Thursday, January 16, 2014
Dear family of Mr. Riepe, You don’t know me but I knew your father. He was a close friend of my father. I am John Connallon’s daughter Teshie. I will always be grateful to your father because he was so kind to my father. My father came to live with me after my mother died in 2009. He was very lonely. Your father would call to talk to my dad. They never had anything important to say to each other but those calls never failed to cheer my father. It was like your father understood how lonely my father was and he willing talked to my dad. Dad was always in a better mood after he talked to your father. Dad would sometimes call your father for no reason other than to say hello. They would joke and laugh for ten or fifteen minutes. Their mutual respect and friendship for each other was obvious. On occasion I would call your father with a question, usually about a fire department procedure or benefit. He was always so kind and patient with me. He continued to periodically email after my father died. In one of those emails he told me of a story he had written about my father and he wanted permission to publish it in the Covered Bridge newsletter. Mom and Dad had always said your father was an excellent writer. We gave our permission sight unseen, but your father wanted us to read it before he sent it in to the newsletter. The work was such a tribute to my father that I cried and my brother and sisters were equally impressed. When I called your father to tell him how pleased we were he was very humble about his writing ability. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Your father doesn’t need my prayers. God knows what a kind and loving man he was on earth and now he is with your mom in heaven. Physically I can't be there with you but you are in my thoughts and prayers.
