Nominated by: Beth Morrison, daughter
My dad has been my hero my entire life but I didn’t fully come to appreciate him until I
was much older. As a young 19 year old he was off to WWII and stepped up early on for the tough and dangerous role of a glider paratrooper. He brought his fearlessness and strong work ethic back home to Detroit at the end of the war, his Purple Heart in hand.
Dad, now married to my mom and a new father, worked hard to save funds to work toward his dream of owning his own business. After being sidetracked with being called back to serve again during the Korean War, he and my mom finally made that dream a reality.
With his love for northern Michigan, he brought his growing family of 3 kids to Hillman and bought a small grocery store. Our family grew and so did the business. My dad still found time to attend his now 5 children’s sporting events, serve on the school board, volunteer at church and help the community. One time in an awful snowstorm I recall helping him deliver groceries on a snowmobile to older folks who were snowed in. He was always looking out for his neighbors. Dad hired so many Hillman teens at the store that decades later he still receives phone calls and visits from these now much older adults.
And still at 87 years old you will see Dad ringing the Salvation Army bell for hours in the cold and with his Stormy Kromer on – he has been ringing that bell for over 60 years! His love for family, his community, his friends and his faith have left strong marks on the lives of my siblings and so many others. He is one of a kind and a true living legend.
Charity: Salvation Army
Hometown: Hillman, MI
