I was unsure of whether or not to put anything on facebook about the death of my Uncle Roy, but since Boyd and Wurthmann put this photo up, and I just now saw it, Id like to share some thoughts. I made a quick trip home last week for the services, Big Roy died Monday December 8th, he was my Dads oldest brother. He was an infamous man who helped me identify myself to Amish people for my entire life. I cant count the number of times I would try to explain who I am to someone (Dan S. Andys Waynes oldest son) and someones face would light up and say Big Roy is your uncle! For all of you who never met him, he was one of a kind. Grouchy, stubborn, tight, loud, hilarious. Many traits that I now find in myself, for better or worse. He got me my first job, washing dishes at Boyd and Wurthmann, I remember Becky interviewing me, I was 14, she begun the interview asking me a bunch of formal questions and having me fill out an application and all of a sudden looked at me and said, Oh, youre Big Roys nephew! and suddenly the process was cut short and I was given a tour of the kitchen and asked when I could start. He is the reason my siblings and I learned Pennsylvania Dutch, he would always stress how important that was to my parents. I remember, even since being a small child he would come over to the house, wanting a glass of ice water and the latest issue of the farmer hub (Newspaper). He brought us candy and suckers, he loved our cats, and enjoyed regaling us with tails of the days of hitchhiking across the country, ripping someone off or the day he confused two Amish women in a bus station somewhere far away by lying a copy of that weeks Budget (another newspaper) in the waiting area when they werent looking. He came to my high school graduation party, in the guest book he wrote use your head, more than just a hat rack. When we were at the funeral home last week, My Mom was enjoying the light christian music that was playing over the speakers before the viewing was open to the public. Mom said, Oh I so wish Roy could hear this music and just be able to enjoy it with us. My Aunt, (Eli) Esther correctly remarked Im pretty sure hed tell us to turn it off. Whether its the smell of the pipe smoke, the loud stories in dutch or the quick, funny comebacks... I remember, when I asked him if hes coming to my wedding in Virginia Beach, he came back with a resounding NO!. The last wedding ceremony he attended was my parents in the early 80s. Although he did attend a few wedding receptions, he rarely missed a free meal..... He will be missed. For every place I lived, New York, DC, Alaska, he had been there, seen it and spent significantly less money for travel and lodging. I suppose that has continued as he made it to the finish line, spending less than most.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 17:23:08 +0000
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