Our family is one that is there for each other. We don't all
always agree, we sometimes don't get along. But when there
is something going on for one of us, the rest are there for
whatever is needed. At the time of Mike's death, we tried to
help each other. We were there to lean on for each other.
This is who we are.
Our Dad is David Thomas. He jokes that his name is Dave
Thomas...the "other" one. He was a Constable for 35 years, which is sort
of like a sheriff and is now retired. He's a good guy. He likes to
go camping, if you can call it that. He and our mom have a 30 ft.
camper called a fifth wheel. Since he's retired, our parents have much
more time to travel around the country, which they absolutely love
to do. Dad's also been known to threaten the possibility of
becoming a regular and frequent visitor at his kids' homes, now
that he has the time, to use the wood-working tools. He's a good dad,
a good grandfather, and a buddy.Our Mom is Joan Thomas. She's a good mom, and a good
grandmother. An all around good person. She loves to make
quilts - even does the quilting part by hand. She also likes
camping, and traveling around the country. Her family is
very important to her. She sings in the choir at church, and
she helps the quilters at church. She likes to make things
for, and decorate, her house. She and a friend of hers even
hung wallpaper in the bedroom, bathroom, and hallway a few
years ago! She can do just about anything. Good mom, good
person, good friend. What more really needs to be said?
Our sister is Patti Spatz. She's the oldest of us kids.
She's married to a great guy, Barry. She has two kids, the
requisite boy and girl, Mark and Laura. Both of them are out
on their own. Patti is a very busy person.Just try and catch
her at home! She works for a realtor, she sings in the same
church choir Mom does, she's pretty active in other church
activities, she has a lot of friends, and she and her
husband own some rental properties. Whew! Patti also likes
to go camping, they have a 30 ft. camper. She also does a
lot of needlepoint, and afghan making. Being the oldest, she
usually seems to be helping one of us others at any given
time. Patti is a good person, if a little misunderstood. Her
heart is in the right place, and that's really the most
important thing.Then there's me, Cyndi Deerfield. My husband, Rick,
is my strength and my miracle. I have three kids...Sara and
Amanda who live in Florida, and Melissa who is out on her
own but near me. I absolutely love music. I like to do things
having to do with crafts and decorating my house, and I
like working with wood (a lot of those tools Dad wants
to use are mine). I like to do things with my friends
and spend time with Melissa, who besides being my daughter
is also a good friend. I try to be there for people when
they need me, and Mike considered me his best friend.Finally there's the "baby", Joe Thomas. He's a wonderful
person, with two great kids - Kyra and Shawn. He works in
radiology at a hospital. He lives in an old farm house that
he's renovating, and doing a great job, too. He also likes
camping, but has no big camper. He and his bratlings usually
just go with the rest of us. Joe's one of those people you'd
have trouble finding anything bad to say about. He likes
music - plays the banjo and guitar. And he's a great cook.
He's a good dad, brother, and friend.
So that's us...Mike's family. Individually, we are who
we are, and miss Mike in our own ways. As a family, we
will never be the same. A very important part of us is
gone, and that will never be forgotten - it will never
be made right.
