Uncle Roman
Dad's younger brother, Roman, passed away last month. He was diagnosed with cancer in December. For the most part his final days were comfortable. Thanks to the early warning, I had multiple opportunities to say goodbye.
The third of four boy's, Roman and all five (youngest sister Elaine) of Paul and Marie's children were members of the first, post Great Depression generation. It always surprises me how similar life circumstances can lead to vastly different outcomes.
Roman attended high school and joined the military as was expected of all able-bodied men. But while his three brothers established their farms and families within a three mile radius of the Meyer Church, Roman became a successful insurance salesman and agency owner in Waterloo. Compared to his more reserved and self-conscious siblings, Roman lived large.
In the early seventies, Roman bought a Mercedes two door coupe. In our community, new domestic cars were a luxury. A five-year-old Cadillac might provoke judgments of extravagance. Roman's German luxury brand sports car was an audacious and exotic departure. The gift card I received from Roman and wife Ruth at my high school graduation contained a crisp new $100 dollar bill. This was a time when cash contributions were optional and rarely topped $10.
Roman and Ruth traveled extensively and occasionally brought their four children. The lifestyle differences between Roman's family and his backwoods brethren was stark but never a cause for resentment. Everyone was proud of Roman's accomplishments.
In retirement, Roman and Ruth moved to Waseca MN to be near family. Seeking to find purpose and mental stimulation, Roman turned his attention to his roots. Being a Saab (former Swedish car brand) enthusiast, Roman made frequent trips to the Meyer Garage, the oldest Saab dealer west of the Mississippi, for service and repairs of his esteemed cars. While waiting for work to be done, he would tour the Koenigs Family Farms.
No disrespect to Marty and Annette Adams who own the Meyer Garage, but gradually, the Koenigs Family Farms tour became the main attraction. Over the last five years, rarely a month went by that Uncle Roman would not stop by my office for an update, share his latest idea, or a story from the past. During harvest and planting weekly calls were common. It became apparent that Roman felt a sense of pride and ownership in the Koenigs Family's history and contribution to the community.
As anyone who knew Roman can attest, optimism was his superpower. To the extent you can make generalizations about our family, Roman was an outlier when it came to positivity. His confidence and certainty in his beliefs were the key to his achievements in sales. Roman's ability to not dwell on past mistakes or future threats was refreshing. Being present came naturally to him. He understood that now is where life happens.
Uncle Jerry, Dad and Roman's 83-year-old baby brother, stopped by my office last week. He said Roman had asked him to find out how the harvest was going. I told Jerry it was too early to predict yields as we had only cut one field of beans, however, to assure Roman we were anticipating a good year.
Like Roman, I have a natural tendency to see the sunny side.
Jim
From left to right: Roman, Jerry, Deo