Road trip... Cali

My brother Lloyd and I drove to California last week for Uncle Dale's funeral. I enjoyed every minute with Lloyd. He is so easy going. He is funny and wise. He has always watched out for me and accepts me just the way I am. I will treasure the time we spent together all my days.

As soon as we arrived at my cousin's home, you could see how grateful they were we came. They all said we made them feel better. We had a wonderful experience talking and reminiscing. I laughed so much my sides hurt. We also shed tears as we talked about Uncle Dale and our Federer heritage. 

California cousins Debbie, Cherie, Terri and Mike, Aunt Kay and her daughter Melissa, Aunt Kay's grandson Nate is taking pictures ~ Oklahoma cousins Cindy and Brenda

We had a traditional Grandma Federer dinner Friday night of beef and noodles. Aunt Kay made strawberry rhubarb pie that was almost as good as Grandma's! 

Thanks to Aunt Kay for making the yummy pie. Aunt Kay went through a very difficult time many years ago. I am very certain things would be different if Uncle Dale had not been watching out for her. I think he saved her life, he rescued her from a very desperate situation. Aunt Kay had a very special bond with her brother.

Oh this pie, the source of many happy memories. Grandma Federer was the best cook.

We all helped assemble memorial books that were given out at Uncle Dale's funeral.

My cousin Cherie, who is in the black and white top is very sick. She had a serious lung disease when she was small. She had to have a portion of one of lungs removed. She recently went through chemotherapy for breast cancer. She is currently in remission. The chemo may have caused further damage to her lungs. She has been getting weaker and finding it harder and harder to breathe. She had a doctor appointment at UCLA Medical Center a few days ago, she may be a candidate for a lung transplant. I am praying that she can get better.

 I love my cousins!

Eileen ~ Teri ~ Cindy ~ Cherie ~ Lloyd ~ Aunt Kay ~ Brenda  Debbie ~ Mike ~ Chelsea the dog  

We are all ready for Uncle Dale's funeral. Lloyd just needed to put his boots on!

The service was a fitting tribute for a great man. Aunt Kay read a letter that Aunt Bernice wrote. Aunt Bernice was so sad she couldn't be at the funeral, but she is sick and has dialysis three days a week. 

Uncle Dale was a psychology professor at Cal Poly State University. He always dressed in a shirt and tie. He had hundreds of ties. The tables were decorated with them. We all got to have one of his ties after the luncheon.

After the funeral we went for drive. This is Uncle Dale's tractor.

It was so comforting to spend time at the beach listening to the ocean waves. Avila Beach is just a short drive from my cousins home.

My cousin Mike and I walk out on the pier and had a moment to talk. It was a chance for me to offer support, and let him share how he was feeling.

Mike is almost finished restoring this 1956 Cadillac. I was very impressed, it's beautiful.

 
I love my brother Lloyd so much. We had what was probably a once in lifetime road trip together. I'm so grateful we could make to trip to California.

"Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning." I will miss Uncle Dale, the cards he sent, the phone calls, and hearing him say that he was proud of me. Families are forever...

 M. Dale Federer Mirlen Dale Federer passed away peacefully on August 30, 2016, in the San Luis Obispo home of his daughters where he spent his final month in the loving presence of his wife, Alene; daughters Deborah, Teresa, and Cherie, and son Michael; and his sister Kay. Born in 1929 as the fifth son of Theodore and Edna Federer, Dale grew up on the family homestead in Wyoming. He attended a one-room elementary, took college prep courses in high school in Cheyenne, and graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming in 1951. Dale went into active duty in the U.S. Army in 1950 and was stationed at Fort Monroe, Virginia. He met Merrill Jean "Judy" Hogge in Virginia, and they were married in March of 1952 just after her graduation from nursing school. In 1952 he was sent to Korea, where he remembered Dwight D. Eisenhower's visit to the troops. Dale finished his tour of duty as a first lieutenant in 1953. Dale began his first teaching assignment in 1953 in Saratoga, Wyoming, where he also coached wrestling. In 1959 Dale applied for and received a fellowship at the University of Wyoming in counseling and guidance. He earned his PhD in 1962 and stayed on to teach for one year. In 1963 he joined the faculty at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he taught counseling and guidance until his retirement as Professor of Psychology and Human Development in 1987. Dale helped form the Martin Luther King Junior Scholarship Committee; he served on the committee for thirty-eight years and was president of the board twice. In 1971 he started a crisis hotline in San Luis Obispo. He also helped develop the Senior Peer Counseling program at Cal Poly and participated in training volunteers, serving on the board until 2006. In addition, he was active as a 4-H Club leader and as a member of the Avila Advisory Committee as well as a member of the Squire Canyon Road Committee. Dale was honored by the Disabled Students Unlimited at Cal Poly when, in 1984, they named him Faculty Person of the Year. He was the first recipient of the Dale Federer Award for Outstanding Service, an award of the South County Democratic Club named in his honor. As president of that organization, he articulated his values and beliefs: "A democracy depends on the active participation of its citizens. We need to keep our vision of America where all have freedom and the respect of others." In 1984, Dale married Wanda Al‚ne Parrack. While continuing his role in various civic organizations, he and Al‚ne were actively engaged in the California Mounted Assistance Program, riding horses on beaches and keeping mountain paths clear. They raised cattle, and they traveled around the United States with a truck and camper, covering over six thousand miles in their last road trip. They also visited China and Europe. Dale served as an elder at Nipomo Presbyterian Church, and both he and Alene served as deacons. They were also involved in the church's local mission outreach. Dale was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers: Ernest, Marion, Clarence, Ivan, and Carl; and Judy, the mother of his children. He is survived by his wife Alene; his children: Deborah Coy, Teresa Federer, Cherie Buford, and Michael Federer; his step-children: Jeffery Parrack (Cindy), Jay Parrack (Mary Beth), and Jenna McCulloch (Jim); his grandson Brett Buford; his step-grandchildren: Hunter Parrack, Jacob Parrack, Hannah Parrack, Sam Parrack, and Megan McCulloch; his sisters Bernice Wilson and Kay Dangerfield; his nephew Grant Federer whom he helped raise, and many other nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service followed by a luncheon will be celebrated at Nipomo Presbyterian Church, 1235 North Thompson Road, Arroyo Grande, on September 10 at 11:00am. Dale would be honored if attendees shared their favorite inspirational or funny sayings and any uplifting stories or humorous anecdotes. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Nipomo Community Presbyterian Church (earmarked for "Local Missions Outreach") or the Martin Luther King Junior Scholarship Fund would be appreciated.