Of all of God’s gracious gifts - the most precious is love.
We: Gladys, Larry, Debbie, Holley, Alicia, Martha, Brad, and Jo Ann, would like to thank all of our family and friends for being with us today to help us pay honor to our husband, our father and our grandpa -- James Kennedy Semer, Hob.
You must forgive us if we appear a little lost today, but it is because just a few days ago we were a full and complete picture and today we are more like a jigsaw puzzle. We still make up the same picture, but we are broken and our center core, our heart is missing.
We are sure that it may take us a while, but one day we will have our picture again. Until that day, we will be held together and never separated because of what has bound us together--The love of our family; of our parents, of our grandparents, and of our children. We will miss the heart of our family, we will miss not seeing him, or touching him, or talking to him. But he will forever be with us and it will be his love of us which will hold us close, support and guide us through our lives, and will - one day - make us a whole picture again.
I’m not real sure why Hob wanted me to speak today. I have thought about it and can come up with two reasons. First, and most importantly -- it was because he loved me.
And today -- we must have love.
The second reason was because he appreciated my sense of humor.
And today -- of all days -- we must have laughter. Because if we, his friends and family members, remember him and how he touched each and everyone of our lives, we will remember laughter.
And his laughter came from joy -- the pure and simple -- Joy of Life.
I learned about Hob, his life and memories in the little fishing boat we have at the cottage on Gun Lake in Michigan. When the fishing was slow, and I hate to admit it but it was often slow, he would say a few words, tell a funny story or share some of his memories. His words were often brief but they always had a point of some lesson to be learned. He taught me how to fish but mostly he taught me about what it took to have a good life.
“It’s not easy,” he would say. “but the best things in life seldom are.”
Hob was born on April 11, 1915 to William and Nettie Semer in Pensacola, Florida while his dad was serving in the navy. They returned to Bettsville and five years after Hob’s birth, his father was tragically killed in an accident at The Basic.
William and Nettie Semer had ten children: Charles, John, William Jr., Hob, Burl, Ray, Russell, Hazel, Marietta and Nettie.
Whenever Hob spoke of his mother, it was always in a quiet, reverent voice, “My mother had a hard life, but she never complained.”
If you are around any of the Semers for very long, one thing for sure that you realize, was that Nettie did a fine job in raising her children because the one thing they all have, is a deep commitment to family.
The oldest boys had to quit school and work to support the family while everyone else worked together in raising each other. Hob always said, the reason why his and some of his other brother’s ears stuck out, was because each time one of them would act up (and judging from the stories I’ve heard -- that was quite often), “My sister Hazel, would grab one of our ears and give a tug.”
He would tell of working on farms during the summer and picking up pieces of coal which had fallen off a train going around a bend. The coal would be used for heat and for cooking. His proudest moments however, were remembering his mother’s first washing machine and refrigerator.
His words were never of pity, but rather, they were simple statements of fact.
“We didn’t have much, but we always had each other.”
The Semers were proud and strong and believed in the American Dream of working, always working, to succeed and making a better life.
Education was part of that dream. Hob graduated from Bettsville High School in 1934 and many of his classmates are with us here today. Although it was during the Depression and times were hard and sometimes cruel, Hob never spoke a negative word. Instead he would laugh and tell stories of his classmates and brothers and sisters. How one brother had to stay in from recess because he had been mistaken by the teacher for another brother. And how a manure spreader had mysteriously appeared on a farmer’s barnroof one morning.
But what he remembered most vividly were the acts of kindness and generosity of teachers and community members who had helped him through school and to graduate.
These memories were the foundation of his love of family, of school and of education and was the basis of his belief that you had to give back to your community and to the children. He followed up his beliefs with actions. He started the first Little League baseball team in Old Fort, was an active member of the Lions Club and the Masons. His life was spent loving kids because “They are the future--They deserve the best,” he would say.
It was while Hob was at school, playing basketball for Bettsville, that he literally fell in love, with a player from the rival team from Old Fort. Her name was Gladys Fausey. When the Bettsville players were running out on the court to play, Mother stuck out her foot and tripped him.
Hob would laugh and say, “Well, I guess you could say I was head over heels from the first moment and I was a pretty good catch too, you know.” Mother, however, will smile and nod and say, “And a little too cocky for his own good.”
It was during this time in his life, that his love of family grew more deeply. Hob and Gladys were married on July 25, 1935.
“It was the luckiest day of my life,” he would say.
Mother’s parents, Ercel and Zena Fausey, welcomed Hob into their home, their family and their hearts. He was now their son and a brother to Frank and Phyllis. And soon to Tom Pence and Pat Garn as the family grew.
“There was always room for one more at the Fausey table and food for about ten more,” Hob said. And for Hob, there was always, always room for one more person in his heart.
He worked at The Basic for forty-four years and nine-months. His work ethic was simple. “You’re paid to do a job, and you do the best job you know how.”
When I started back to college, I asked Hob to speak to a management class I was taking. I was a little concerned because I had never heard Hob speak before a group and after all I had a grade riding on this class project. I told Hob, he was my class project and he said, “Well, Jo, I guess I’m glad you’re not taking Biology, they might dissect me.” And I said, “Well, Hob, this is a pretty tough group of students, you just never know what could happen.”
When Hob started speaking, within five minutes he had the entire class, including the teacher, in the palm of his hand. He spoke honestly and directly. His words contained the wisdom of his experience and he expressed the truth of being a good boss. “Be honest, your people will know if your not. Work harder and longer than what you ask of your people, it’s your responsibility to set the example. And finally, respect your people and their opinions, and remember you will have to earn their respect.”
After class, the people congregated around him and did not want him to go. But that was not unusual for Hob, it always happened where ever he would go. People would seek him out and want to be around him. Because he gave with such generosity of himself and of his gifts of knowledge, of caring and of happiness.
No one enjoyed life and the people in it, as much as Hob.
In that little fishing boat, I heard grand stories, filled with laughter and fond memories of all the people who had touched his life and meant so much to him. Fishing trips to Canada, antics of the card club, members of his church, the community of Old Fort and his family.
Please know that each and everyone of you held a very special place in his heart.
Of those he held most dear, were his wife, children and grandchildren.
His final words to Larry, were “Take care of mother and the kids. I love you son.”
After 58 years of marriage, Hob and Mother still took gentle and sweet care of each other. Mother would fuss and Hob would say, “Yep, Yep, Yep.” But their first concern was always for the other one. The strength of their marriage was their belief in God, their ability to see only perfection in their children and grandchildren, and their strength to weather all the storms by standing arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder... together they would beat the odds... and they did. Their love will continue through all eternity.
It’s not surprising that Hob and Gladys’ two children are teachers because both of their parents served as guiding forces and were excellent teachers and role models.
To Larry, your dad said, “Jo, Larry is a gentle and tender heart. Protect him and take care of him. He’s my best friend you know.” Larry, you carry with you, the treasure of your dad’s heart because he would trust it with no one else.
To Debbie, no father could have loved a daughter more. The reason was because you reminded him of Mother. Strong willed, determined, organized and intelligent. Debbie, you carry with you the treasure of your dad’s spirit, because he knew that no one could protect it and keep it safe as well as you.
To Holley, you are grandpa’s first grandchild and brought joy and happiness into his life. Holley, you carry with you the treasure of grandpa’s happiness and this is his wonderful gift to you. Keep it close to your heart and it will grow and bloom in the most magical of ways and be with you always.
To Alicia, you are grandpa’s second grandchild. And you brought smiles and laughter into grandpa’s life. Alicia, you carry with you the treasure of grandpa’s laughter and this is his wonderful gift to you. When you laugh, you carry on a very special family tradition and you will hear grandpa’s laughter whenever you are sad and you will never be lonely because grandpa will be with you always.
To Martha, you are grandpa’s third grandchild. And you brought music and song into grandpa’s life. Martha, you carry with you the treasure of grandpa’s lyrical hope for the future and this is his wonderful gift to you. Everyday you will have grandpa in your heart and the world be always be a bright and beautiful thing.
Today, we the family of Hob Semer, pay tribute to our family members. The pallbearers, five of Hob’s nephews, will represent Hob’s brothers --Semer, Fausey and Pence. The sixth and honorary seventh pallbearers are life-long friends, Raymond De Moss and Carl Murray and they will represent all of you, Hob’s friends, whom he loved and cared for all the days of his life.
We finally want to add, here is your most treasured gift from Hob, it was his philosophy of life,
“Keep Smiling, even if you have to force it. And when your time comes, the Lord will say, ‘Well Done, Well Done, good and faithful servant.’”
Of all of God’s gracious gifts -- the most precious is love.
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