He found that "someone new" in an old high school classmate.  Sharon Russell Wilson contacted my dad for the high school reunion being planned.  They started talking and found they really enjoyed communicating with one another.  After several months they started realizing they had deeper feelings and these feelings were turning into love for one another.  Then dad made his desiccion.  He emailed me to let me know that he was going to "disappear for awhile, but that everything would be okay".  I never questioned him on what he was going to do, or where he was going to go...I figured he needed time to sort things out after the last couple of years fighting all those battles for mom.  He was going to make himself happy like I had been asking him to.

I never knew that he was on his way to meet his fiance Sharon and to move into a new home in Texas.  He never got the chance to tell me.  I found out about Sharon while I was in Colorado.  After talking on the phone with Sharon I realized that dad died following his dream to be happy.  Sharon Wilson still lives in Ft. Worth, Texas and as far as I am concerned...she is a member of our family.

Lisa Nagengast

We had a memorial service for dad at Lake Tahoma on October 31, 2002.

It was an overcast, drizzly day, but it was the perfect day for sharing memories and stories about dad.  We played Elvis music and shared memories.  Uncle Red Eagle conducted a Native American funeral ceremony prior to scattering dad's ashes.

I know that some people have questioned why we chose Halloween of all times to have dad's memorial service and I would like to have this opportunity to share some of my memories with you all.  Dad started a tradition that has stayed with me to this day that involves Halloween.  It is my favorite holiday.  He always took us out to trick or treat, but after that was done was when the real fun began.

Every year (or at least for as far back as I can remember) dad would take us out in the middle of nowhere.  We would build a campfire, roast marshmallows and he would tell us ghost stories.  One time I remember in particular was at Lake Powell in Arizona.  We were all sitting around the camp fire and dad was calling to the spirits to give us a sign that they were there.  He then took a stick out of the fire and placed it on the ground behind him.  That particular October, it had rained just the day before.  Everything was damp and wet, but that sand caught fire and burned a straight line away from camp!  Greg and I ran and hid in the boat so fast that I think we spun those sprits heads around.  Debbie was like "Ohhhhhhhhh, let's follow!"  Mom and dad were just laughing.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I found out that dad had taken black powder from some shot gun shells and had laid that in a line on the sand behind him.  His plot was perfect cause I never knew until he told me and was convinced that what had happened there was real.

I shared this memory at the memorial service.  I am not sure how much you all know about the car accident my mom was in January 2000, so I thought that I would provide you with that information as well.  Mom is currently residing in a nursing home in Spirit Lake, Idaho.

Mom has brain damage from the car accident and her vocabulary is about 120 words now.  I feel that she understands what is being said to her.  She is seeing a speech therapist and he has helped her so much.  She does stutter, gets very anxious, and cries easily.  We are trying to give her as much support as we can right now.

I just got back from visiting with mom last week.  I brought her some plants, clothes, and pictures.  Some of the pictures I took to her were of dad and when she saw them she recognized them.  She had a panic attack and was very distraught.  I am going to try and find a grief councilor for her because I believe she understands what happened, but she just has no way to express how she feels.

If you all could please remember mom in your prayers that would be wonderful.  My biggest fear right now is that she is going to become depressed and lose her will to survive.  She is a strong woman, but dad was her life and her true love.

Some of you I have met and remember very well, others I have only heard stories about.  Bob Goerner provided me with all of your email addresses.  I hope that this letter finds you all well and that I wasn't too unkind with my words.

I know that Bob has asked for information on us kids, and I thought I would just enclose this in the email in case there are others of you that would like the information.

Please forward this to anyone that may have been missed.  Thank you for lending your ear and I hope the holidays are very special for you.  Please remember that this is the time of year to be thankful that we have our families, our hopes, and our dreams.  Don't ever let go of that.

Sincerely,
Lisa Nagengast
PSC 37 Box 802
APO, AE 09459
011-44-1638-715632

Deborah Holeman is 38 she resides in Seattle, Washington.  She is single with no human children, but does have Frodo, a kitty cat.  She currently is a Pharmacy Technician for Bartel Drug Stores.

Greg Holeman is 32 he resides in Sparks, Nevada.  He is single with no human children, but does have Blue, an Australian Shepard.  He currently is a diesel mechanic.

As for me, I am married (6 wonderful years).  My husband's name is Jeff Nagengast.  He is a Staff Sergeant in the USAF, he does the heavy maintenance on the KC-135R tanker.  I am unemployeed at the moment.  We currently are Mildenhall, Suffolk, England.  We have no human children right now, but we do have Carmel and Gizmo adorable Pomeranians...  I am 34, my husband is 29.