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I first met Sarge in September, 1963, at the College of the Ozarks (now University). Now here we are 47 years later and he has preceded me to heaven. I got word Monday that he had stepped from the land of the dying into the land of the living. Jesus reached down His hand at about 6am and Sarge took it.
How in the world we became such good friends I can't remember, but we did. We were from two different backgrounds, he from the north and I from the south. He was a jock and I wasn't. Sarge was the type of guy that when you met him you walked away his friend. Everyone liked him. He was truly a Prince among men.
We became such good friends that he was my best man at my first wedding. He drove back to Arkansas from Ohio to attend her funeral a year and a half later. I know that he would have been by my side in January when we laid Jeanne to rest, if he had not been taking chemo and related treatments.
I have been friends with Sarge longer than I have known my younger sister.
He was not always known as Sarge, a name I believe he picked up in High School. Russell Sherhag is his real name. He was never a sargent, but that is how he is known around the country.
We had a standing joke between us, Pam included, that is until email. A line from 'Dances with Wolves' was our mantra, one character says to Kevin Costner, upon seeing a skeleton with an arrow sticking out of it, "Someone back east wonders why he don't write." We always joked about me writing a letter and the mailman passing out when he saw the return address. I was out west and they were back east wondering why he doesn't write. Thank God for email.
I will have only good memories of Sarge and our times together, though we weren't in each others company very many times over the years. I have to admit that there were times that Sarge did more to maintain our friendship than I did.
I know that I will see him again in heaven but I will miss him terribly here on earth. I know he is talking with his family and has laughed with Sharlene and Jeanne, but Sarge, wait for the rest of us at the corner of Hallelujah Blvd and Love Ave, for we will see you soon. We will dance before the Throne and praise God together.
See you later ol' buddy.
1 comment:
It is so hard to lose good friends--the only thing that makes it bearable is knowing with certainty where they will spend eternity and that we will see them again! I don't know how those who do not know Jesus deal with the pain of death. Thank you, Lord, for the certainty of the resurrection and life eternal.
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