Cause of death: Pneumonia and complications of Porphyria
So missed and so loved. Our dad. His birth happened in the "Sears House". [It was the house where Richard Sears (the founder of Sears and Roebuck) was born on Dec 7, 1863. The house is now a museum in Stewartville, MN.]
Dad had a cute Norwegian accent that was really musical to hear. Usually more on the quiet side, his spontaneous, off the wall, unexpected sense of humor was always a delight. He was playful and so loved to tease. When I'd come in from ice skating, he'd add logs to the fire in the basement recreation room, and lovingly hold my frozen feet to warm them. After Smelt fishing in Duluth, he'd have a fish fry for all the neighbors and donate fish to feed the homeless.
In 1955 it was discovered he had an inherited, rare, and incurable blood disease, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda. At the time there were only 3 cases in the entire state. Dad volunteered to go every winter to the University of Minnesota hospital to let them experiment on him. He said, "It will not help me, but hopefully down the road it will help others." Since then, the disease has also become 'acquired' and happily, there is medication now to help. You did good, Dad!!!
With the disease, he was supposed to stay out of the sun. Being a roofer by trade...that was near impossible. On hot summer days he was on heat-attracting dark roofs and he was always dressed in bib overalls, a long sleeved shirt, gloves and a big straw hat. How that man sweated for our family!
In Dec 1967, he took a fall from a 2-story house and a rib punctured his lung. In the hospital he got staph infection, and the Porphyria flared up. Thus he lingered in and out of consciousness for 3 long months, until Pneumonia finally claimed him.
He died 2 days before his son David's wedding. It was discussed whether to delay the wedding, but there were already reservations and many guests from out of state. We all figured Dad would have wanted the wedding to go on. It was a tear filled wedding, and Dad was buried 2 days afterward. A very stressful time for the family.
It was a cold, very dark and overcast day, with spits and sprinkles coming down. Looking out the back window of the family car and seeing the lonely casket on it's stand tore me apart. I wanted desperately to jump out of the car and run back to him. -Daughter Coleah
Step-Children:
Ralph Senear
Bernice Senear Smilonich
Children:
Arnold Richard
Bruce Rayne
Coleah Irene
David Rex
So missed and so loved. Our dad. His birth happened in the "Sears House". [It was the house where Richard Sears (the founder of Sears and Roebuck) was born on Dec 7, 1863. The house is now a museum in Stewartville, MN.]
Dad had a cute Norwegian accent that was really musical to hear. Usually more on the quiet side, his spontaneous, off the wall, unexpected sense of humor was always a delight. He was playful and so loved to tease. When I'd come in from ice skating, he'd add logs to the fire in the basement recreation room, and lovingly hold my frozen feet to warm them. After Smelt fishing in Duluth, he'd have a fish fry for all the neighbors and donate fish to feed the homeless.
In 1955 it was discovered he had an inherited, rare, and incurable blood disease, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda. At the time there were only 3 cases in the entire state. Dad volunteered to go every winter to the University of Minnesota hospital to let them experiment on him. He said, "It will not help me, but hopefully down the road it will help others." Since then, the disease has also become 'acquired' and happily, there is medication now to help. You did good, Dad!!!
With the disease, he was supposed to stay out of the sun. Being a roofer by trade...that was near impossible. On hot summer days he was on heat-attracting dark roofs and he was always dressed in bib overalls, a long sleeved shirt, gloves and a big straw hat. How that man sweated for our family!
In Dec 1967, he took a fall from a 2-story house and a rib punctured his lung. In the hospital he got staph infection, and the Porphyria flared up. Thus he lingered in and out of consciousness for 3 long months, until Pneumonia finally claimed him.
He died 2 days before his son David's wedding. It was discussed whether to delay the wedding, but there were already reservations and many guests from out of state. We all figured Dad would have wanted the wedding to go on. It was a tear filled wedding, and Dad was buried 2 days afterward. A very stressful time for the family.
It was a cold, very dark and overcast day, with spits and sprinkles coming down. Looking out the back window of the family car and seeing the lonely casket on it's stand tore me apart. I wanted desperately to jump out of the car and run back to him. -Daughter Coleah
Step-Children:
Ralph Senear
Bernice Senear Smilonich
Children:
Arnold Richard
Bruce Rayne
Coleah Irene
David Rex
Cause of death: Pneumonia and complications of Porphyria
So missed and so loved. Our dad. His birth happened in the "Sears House". [It was the house where Richard Sears (the founder of Sears and Roebuck) was born on Dec 7, 1863. The house is now a museum in Stewartville, MN.]
Dad had a cute Norwegian accent that was really musical to hear. Usually more on the quiet side, his spontaneous, off the wall, unexpected sense of humor was always a delight. He was playful and so loved to tease. When I'd come in from ice skating, he'd add logs to the fire in the basement recreation room, and lovingly hold my frozen feet to warm them. After Smelt fishing in Duluth, he'd have a fish fry for all the neighbors and donate fish to feed the homeless.
In 1955 it was discovered he had an inherited, rare, and incurable blood disease, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda. At the time there were only 3 cases in the entire state. Dad volunteered to go every winter to the University of Minnesota hospital to let them experiment on him. He said, "It will not help me, but hopefully down the road it will help others." Since then, the disease has also become 'acquired' and happily, there is medication now to help. You did good, Dad!!!
With the disease, he was supposed to stay out of the sun. Being a roofer by trade...that was near impossible. On hot summer days he was on heat-attracting dark roofs and he was always dressed in bib overalls, a long sleeved shirt, gloves and a big straw hat. How that man sweated for our family!
In Dec 1967, he took a fall from a 2-story house and a rib punctured his lung. In the hospital he got staph infection, and the Porphyria flared up. Thus he lingered in and out of consciousness for 3 long months, until Pneumonia finally claimed him.
He died 2 days before his son David's wedding. It was discussed whether to delay the wedding, but there were already reservations and many guests from out of state. We all figured Dad would have wanted the wedding to go on. It was a tear filled wedding, and Dad was buried 2 days afterward. A very stressful time for the family.
It was a cold, very dark and overcast day, with spits and sprinkles coming down. Looking out the back window of the family car and seeing the lonely casket on it's stand tore me apart. I wanted desperately to jump out of the car and run back to him. -Daughter Coleah
Step-Children:
Ralph Senear
Bernice Senear Smilonich
Children:
Arnold Richard
Bruce Rayne
Coleah Irene
David Rex
So missed and so loved. Our dad. His birth happened in the "Sears House". [It was the house where Richard Sears (the founder of Sears and Roebuck) was born on Dec 7, 1863. The house is now a museum in Stewartville, MN.]
Dad had a cute Norwegian accent that was really musical to hear. Usually more on the quiet side, his spontaneous, off the wall, unexpected sense of humor was always a delight. He was playful and so loved to tease. When I'd come in from ice skating, he'd add logs to the fire in the basement recreation room, and lovingly hold my frozen feet to warm them. After Smelt fishing in Duluth, he'd have a fish fry for all the neighbors and donate fish to feed the homeless.
In 1955 it was discovered he had an inherited, rare, and incurable blood disease, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda. At the time there were only 3 cases in the entire state. Dad volunteered to go every winter to the University of Minnesota hospital to let them experiment on him. He said, "It will not help me, but hopefully down the road it will help others." Since then, the disease has also become 'acquired' and happily, there is medication now to help. You did good, Dad!!!
With the disease, he was supposed to stay out of the sun. Being a roofer by trade...that was near impossible. On hot summer days he was on heat-attracting dark roofs and he was always dressed in bib overalls, a long sleeved shirt, gloves and a big straw hat. How that man sweated for our family!
In Dec 1967, he took a fall from a 2-story house and a rib punctured his lung. In the hospital he got staph infection, and the Porphyria flared up. Thus he lingered in and out of consciousness for 3 long months, until Pneumonia finally claimed him.
He died 2 days before his son David's wedding. It was discussed whether to delay the wedding, but there were already reservations and many guests from out of state. We all figured Dad would have wanted the wedding to go on. It was a tear filled wedding, and Dad was buried 2 days afterward. A very stressful time for the family.
It was a cold, very dark and overcast day, with spits and sprinkles coming down. Looking out the back window of the family car and seeing the lonely casket on it's stand tore me apart. I wanted desperately to jump out of the car and run back to him. -Daughter Coleah
Step-Children:
Ralph Senear
Bernice Senear Smilonich
Children:
Arnold Richard
Bruce Rayne
Coleah Irene
David Rex
