Tuesday, February 28, 2006
To the Jelmert Family,
I received a phone call a little while ago from my mother who told me the terrible news about Walter. I was very saddened to hear the news and immediately thought back to seeing Walter just last month when he was kind and thoughtful enough to attend my father’s funeral.
When I first saw Walter at the funeral home I knew right away that I knew him, but I couldn’t figure out immediately who he was. After all, until then, I don’t think I had seen Walter since my family moved from Watchung in 1959. But it was when he introduced himself that I realized it was because he looked so much like his father that I knew that I had known him before.
We talked for a long time and he brought back wonderful memories of him, Kenny Neilson and my father. He also told me my father was instrumental in him and Kenny joining the Plainfield Ski Club. Walter also talked about him and Kenny working for a while for my father and Harold Lysebo. I was very appreciative to have been able to talk to him at that time.
I told Walter I remembered his 1949 yellow Ford convertible. He smiled and told me with pride that it had been nosed and decked. I also told Walter I remembered when his mother had given dance lessons to the neighborhood kids, that his family had a tape recorder that actually used wire to record and not tape, and that his father was the only man I ever knew who would cut off a portion of a cigar and place it in his pipe to smoke.
And when we talked about our families it was very obvious that Walter had enormous love and pride for his family. He talked about helping his sons with their houses and the fun he had being with his grandchildren. From what I gathered from our conversation, you were all very fortunate to have each other to share a love and devotion that few could match. I know Walter was very appreciative of it.
I know that the love you have for each other will give you the strength you need to get though this horrible time.
With the deepest regards,
Bob Haukdal</b></font><br><br>
