A Legacy of Love and Commitment: In Loving Memory of My Grandparents

Rudy was nearly limp from fatigue after a long day of work at the lumberyard, aching from the heavy lifting and sunburned from the scorching July sun. Having been raised in a German American immigrant family of boys, his father always pushed him hard at work; the only excuse for a day off was near death or hospitalization. “Paulsens never miss a day of work,” Karl, his father, would always assert, “The Paulsen Lumber Sick Day Policy is as follows: a day that you go to work and feel sick.” Rudy was hesitant to another late night out with his buddies, but the idea of a few laughs and a couple beers sounded like just the thing he needed after a long day.

The good-looking 18 year-old wandered into a game room where many of the other young people from his town would often let down after a long day. He took a seat near the corner while his buddies tried to pick up girls; he was too tired to make the effort and decided just to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere.

The smooth jazz background music lulled him to sleep as he sipped the last of his drink. Just as his eyes were about to close, his heart began racing and his breath slowly slipped away from him. Across the room stood a woman with long brown hair, a beautiful-figure, and a stunning smile. Suddenly his exhaustion wore off and he impulsively set off across the room to talk to her. When he was finally in front of her and looked her in the eyes, he found his words to be lodged in his throat; he had never seen eyes as blue as hers, and was immediately captured by her attractiveness.

All he could manage to muster was, “What’s your name?”

The 15 year-old beauty chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Margaret,” She hesitantly replied. His eagerness was a slight turn-off, but also mildly endearing. “And you?”
“R-r-rudy,” he studdered. This was the first time he ever remembered having difficulty talking to a girl; he was usually the smoothest one out of all his buddies when it came to women. He finally managed to ask her, “Will you go out with me?”

She laughed in his face, and almost said no to the incredibly handsome, but red-faced man in front of her. However, there was something about him that she just couldn’t turn down.

Life is an abstract concept that is not usually planned, rarely understood, and almost never predicted. Little did Rudy know while deliriously lifting lumber in the scorching heat of July that he would meet his sweetheart of 58 years before going to sleep that night. Little did Margaret know on that evening that she would give four children to the nervous man staring at her from across the room.

Rudy Jr., Joann, Rich, and Laurie are blessed to bear the legacy of commitment and love that Margaret and Rudy left behind. True love begins when romance fails. Life did not always come easy for Marge and Rudy; they worked for everything they had, faced trials of hardship, and often had to fight for their marriage daily. There were days that Marge would accuse Rudy of being “Jake the Snake” or Rudy would want to put earplugs in to avoid Marge’s complaining, but anyone who knew them could see an intense commitment and love behind their bickers and quarrels. The Bible says that true love is not self-seeking; Rudy always did what was best for Marge, and Marge for Rudy.

The passion that burned between the couple was overwhelmingly evident in the final days before Rudy passed on to reunite with his Creator. Rudy’s most used phrase in his final hours of earthly life was, “Where’s Marge?” Over the final year and a half the two were apart, Margaret’s heart ached; she had not known life without her high school sweetheart since she was 15 years old. Her love for her children and seven grandchildren was her only motivation to hold on.

Finally, on Tuesday, October 29^th, Margaret could not stand the thought of being without Rudy on their 58^th wedding anniversary. A stroke attacked her body, and two days later she was able to reunite in heaven with the love of her life, under the true and most pure love of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

They not only leave behind a legacy of hard work, commitment, and true love, but also the hope to their family of reuniting because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The same ache that existed in Margaret’s heart without Rudy, the same force that caused her to reach her hand to the sky in her final hours of life, and the same glue that existed between their almost six-decade marriage during the hardest of times shows a small portion of the love that Christ offers his children. Humans are not near capable of Christ’s love, and that is hard to believe in sight of the love between Margaret and Rudy.

Margaret accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior in August of 2013, and Rudy accepted Christ in June of 2012. Their family can rest in the knowledge that they are in an even better place than they were on Earth.

In loving memory of the life of Margaret Paulsen, who went home to be with her beloved Rudy Paulsen and Lord and Savior on October 31, 2013. To God be the glory.