was taken the very evening that Dale had been laid to rest.

The Niagara Fire trucks escorted and stopped the traffic on HWY #2.

His Boots!

His loving children wanted his boots there, filled with flowers reminding us of the beautiful promise of Resurrection. No one will ever be able to fill the boots of a husband to Kathy, father to Angela, Amber and Jamie, a son to my aged parents, and a brother to me. A grandfather to his 16 mo old grandson Brayden, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin, nephew, friend, the list goes on and on.

My dad placed a mint on the casket as Dale always had his mints in his pocket to get him through the day.

From fellow hunters.

Notice the bullets on the casket.

Memorial Flowers from Falin's, Baker's and Sutton's.

The lilies remind us of Jesus word in Matthew6, . . . and why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ... verse 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. . . . verse 34 "There
fore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.

Below are the last pictures I took of my brother.

They were taken the first week in August when we spent the week at my parents to visit family and friends.

Notice how the sun is shining on this first picture, I didn't notice it until now. The "SON" Jesus said, I am the light of the world. If you want to read about what He tells us, its in John 8, starting at verse 12.

I hope you enjoy these final pictures as much as I have.

Give thanks for the years we did have with Dale.

What a blessing!

We will all miss Dale very much on this side of Heaven.

Eternity is forever!