Memories of my son - by Joyce Lehse

Donnie and I welcomed Tim into the world on March 22, 1969, weighing in at 7 lbs, 9 ozs. Tim was baptized in the Lutheran faith with Aunt Marvel and Uncle Gary as sponsors. He grew up with his older brothers, Barry and Richard. Tim enjoyed being outdoors and spending time with his many pets - ducks, bunnies, the family dog Tippy, and later on his beloved golden lab, Sage. As a teenager he rode a unicycle as well as a motorcycle. He most enjoyed going up north to Sebeka/Menahga to the farm to visit Grandpa (Dave) Carlson, Margaret and Uncle Dennis and family. There he would ride cousin Jenny’s horses, Winnie and Danny. He had such good memories of this, plus Aunt Elaine’s cooking which couldn’t be beat (although he always assured me that his mom was a good cook too)! For a short while he enjoyed deer hunting until the first time he had to participate in the gutting process. That was the end of deer hunting for him! Tim got a Hydraulics Technician degree and worked in that capacity for a while, but later on went into semi-truck driving over the road often through treacherous mountains. Clearly this worried me! One of his hobbies was hunting through garage sales for good deals and reselling items at the Medina Flea Market. Tim loved to fish any chance he could get. He much enjoyed playing guitar, writing, and recording his original songs. The last couple of years he had a lovely woman in his life, Erika, who went with him fishing up north and out to eat at Perkins, his favorite restaurant. Erika (bless her heart) stood by him when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which ultimately took his life on March 11, 2020. From his mid 20’s on, Tim suffered from an awful disease combination:  schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This largely affected his daily life making it such a hard road to travel. Tim also had an overwhelming weakness for gambling - “Black Jack” being the calling card. He would win a lot of money but then end up playing it all back (much to my dismay). Despite these extraordinary life challenges, Tim was a loving, caring, thoughtful and generous son, brother, nephew, cousin and friend. He is much loved and we cherish the wonderful memories we have of him. I miss him every day - my little boy.

He Is Just a Little Boy
By Chaplain Bob Fox