Tribute to My Daddy~~~

[Teresa Heilevang]

My daddy.. Fred McDonald... left this earth on May 14, 2010. I made this video to honor and celebrate his life..
He will be forever loved.

[bulldog75]

Sorry for your loss.

[ellis4538]

AWSOME VIDEO!  Thanks for sharing...


Richard

[Pathfinder]

You did your Daddy proud, M'ette.

I liked the picture early on of him in the Fedora. Cool!

[crusader rabbit]

I've said it before, M'ette.  You're a good daughter.

Crusader

[Sponsor]

[Teresa Heilevang]

You did your Daddy proud, M'ette.

I liked the picture early on of him in the Fedora. Cool!

After the funeral ..all my girlfriends and the girls in our family kept going on about how he was so good looking and cute. I told daddy about 7 days before he died that I was working on a video of his life.. and that he was considered( even in this day's standards... to be a total "hottie".. he just smiled and shook his head and said".....Ohhh Honey"..  

My mom always told the story that she didn't even like him when she first met him.. She said the girls were all flocked around him and he thought he was "all that".. She said.. ( and I quote) ..." He was soooo cocky and just thought he was Gods gift to women.  Thought all he had to do was flash that smile and he could have anything he wanted. It was just sickening."  LOL  

He flirted with her and tried to get her to go out with him and she wouldn't. So he was dating a friend of hers and she was dating a friend of his..
Then he was home for a weekend...and she saw him in his Navy uniform... and that did it.. Her girlfriend and her decided that they wanted to switch dates.. .. and so that weekend at a basketball game..( my mom was a senior and a cheerleader) Daddy ask my grandpa if he could date my mom. Permission was granted and so they did. They were married a day after she graduated.
 He was awesome...

[Teresa Heilevang]

For part of the funeral service.. each of us wrote some memories about him..and Roma ( the woman who we had officiate the service)  read them.
There was laughter and there were tears as each one was read... I'd like to share mine  and Marshals with you all:

Memories Memories Memories.. They will be what keeps us going in times such as these.
As I stop to think..they flood my mind at such a pace that I can barely grasp them.
 
There are things Daddy and I did together..but there is also the memories of just him.
If he got the hiccups, he had to ..against the wall.. stand on his head and drink water upside down..
He taught me to hunt and clean all wild game..and how to skin a coyote...and the secret on how to skin a squirrel.
He taught me how to fish and how to clean fish.
Daddy loved maps...He TRIED to teach me how to read a map... he failed on that one.
 
When all the McDonald family got together.. they were quite musical. Harmonica's, fiddles, guitars, pianos,juice harps and of course the Bones. Daddy played harmonica and rattled the bones. What wonderful memories.
 
 My Daddy was a Magick Man.. a true to life Magician. He told us how he put on big magick shows on the Navy Ship to entertain the troops while out to sea. He also gave many many magick shows for friends and family. Anyone who got to watch him give a magick show was spellbound...We all sat wide eyed as he would weave the magick words and spells through the objects he was making disappear and reappear.
Abra-ka-Dabra!! Presto!! and before our very eyes...Magick had indeed taken place.
 
When Daddy took me  to the Brownie Scout father daughter banquet.. The song "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" was played and as I positioned my little 8 year old feet on his so we could begin our waltz~~ He sang to me. every last word while we danced. I will always be his sweetheart and he my Prince Charming.
 
He taught me to dance the 2 step.. and waltz. I tried to teach him the twist and the jerk.. but it never panned out too well.. *smiling*
 
Then he and Mom gave me a surprise 8th birthday party . He worked so hard using spare parts he got,  building me my first 'big girls' bike for a surprise for my birthday. he painted it pink and even managed to put streamers out the handle bars and I loved it.  He taught me to ride the next day..running along beside me..encouraging me the whole way. I was on top of the world.
 
 Daddy was a strong swimmer. He taught me to swim. After working with my arm strokes and legs...I crawled up on his back and he would swim and then go under and all of a sudden I was on my own.. He succeeded..and I was swimming..I was like a fish that had found a home.
 
All the wonderful story books he would read us at night before bedtime. We would go to the big uptown Library in Pittsburg.
Holding his hand ever so tightly we would climb those big long steps to the doors and he would.. each time as we stepped inside.... stop and hold me up and say" Look at all these books sweetheart! You just remember..can go anywhere in the world you want to go ..by just reading a book".   We would pick out a big book of Fairy Tales and he always let me carry it out. I felt so special!  And every night he would read to us, then finish tucking us in with kisses and hugs.
 
The many trips to Branson, the Arkansas the Colorado vacations...the hundreds  of camping and fishing trips to local lakes and Elk River ..  are so full of fun memories that I can't even begin to remember all of them. I do remember the time before any of us had campers though. Daddy had this HUGE army tent. We were camping at some lake and that night.. Mark and I, Danny and Mother and Daddy were all sleeping. ..or TRYING to sleep.  There was lots of room in the tent. Our sleeping bags were all on one side and Daddy and Mama's were on the other side. Daddy always snored SO LOUD..
I hollered over a few times and got no response.
So I decided to throw all our shoes ..one at a time... and anything else that I could toss over to their side of the tent to hit him with it so he would turn over and stop snoring.. The only thing I did was whack Mom with one and it woke her up.. We of course have laughed about that for years.
 
The hours and hours we have all sat at the table and played Spades can't even be counted. We were all playing cards together clear up to a week before he got so sick it was hard for him to sit in a chair. We had so much fun.
 
Sherri and I took a week off in 2001 and together we left for the Texas lake that Mama and Daddy were staying at. The 4 of us had a perfect week. We laughed, cooked out...played cards, ate crab legs, fished ..toured some places and laughed some more.  In fact I don't know that I have ever seen daddy laugh so hard as I did that week . I wouldn't trade that one week for a million weeks anywhere.
 
Since he and Mom have been full time RV'ers for the past 15 years..he wasn't here during the hunting seasons..
Last year,Daddy and I got to Dove Hunt together. I could hardly shoot and watch for Doves because of being so excited that he was out there with me in the field..  I had both of my boys there and my daddy.  It was ..for that reason.. the best morning hunt I have ever been on.
 
I'm sure ...as the rest of my life journey continues..I will always feel and have him beside me.. The kind of love he wrapped around us, has no limitations...and will be with all of us forever.

From Kjell

To move to another part of the world like I did and to settle all over again, is not an easy task for most people. I am one of the fortunate who immediately was surrounded by a new and caring family. It made the transition effortless.

Fred was one of the first who made me feel right at home, Yep, he did his job as a father in law from day one.

First I had to go through the mandatory but pleasant interrogation with the help of his side kick and brother Russell.

It all took place back in May 2004 in Uncle Russell's garage during their daily 5-7 PM intake of "energy drinks".

I guess it took them 3 sessions to realize that yes, I had done my share of hunting, yes, I was familiar with firearms. I also think I was kind of forgiven for not being an expert in skinning a squirrel.

Fred never told me in words that I had passed the acceptance test if there ever was one. But he showed it to me every day I was around him.

During the six years I was blessed to know him, he also became like my second dad... caring, loving, but also concerned. Every time I said good bye to Fred and Jo when they left for Minnesota or Texas, the hug and handshake from Fred was a whole lot more than just that.  He didn't say much, but he had his own way to express himself to me  . It's a guy thing. .... I can't explain it.

When he looked at me and put his left hand on my shoulder, I knew what was on his mind. All he needed back was a smile and a nod. He was good with that..and the communication between us was mutually acknowledged.

These last few weeks of his life and what was on his mind when it came to me, was my work.    I'm proud of you..You keep doing good... don't cancel any trips... I am fine.    

Same expression~~ left hand on my shoulder.   I answered back the same way as always did, a smile and a nod. But the last time I  leaned down and added an.. " I love you Dad."..

Thanks for your unconditional support and love Dad,.
I will always feel your hand on my shoulder.

 

Thanks everyone.. for indulging me and letting me share part of him here with you..

[shooter32]

Great Tribute, M'ette!

What a great man, he touched everyone he met and left his mark in his own special way.

Thanks for sharing with us.

[philw]

as i said on FB  This is an amazing tribute Teresa.

that would not of been easy to put together well done  



now  what is that in my eyes.....     this strange watery stuff...  who is chopping onions  

[red364]

Killer video!!!
Sorry for your loss.