Herman Cater.

I want to tell you guys about someone. His name was Herman Cater.

Although I spent almost my entire life around Herman in one way or another, I don't really know much about his life growing up or anything. But there are so many things I do remember about him, from his strong, determined will to his sweet little smile, he was such a wonderful, joy-filled person. Herman was one of my Dad's best friends for forever. Herman loved Radios, all of them, and nothing thrilled his soul more than to be able to fix up an old radio. He's the one that sort of got my Dad into doing radios. He was so smart! He could take one look at any radio and not only know exactly what was wrong with it, but how to fix it as well! I never quite picked up that talent, but my dad did, and he absolutely loved it. Ever since I can remember up until a couple years back, my Saturday mornings were filled with two things: taking the trash, and going to Herman's shop. He and my Dad could talk for hours on end about this radio part or that brand name or who knows what! Sometimes, if I knew they would be there for a while, I'd go on adventures through the shop, just to see what all I could find that he'd brought in. There were some bicycles, pottery, metal parts... the list goes on! One time I found this sweet little sandcastle that he let me keep. I still have it in my room to this day. It's one of the best things I've ever gotten. Whenever we'd go, Herman always made a big deal about us coming. He'd always greet us with a 'Well, Hey there!' and a big old hug. He'd remark on the fact that we'd grown and he'd make a fuss over how well we were doing in school. I loved hearing him talk. It always was a challenge to try and talk back though, because he was quite hard of hearing. Herman fought in WWII (He was actually at Iwo Jima, and has a map that he took from a Japanese soldier there) and because of several things that had happened there, he had great hearing loss. But that never stopped him, no way! He was tougher than that. He always carried himself with dignity and poise, no matter how much he had aged. He had enough love in his heart to cover an entire continent, and he used every opportunity to spread that whenever possible. He loved God, and he loved his family. These last few years have been hard on them, because he had to be put in a home for his dementia. His wife, Nadine, never left his side, and he had wonderful support from all of his children and grandchildren. Herman passed away earlier this evening, and he will be so greatly missed. He was like a second grandfather to me, and I love him so very much. His memory and wisdom have definitely been passed on and will continue to live in all that were blessed enough to know him. We love you, Herman, and I pray you are enjoying your time with the angels. I'm sure they have plenty of radios for you! ♥

Love, Sarah