Tribute to a Life Well Lived: Wayne Henry Freeman

January 26, 2021

Dear Grandchildren:

Happy New Year! This month, I’m writing about your great grandfather, Wayne Henry Freeman. My father died January 3rd, 2005 at the age of 86. He and Mom were married for 64 years.

He was a military vet, serving in World War II. He was a bookkeeper (accountant) all of his working life. He was a honest, go-to-work-everyday kind of guy. He loved the Tigers, Lions, and Red Wings. He loved to bowl and bowled in the league until he was 85 years old. He loved to play pool, golf, and cards, and loved jazz music.

That was my father we all knew and loved, but I want to go deeper and share insight on who he really was. Since he has been gone these last fifteen years, I’ve got to know him better through talking with Mom as she shares stories about him.

He lived his life by the principles he believed in. Throughout my life, Dad never took the time to share his values with me. He never took the time to talk about his life. what he believed in about his life, and what he believed in about his childhood. I’ve learned some of those stories from talking to Mom these past fifteen years. Now, I wish I could have that conversation to say “thank you” for being that steady rock in our family.

I’ve often said, “Children pay more attention to what you do than what you say.” My dad lived a life that we all admired, but I wish along the way he would’ve shared what was in his heart and his motivations. I realized that a characteristic of that generation was to keep that information to yourself.

Dad was successful because of his values of honesty and respect for others. Successful people speak words of encouragement rather than words of division, words of acceptance rather than words of rejection, and words of tolerance rather than words of prejudice. This was my dad.

Mother told me after the fire that destroyed our business, Dad worked for a company in Durand for six months. He quit because the owner treated his customers differently based on who they were. Dad couldn’t handle the dishonesty, so without any fanfare, he quit and got another job.

Dad was an avid reader, having read hundreds of books. He kept a running list that was at least five pages long, double-sided. And he was a walking dictionary for everyday facts. And he could write as well. Through writing, he shared who he really was and what he believed. While in the service, he wrote Mom almost every day, sharing his feelings and thoughts. During the years when Dad wrote a letter to us, it was a wonderful insight into who he was.

When Dad was fourteen, the family barn burned down, and he had to take two years off of school to help build a new barn. He returned to school and finished graduating with his original class. That was amazing!

Over the years, I’ve always taken my father for granted. Now more than ever, I see my father as a wonderful example for me to follow from his honesty, respect, and love for others, especially Mom and his family. He really loved Mom and showed it at Christmas time. We had to sit through several minutes of her opening her presents from Dad, usually shoes.

When I was pastoring in Johannesburg, I had a wonderful opportunity to baptize my mom and dad in our church. In my desk drawer, I have the written confession of faith both my parents signed believing in Jesus Christ, dated October 11th, 1998.

So grandchildren, now you have a brief insight into who your great grandfather was. He was and is my hero!

Love,
Grandpa