Dad needed the quiet so God took him aside,
Into the shadows where they could confide.
Away from the bustle where all the day long,
Dad hurried and rushed when excited and strong.
Dad needed the quiet, so first he rebelled;
But gently so gently the cross he upheld.
And though weakened in his body, his fears took wings
To heights never dreamed of when he worked among things.
Yes! Dad needed the quiet, no prison his bed.
But a beautiful Valley of Blessing instead.
A place to grow richer in Jesus to hide;
Dad needed the quiet, so God took him aside.
Written by:
Eula (Myler) Galbreath

He was born May 22, 1916, in Monmouth, the son of Ralph and Ida (Johnson) Trego. He was reared and educated in Henderson and Warren Counties. He graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1934.

He married Ethel Lorraine Ketchum on July 15, 1939, in Kahoka, Missouri.

Gerald joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, CCC's, after graduation from high school and worked on the Mississippi Palisades State Park in Savannah. During WWII, he worked at the Beech Aircraft Factory in Wichita, Kansas. For a short time after the war he worked as a fireman on the M & St. L. Railroad. He later worked as a mechanic and auto body repairman for Gaskill Studebaker and E & A Dodge dealership in Monmouth until his retirement.

He enjoyed spending time with his family, mechanic and wood-working activities. He was a member of the First Christian Church of Monmouth. He was also a charter member of the Aledo Moose Lodge and served as a trustee for several years. He later transferred to the Galesburg Moose Lodge.

Gerald is survived by his wife, 2 sons, Carroll and Claude (Butch), and one daughter, Kaylene.

He noted that first came the date of his birth and spoke of the second with tears, but he said that what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time that he spent alive on earth, and now only those who loved him know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own; the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard, are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left. (You could be "dash mid-range".)

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and what's real, and always try to understand the way other people feel.

And..be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile, remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read with your life's actions to rehash... would you be pleased with the things they have to say about how you spent your dash?