You know I remember many things and I for sure remember,
when we first met romantically at that bar on South Division,
in Grand Rapids, with your friends who called you “Chipper”,
because of your laugh. That never stuck with me. I called you
Carol, Love or Lovie and that seemed to cover it all.
I arrived late, for I had been working and had just closed up at 9 P.M.,
a half hour away. You made room for me to squeeze in beside you,
held on to me, and I knew my life was over as I had known it.
Your moves were like a proposal and all I could say was yes.
The diamond would have to wait. Next it was when we would
be married and how many children we would have. We started
with the idea of twelve and ended up with six, which turned out
to be exciting enough for us. We found our farm gothic home
in the country on five acres of land. It was a big place,
5000 square feet and would take a lot of work,
about 30 years’ worth to bring the house up to speed.
It had been built between 1840 and 1850. I worked on
the project when I wasn’t at the store, while you taxied
the children to their schools and then to the extra-curricular events
they chose: Dance classes, gymnastics practice and events, cross-country and
swimming meets and later the Lacrosse practice and meets.
We didn’t have any close by neighbors so the siblings connected with
each other. It wasn’t all bad by any means.
We built a basketball court and an in-ground swimming pool.
We had cross country skiing, hiking and rope swinging, built
forts in the woods behind the house and tended gardens.
We built a stone hedge around the west side of the house
which was the front side and formal entrance. That took one whole summer.
We had one wedding at the home on a beautiful June day.
The work on the house ended just as we became empty nesters.
We came to the Upper Peninsula and found “The Shack”
on Lake Michigan which we visited about one weekend
a month for five years and then moved in permanently.
We built a bigger home on that site; finished at Thanksgiving in 2003.
Carol loved the water and walked the beach often, collecting glass.
We had the chance to visit all of our children once or twice a year.
We had forty-six years together before she died of cancer in
November of 2010. Now I am left with many memories.
I know she cherished her time on the Big Lake
We had an exciting run and would do it all over again.
She was a happy person, gave comfort to many,
and added to the beauty about her.
Stanski
October 9, 2020
Steve Haarman 