Tazzzz
August 25th, 2009, 11:28 AM
Ohh, Cute and sad at the same time. Rest in Peace Mr. Brown
In response to my invitation to share unique stories about a special pet that touched your life, Shearl L. Edler of St. Marys sent along his memories of his first dog he got when he was 12.
Edler, 79, a retired Sidney High School teacher, will put a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye. Here goes:
“Bozo was an ugly dog. He was our first family dog, a black and white terrier-size mixed breed that I got when I worked with my father delivering milk in Hancock, Md., in 1942.
“Three times a week we delivered a half-pint of coffee cream to a man we knew as Mr. Brown. Each day as the milk truck roared its approach, (Mr. Brown’s dog) Bozo ran to greet us.”
Edler remembered, “One cold Monday morning in February dad eased the truck up the hill to Brown’s house for our delivery. Once again we were greeted by frisky Bozo and Mr. Brown. He took the cream and I took his dime and played with the dog for a while.
“Then Mr. Brown looked at me and my father and asked, ‘Say, this boy seems to like the dog and the dog sure likes him. If he wants the dog for his own, would you let him have it?’ ”
Edler said his father finally agreed, if the boy promised to take good care of him.
“On Wednesday,” Edler continued, “I could hardly wait to drive up the hill for Bozo. Dad made sure it was our last stop on the route.”
Mr. Brown spoke softly. “I can’t take the dog where I am going,” he said. “I want to be sure he is with someone who loves him.”
Edler said Mr. Brown handed over the dog, quickly turned and headed home.
“Bozo came into my arms and licked my face. It seemed from the very beginning that Bo was my dog.”
Edler said the following Monday his dad drove up the hill to Mr. Brown’s.
“I was hoping to find him at home so I could thank him for Bo,” Edler said. “But his house seemed empty.”
Edler planned to leave a note in Mr. Brown’s mailbox, thanking him for the gift of Bo.
“On the way across the field I heard a voice from a neighbor,” Edler said. “He called me over.”
Then the boy and his father heard the bad news. “As he reached us, Brown’s neighbor said, ‘I think you should know that Mr. Brown died last night. They took him away early this morning.’ ”
Edler recalled, “I was stunned and felt a deep tug in the pit of my stomach and tears welling in my eyes.”
He asked the man what happened and was told, “Mr. Brown knew he was dying and wanted a place for that dog. Bozo was his only family. When he saw how much the dog loved you and you, the dog, he knew he found a good home for Bozo.”
Edler said, “I walked slowly back to the truck, tears in my eyes. I took my place standing in the door of the delivery truck while we rode home to Bo, in silence.”
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/dying-man-finds-home-for-beloved-pet-264372.html
In response to my invitation to share unique stories about a special pet that touched your life, Shearl L. Edler of St. Marys sent along his memories of his first dog he got when he was 12.
Edler, 79, a retired Sidney High School teacher, will put a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye. Here goes:
“Bozo was an ugly dog. He was our first family dog, a black and white terrier-size mixed breed that I got when I worked with my father delivering milk in Hancock, Md., in 1942.
“Three times a week we delivered a half-pint of coffee cream to a man we knew as Mr. Brown. Each day as the milk truck roared its approach, (Mr. Brown’s dog) Bozo ran to greet us.”
Edler remembered, “One cold Monday morning in February dad eased the truck up the hill to Brown’s house for our delivery. Once again we were greeted by frisky Bozo and Mr. Brown. He took the cream and I took his dime and played with the dog for a while.
“Then Mr. Brown looked at me and my father and asked, ‘Say, this boy seems to like the dog and the dog sure likes him. If he wants the dog for his own, would you let him have it?’ ”
Edler said his father finally agreed, if the boy promised to take good care of him.
“On Wednesday,” Edler continued, “I could hardly wait to drive up the hill for Bozo. Dad made sure it was our last stop on the route.”
Mr. Brown spoke softly. “I can’t take the dog where I am going,” he said. “I want to be sure he is with someone who loves him.”
Edler said Mr. Brown handed over the dog, quickly turned and headed home.
“Bozo came into my arms and licked my face. It seemed from the very beginning that Bo was my dog.”
Edler said the following Monday his dad drove up the hill to Mr. Brown’s.
“I was hoping to find him at home so I could thank him for Bo,” Edler said. “But his house seemed empty.”
Edler planned to leave a note in Mr. Brown’s mailbox, thanking him for the gift of Bo.
“On the way across the field I heard a voice from a neighbor,” Edler said. “He called me over.”
Then the boy and his father heard the bad news. “As he reached us, Brown’s neighbor said, ‘I think you should know that Mr. Brown died last night. They took him away early this morning.’ ”
Edler recalled, “I was stunned and felt a deep tug in the pit of my stomach and tears welling in my eyes.”
He asked the man what happened and was told, “Mr. Brown knew he was dying and wanted a place for that dog. Bozo was his only family. When he saw how much the dog loved you and you, the dog, he knew he found a good home for Bozo.”
Edler said, “I walked slowly back to the truck, tears in my eyes. I took my place standing in the door of the delivery truck while we rode home to Bo, in silence.”
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/dying-man-finds-home-for-beloved-pet-264372.html