SOSMagJulySeptember2020

I Have Become My Father We lived on $5,000/year and found work when we could, where we could. We loved it,” he said. The first year, they rented a cabin that had electric and no running water. Later, they responded to a newspaper ad, seeking someone to tear down a house. Sparky and his friends tore the house down in four days. They used the materials to build a 20’ x 20’ cabin, where he and Cathy lived, with no plumbing or electric. The winters were brutal and long. 50 degrees below zero was common. He recalled one year when it was 82 degrees below.” Howard and Katie asked Sparky if they would come back to farm, as Howard needed the help. In 1976 they returned to Milan Township to farm 750 acres. Sparky remembers the culture shock he and Cathy experienced after they moved back. “It really was an adjustment for us,” he said. It took about 5 years before farming got into his blood. Then he knew farming was what he wanted to do. Sparky’s father was not just a farmer, but also served in the elected position of Milan Township Trustee. Like his father, Sparky also became a Milan Township Trustee in the early 1990’s. In 2002 - 2006 he served as an Erie County Commissioner and then returned to being a Milan Township Trustee until 2018. Today, Sparky now farms 1,500 acres with his son, Phil. I asked Sparky to share his thoughts about later life. He said, “When I turned 60, I realized I had become my father. I’m going to be 70 and I still can’t get my head around it. Although I still have a strong sense of purpose, I am learning to value the differences of what I can offer today, compared to when I was younger.” As he reflects on later life, he is grateful for the love of his wife, Cathy. “She has taught me a lot,” he said. He knows of others, who are not so fortunate as he. Many of whom divorced in later life and are living on their own. He appreciates their marriage and their partnership. “We take care of each other.” Cathy and Sparky Weilnau 7