Random Ramblings Through the Years: May 2008

5th week of the year Orlando:

Dad's fight with prostate cancer wasn't going too well anymore. But he insisted on making his Jan. trip to our Orlando timeshare. Even Carolyn decided to come this year --for the first time. Although Dad didn't get out of bed too much that week, he did want to go to Holyland.

this was my 3rd time to Holyland Park with Dad and it was a pretty special place.

It was great seeing Dad looking so alive again.

Although I don't claim to be a very religious person, I really enjoyed our trips there.

There is a lot of history that is shown here.

Back at the resort and Dad at his computer for a short while.

Dad taking in "his" resort one last time.

Unfortunately he fell twice that night and I changed his flight, and mine so that I could fly back with him. We flew back to Oregon the next day. It was a hard flight for him---in a lot of physical pain from the cancer---and for me --- in a lot of emotional pain.

2-25-2008 When i finally got home, I got to do one of the things I enjoy doing alot---going to a botanical garden. We're often members of the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

I even enjoy going in the middle of winter when snow is on the ground.

and when they have their annual orchid show.

one of the pieces of their permanent Chihuli display

3-1-14, 2008 Kauai:

I was worried about our Kauai trip and how Dad was doing, but Ken and I did go and had a great time. Figured we were just as close to Oregon there as we were in St. Louis if anything happened.

love how the sunrays lit up Hanalei bridge

One of our gorgeous sunrises from our resort.

Ken helping the sun come up

Ken showing off a shell

Love the shadows on the sand.

and the wild flowers in the Japanese cemetary.

Just in case you missed one sign----

Not good for snorkeling, but the high waves are neat to watch

one of my all time favorite photos

Ken's writing in the sand.

3-23-2008 Back in St. Louis----hard to see the date here, but it was early April and we had a pretty good snow.

4-6-2008 Since Dad's trip to Orlando, I was flying back out there every 3 or 4 weeks. This time, David met me at the airport to tell me how bad Dad was doing---although I already knew. David was under the impression Dad was beating his cancer, but I had hit the internet as soon as he told me about his diagnosis a year or 2 before and knew it wasn't good.

Dad wanted a dachsund for the last couple years and had even contacted a lady in Washington who was breeding them. For 8 weeks she wrote letters to dad as if they were coming from the puppy. Kind of neat for Dad---gave him something to really look forward to. David had taken him up to Washington to pick up the puppy when she was weened from her mother. That's when David came to realize how sick Dad was.

4-8-2008 It was during one of the times I was there that Dad succumbed to prostate cancer. He never once complained! If you didn't know any better, you would think he was beating it---so I can't really blame David for not knowing.

Edward Gagznos Obituary

DALLAS - Dallas- Major Edward Joseph Gagznos, USAF, Retired, passed away on Monday, April 7, 2008 of prostate cancer. He was the first of two children born to Joseph and Mary Gagznos in Bayonne, New Jersey, 76 years ago. He was raised in Millington, New Jersey, and attended Millington Elementary, Sterling Junior High, and Bernard's High School. During his senior year the family moved to Plainfield, New Jersey.Ed enlisted in the United States Air Force on 18 July 1949 after graduating from high school. He received technical training in heavy ground radio equipment and navigational aids at Scott AFB in Illinois. He served as a radio maintenance technician and cryptographic custodian at Randolph AFB, San Antonio, Texas during the Korean War. He reached the rank of Staff Sergeant before receiving a commission in 1953. He was instrumental in the electronic equipment installation, preoperational, and initial operational phases of the radar squadron at Keno, Oregon; the Air Defense Direction Center at Adair Air Force Station near Corvallis, Oregon; and the NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex near Colorado Springs, Colorado. During a second tour at Adair Air Force Station he supervised the assumption of computer maintenance by Air Force technicians. International Business Machines technicians had installed and maintained the AN/FSQ-7 Semi Automatic Ground Environment computer system until that time. He served overseas in England as Commander of an electronic and navigational aids installation and maintenance squadron, as Communications and Electronics Officer in a radar squadron in British Columbia, Canada, and as an Air Defense Advisor in the Military Training Mission at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.While at Scott AFB, Illinois, he met his future wife in 1950. He married Nora Louise Rich in West Frankfort, Illinois on 23 June 1951. They had three children. Nora preceded Edward in death on 15 November 2000 in Dallas. Nora and the three children accompanied him in all assignments except his isolated assignments in Canada and Saudi Arabia. After retiring from the USAF he worked for McDonnell Douglas Corporation in St. Louis as their Communications and Computer Security Administrator.He returned to Dallas, Oregon in February 1976. He continued his education at Oregon College of Education and Western Oregon State College where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies.He was an avid bowler, bowling in several leagues and participating in local and national tournaments. He enjoyed fishing, hiking, traveling, and his hot tub. He was an avid reader of military history and biography, with some historical novels and adventure thrown in for diversion.Ed was a member of the American Legion, having served as the Adjutant of the Dallas Post for seven years. He was also a long time member of the Retired Officers Association and the National Geographic Society. He served on the Dallas Cemetery Board and volunteered for Dallas Retirement Village for many years. He was a member of the Calvary Chapel of Dallas.Ed is survived by is younger brother, Joseph and wife Carol Gagznos of Dallas, Oregon; his sons, Edward David and wife Jane Gagznos of Dallas and their five children, Joseph and wife Katie, their son Vincent, Nora and husband Kevin Parnell and their three children Zachariah, Jenessa and Justin, David and wife Luciana, Kimberly and Daniel; his daughters, Nora Carolyn Dillon of Dallas and her son Sean, Maryanne Susan and her husband Kenneth LaBeaume of Florssant, Missouri and their children, Timothy and wife Faith, Angela and husband Joshua, and Ed's beloved miniature dachshund, Dora. Visitation will be held from 1 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2008 and funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2008 at the Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center with interment following with full military honors at the Dallas cemetary

Published by The Statesman Journal on Apr. 10, 2008.

4-11-2008 ? The grandsons carrying his casket.

he deservedly got a military honors funeral

as the oldest child, the flag was given to Carolyn.

So happy that the kids made it to the funeral. Tim even left Faith home after she just had gall bladder surgery.

So true!

Nice that Sean was there for Carolyn, too.

Mom and Dad back together again!

bitter sweet memory

The kids sense of humor---Ken use to make them put there arms out and walk to each other when they were little and fighting with each other.

Not very often we all get together anymore.

Dad's brother and his kids

David's son and family came from Colorado. Joe was a huge help the day after Dad died. He made a bunch of phone calls to get things done---to the funeral home, hospice, military to get the military funeral with 21 gun salute, and I'm sure more that I don't even know about.

The Gagznos girls.

David and his boys, minus Davey.

DAvid and Jane.

5-11-2008 Back to home and the bad luck continued. A heavy storm sent branches onto our Escape and through the windshield.

5-25-2008 The storms continued and on Memorial day night---Angie and Josh's house was struck by lightening and burned to the ground.

Angie and Josh weren't home---a friend of Tim's who lived down the street from Angie and Josh called Tim about 11pm and said he thought Angie's house was burning. Tim called us and we arrived about the same time Angie and Josh arrived home from a concert.

6-20-2008 About the same time, Tim and Faith had put a contract on this house in the beautiful neighborhood of Calverton Park.

The back yard was like a park!

Since Angie and Josh needed somewhere to live while their house was being rebuilt, I bought Tim and FAith's house and rented it out to Angie and Josh so Tim and Faith could buy the Calverton house.

The house did need some work. It was probably the "worst" house on the street, but had so much potention. Starting with taking down a tree that was growing over the house.

They definitely had a lot of yard work on this 1 acre property.

a break from all the work to have a Jack in the Box taco.

6-27-2008 Ken and I took a couple days and went to our Worldmark resort at Lake of the Ozarks.

The lake made by Union Electric, who Ken worked for for so long.

Even got to watch a pretty impressive lightening show there one night.

7-4-2008 Tim was still playing in his band.

They got to play at the pavilion at January Park on July 4th.

9-14-2008 It was an extended time of some wicked storms. Cold Water creek down from our house even flooded---later I found out it's known for having lots of radiation leaking into it.

The apartments not far from our house.

9-19-2008 On to the Fall. Love the annual hot air balloon race around Labor Day.

I use to like going to the balloon glows---until it started getting so crowded that it wasn't worth the hassle anymore.

This was before it got too crowded.

10-21-2008 I finally got the floors of our house refinished, too! At least all but our master bedroom.

10-25-31, 2008 cruise with Carolyn out of Long Beach In Oct. I went on a cruise with Carolyn. Even got to do a little bit of snorkeling.

Even though I researched ahead of time and booked our excursion off the ship, we had some excitement with the water taxi! First he told us it was $4rt, then charged us twice that. Then tried to charge us to get off the taxi. I grabbed Carolyn and walked off. Probably not the brightest move in a foreign country.

We did another off ship excursion on Mazatlan and saw a really pretty city.

Really liked Puerto Vallarta. The malecon was really a neat place to walk.

from our excursion in Mazatlan

Puerto Vallarta

Our excursion while we were anchored off Cabo.

some of our excellent entertainment on the ship.

11-8-2008 Angie's house---rebuilt and pretty much flipped by her---and her insurance company!

She did a wonderful job!

11-27-2008 Thanksgiving at Tim and FAith's

first time for fried turkey. It was excellent!

enjoying their back yard.

12-13-2008 weekend trip to Branson with the Schneides: In Dec., we took a trip to Branson with the Schneides.

Loved seeing Silver Dollar City all lit up. We had been there once before when the kids were really little, but that was the only other time we'd been to Branson.