A Tribute to my Dad

Henry Peter Antes - May 27th 1920-January 4th 1998

It's hard to believe that 10 years have already passed since my dad passed away. The memories of that night will be forever in my mind.

My niece's had been away for Christmas in Mexico so we were celebrating a late Christmas with them that evening. My husband and our kids had went down to my parents house to pick them up and take them with us to my sister-in-laws. Dad got up from the chair he was sitting in and asked me if we had everything and I said, "Yes, Come on dad, let's go."

We walked outside and as I started to get in the van I happened to catch my dad falling on their carport and yelled out that he had fallen. We all rushed right over and my husband dialed 911 immediately. There was an off duty Paramedic driving by who stopped in and started CPR right away but we knew that my dad was gone as his skin had already turned an ashen gray color. Still the ambulance arrived and they transported him to the hospital. Other family members were summoned and they worked on my dad until my mom told my oldest brother to tell them to stop. It was a very traumatic time for our family & for my mom as well. They told us that my dad either had a massive heart attack or that his heart basically exploded. It was just such a shock and hit each of us very hard and in different ways. Our family has been forever changed by my dads death but his memory lives on in our hearts.

My dad was a kind man. He loved hunting, fishing, bowling, stamp collecting, his model train, cats & his dog Rosie (who has also since passed on) - He was a hard worker and even worked 2 jobs when we were younger to make sure that his family had food on the table & clothes to wear. He & my mom were married 47 years before he passed away and while they didn't always have a perfect marriage they loved each other very much. I was always "daddy's little girl" even as an adult and being his only daughter made me even more of a daddy's girl (if that's possible). He was a "people" person and loved being out with other people and joking with them. One of his favorite things to do was walk up to someone and asked them what they had spilt on their shirt and when they would look down he'd tweak their nose. I have so many fun memories of my dad & I just wanted to say how much I loved him and how much I still miss him.

Rest in Peace Dad, I know you are in a better place now & someday I'll see you again. Love Always, Your little girl.