Lonnie Herrington was a man who centered his life around Christ and His church; particularly, this church. He served in many roles here over the years, including church trustee, treasurer, young adult Sunday school teacher, and assistant Sunday school superintendent. There was hardly a day when dad didn’t make at least one trip to Hickory Square Church to check on things. He was the church’s unofficial caretaker. It is most appropriate for this service to take place here today. Dad would have been very humbled at the large number of people who came to see him these last three days. I’m proud of my dad and the way he lived.

He was a tireless worker, who never wasted any time. He accomplished more and enjoyed living more during his 71 years, then most people who live to be 100. If the sun wasn’t set yet, dad found something to do. If a project or errand ended even 10 minutes before supper or before dark, he would say, "10 minutes will give me enough time to run to Broadford, or change the furnace filters, or go to the store, etc". Dad worked 26 years at Acme Supermarkets starting in 1952. He chose the grocery store job over factories or steel mills or coal mines of that time because he enjoyed the interaction with people. He loved people.

He also didn’t waste anything. There wasn’t a scrap of wood or strip of metal that dad couldn’t find some future use for. His garage testifies to that fact. But it was amazing what he could do to a car engine without the proper tools, materials, or training. Very little ever was thrown away.

Dad worked hard all his life. He did projects for people with or without compensation simply because they needed done. At least 12 or more hours per day, even into this year, he was out working, or trimming, or painting until it got too dark to continue. Dad was on the go so much physically, that we often kidded him about his big appetite. When dad went to a buffet style restaurant, I am certain they made no profit once dad was finished with his meal. Dad took the "all-you-can-eat" sign literally. He had a healthy appetite even up until last month, although he weighed the same 155 pounds that he weighed when he was discharged from the military in 1952. And chickens and the animal rights folks of the world can breathe a sigh of relief today; because dad ate much more than his share of fried chicken.

I may be a little biased, but I feel my dad was the best father there ever was. He always put his family first, and himself last. He made many sacrifices over the years for my mother and us. I remember when Acme Supermarkets closed in the summer of 1979, we already had plans to go to Florida and visit Disney World. I am sure canceling that trip might have made a lot of sense, and it wouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone under those circumstances. But I remember dad saying that he wasn’t going to allow Acme Supermarkets to ruin his kids summer fun, and we went anyway. Dad also spent more than he should have at Christmas, which he was probably able to do by not spending very much on himself throughout the year.

Dad was a world-class raspberry and blackberry picker. He and I would go after raspberries as soon as they were ripe, and would later pick the blackberries when they came in season. I could write a book about our adventures north of Broadford blackberry picking, which involved 2 or 3 miles of walking along the railroad tracks, carrying an 18 foot wooden extension ladder, two large buckets and the old coke ovens on the hillside. No one else would have gone to that much trouble to pick berries which could have been bought at the grocery store, but it was something we did together, and we took pride in the berries we returned with.

Dad’s one possible shortcoming was his abilities as a salesman. He loved people, all people, and any time he sold a car or tool to anyone, he basically charged what he thought they could afford to pay. Wall Street and the University business schools probably wouldn’t have agreed with Lonnie Herrington’s business practices, but he followed his heart. When he rented out a small home he owned years ago, he loved his tenants, and he never had the heart to raise their rent from $45 per month, even though they stayed nearly a decade, and rents throughout the area rose to $150 or $200 per month. Several times after surgeries at a Pittsburgh hospital, dad sent donations to the hospital in excess of the amount of the hospital bills owed. This was money he couldn’t afford, but he sent it because he appreciated the good care he received.

In addition to his Lord and the people he met, there were many other things which dad loved:

A Drink of Cold pop
Chevrolet Corvairs
Dogs
Mowing grass
Popcorn & Potato Chips
Gardening
Feeding and watching birds and bunnies
His family; wife, children, sisters, brothers, and parents
Driving his car
Ice Cream
Singing in the church choir
Flowers
Apple pies
Cherry pies
Berry pies
Almost any other kind of pie
Church Dartball
The Pennsylvania Lottery
Paying bills in person with cash (even when it became easier and cheaper to mail a check)
Seinfeld reruns
Studying the bible
Whistling songs
Atlanta Braves & Pittsburgh Pirates baseball
Fried Chicken
Ringing the Church bell
Straight bottomed shirts (which didn’t need tucked in)
Day-glow watches
His back yard swing
Old Spice after shave
Recycling aluminum cans and metal
Home grown tomatoes
Watching airplanes take-off and land
Charlie Louvin and George Morgan records

But most of all, dad’s legacy is the life he lived, and the Savior he lived for. Dad studied the bible at length, and fully understood God’s plan of salvation. He stood at this very altar years ago and made his profession of faith. He would want each of you, who cared enough about him to attend today, to come to this same saving faith in our Lord. Nothing else I have said up to this point really matters very much in the big picture. Faith in Christ was dad’s belief and hope, and it is also our hope and guarantee that we will reunite with dad again in Glory.