Dad remembrance pilgrimage: Day 6

Previous entry: Funeral, Des Moines, Iowa

July 15, 2022: Des Moines, Iowa to Omaha, Nebraska

After saying our final goodbyes to dad it was time to get back on the road. The family dispersed in all four directions, Lily headed east to visit her sister, and I headed toward Grimes, my dad’s last full time parish.

Small town becomes suburbia

When they moved in 1997 it was still very much the small farming town it had always been. When he retired in 2013 it had been completely swallowed up by Des Moines as the suburbs steadily moved northwest. Grimes continues to be a part of our lives. Lois still lives there, a crew of deacons visited him throughout his stay at Calvin Community and several members of the congregation attended his funeral.

As soon as I left the shelter of the metro area I was reminded of why Iowa has become a leader in wind energy. Three hours of severe gusting crosswinds and and extreme heat made for some challenging riding. Midwestern weather is no joke. The pace slowed considerably as I made my way across southwest Iowa. There were lots of stops for ice cream and water along the way.

Farm and new family

My dad married my stepmom Lois in 1994. When they got together my brother and I were blessed with a new stepsister and stepbrother. Lois, Roger, and Wendi lived on a farm outside of Macksburg. My stepbrother and sister-in-law continue to live and raise their kids on the farm. Growing up we spent plenty of time catching fish out of their ponds. Back then I was especially fond of the one that was overstocked with bass. Every cast brought in a catch. Even if they were extremely small, rarely does anyone reach that kind of batting average in fishing.

Roger has been especially engaged as dad declined over the last five years. He helped get dad to and from medical appointments and supported Lois and my brother and sister-in-law in a multitude of ways. For his care and compassion throughout this journey I will be eternally grateful.

On an unrelated note, Macksburg is also home to the national skillet throw. If you ever fantasized about flinging cookware around the town square this is the competition for you. Just think of the fame, fortune, and endorsement deals you could pick up.

Pausing briefly in my hometown

The next stop of the morning was Creston, the community where both my brother and I graduated high school. Dad received a call to First Presbyterian Church in 1988. Many friends and some family are still there to this day. A seminary classmate (and former youth leader) Cindy Ripperger is doing great stuff in the congregation there now.

Because the wind had slowed my travel I chose to shorten my visit and press on to my appointment in Atlantic. Fortunately, southwest Iowa will always be a part of my life and I will have a chance to visit again. Several friends from Creston attended dad’s funeral. I am grateful that they took the time to come say goodbye.

Lingering in dad’s hometown

One of the destinations I most wanted to see on the trip was Atlantic, where my graduated high school in 1967 and was ordained in 1975. My grandpa served as pastor there 1961-1979, Bob Houser, the last associate who served under my grandpa, co-officiated dad’s funeral. Visiting that congregation was made extra meaningful because I had the opportunity to spend several hours with two seminary classmates, Ray and Rachelle McCalla. She is the current pastor at dad’s church. He is a professor at the community college and the Baptist church across the street from her congregation.

Rachelle’s hospitality was overwhelming. She showed me through every inch of the building. Although I had been there several times when I was a toddler, it was the first time I was old enough to take in what I was seeing. Because of all the pictures I have seen over the years I immediately felt at home when I walked in the door. One of my favorite pictures of my grandpa was taken with him in the pulpit and the beautiful stained glass behind him. Getting to stand in that spot was a humbling opportunity to connect with him 60 years later.

After exploring the building I found the manses that belonged to the congregation while dad was there and visited the remains of the building that merged with grandpa’s church during his tenure. Part of what made Rachelle’s hospitality so impressive is that she had gone through the church records and found some scrapbooks from the time my dad was in Atlantic. It was amazing to get a small glimpse into the life he lived in that era, and the people he shared his life with.

One of the most incredible surprises was to discover that I was once upon a time a part of Rachelle’s church. My one-year-old self appeared in the 1977 directory. She made me a copy of that page and sent me home with the congregation’s history book for the Sesquicentennial in 2019. Catching up with Ray and Rachelle, talking about shared interests, and learning more about both my dad, aunts, uncles, and grandparents made that an afternoon I will always treasure.

From the church I headed out to learn more about the rest of dad’s high school life. Sports were incredibly important to dad. Atlantic was the site of most of his athletic career. Although he was never a star, he played football and church league softball throughout high school. Dad’s high school is now the middle school. The Trojan Bowl where he played shares that campus. The current high school is located on the other side of town.

Dad’s church league softball was sponsored by the YMCA. My grandpa Dean was on the board of the YMCA during that era. The street in front of the Y has been renamed in honor of dad’s teammate Ed Podolak. Sunnyside Park on the other side of town was the site of dad’s ball games. He was appointed pitcher because he was the only team member who could get the ball across the plate underhand. When he wasn’t playing sports, dad worked as a fry cook. His first job was at the A&W Restaurant that was on the site of the current Burger King.

Dan Anderson has been a surrogate part of the Williams family ever since he accompanied his parents, Jane and Charles (Andy) Anderson, to Minnesota as part of the search committee that called grandpa to Atlantic. The Anderson and Williams families became close friends and I heard so much about Dan that when I finally got a chance to meet him a few years ago it felt like I had already known him for a long while.

Throughout dad’s decline Dan was an integral part of the visitation crew. He was constantly at our sides and offered support every step of the way. Dan has an exceptional memory and attention to detail so when dad’s stories started to get a little more disconnected, Dan was able to fill in the gaps.

While I was in Atlantic I stopped at the Rock Island Railroad depot which is now home to the Chamber of Commerce. Dan’s dad, Andy, was the station agent. Dan spent many summers home from college working for the Railway Express Agency in town while also playing church league softball with dad.

I will always be grateful for Dan’s friendship and kindness. He has made this journey much easier for us all. Thank you so much for everything you did for dad.

Stopping overnight in the big city

As the afternoon came to a close it was time to head for overnight stop in Omaha. Dad’s youngest brother, Dwight, and my aunt Carol live in Elkhorn on the west side of the city. Riding through the city was rather exciting after several hot and windy hours on the road, but totally worth. We went out to eat, caught up for the first time in several years, and I even got some cat cuddling time before it was time to fall asleep.

Day 6 mileage: 227 (1,211.6 total)

Next leg: Omaha to Columbus, Nebraska