Dear Reader:  It's hard to lose your parents.  It's hard to watch illness overtake them.   It's hard to make the painful decisions you are asked to make on their behalf when they can no longer speak for themselves.  Both of our parents believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, in His death on the cross for their sins and in His resurrection on the third day. God blessed them richly with a long, full life together.  And through them, God also richly blessed their family and, in a way, really everyone God brought them together with in some way, whether any of us realized it at the time or not.  To say they demonstrated for us a model of Christian love, character, and "way to be" in the good times and in the hard times would be an understatement.  On Wednesday, February 24, 2021, we lost our Dad of complications due to Covid-19.  What you will read next was written by our Dad.  So, our Dad in his own words to you:  Edward Fred Kaisershot was born May 10, 1928, at the family farm near Montgomery, MN, to the late Thomas and Josephine (Fricova) Kaisershot.  He was baptized in the Lutheran Church in Montgomery, MN. When he was 17 years old, Ed enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  There he trained as a fire fighter.  He was then transferred to the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge, where he worked for 2-1/2 years.  He was honorably discharged on May 9, 1949. It was then that Ed met the love of his life, Erma Podevels.  They were married on May 23, 1950.  With Ed holding her hand, Erma passed away on April 30, 2019, after a long battle with illness.   Twenty-three days later would have been their 69th wedding anniversary.  From the Navy, Ed began work with the U.S. Post Office, starting as a Clerk in the Milwaukee, WI post office.  He then worked for a short time as a Rural Carrier in South Milwaukee, WI.  In 1956, he received a transfer to the post office in Marathon, WI, where he worked for 22 years as a Rural Carrier.  He was forced to retire early due to an on-the-job back injury.  Altogether, Ed had 30 years of service with the U.S. Post Office. Ed belonged to the National Rural Letter Carriers Association for many years.  He was also its President for some of those years. He belonged to the Social Service Club of Marathon, WI, of which he was its President for some of that time. Ed enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, pulling the family on water skis, camping, playing cards, reading, and playing his concertina. In his retirement years, Ed and his wife Erma traveled south for the winter months.  For nine of those years, they did campground hosts work for Lost Dutchman State Park, in the Superstition Mountains, located a short way from Apache Junction, AZ.  They also worked as campground hosts for one year at Leesburg State Park, north of Las Cruces, NM.  For two years, they sold Christmas trees, for a Wisconsin tree grower, in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX area. On September 24, 2012, Ed had the pleasure of going on the Honor Flight to Washington, DC.  He had the added pleasure of being accompanied by his grandson, Marc Fosterling, as his grandpa's Personal Guardian (Marc was himself an ex-marine).  The whole experience is something Ed says he will never forget. Ed and Erma had five children:  Elaine (Glenn) Nass, Merrill, WI.  Kathleen (Jerry) Fosterling, Marathon, WI.  Ronald Kaisershot (deceased at age 47 years).  Peggy (Richard) Brown, Sandy, UT.  Marvin (Karen) Kaisershot, Elko, NV.  And four grandchildren:  Marc (Erica) Fosterling, Eagan, MN.  Faye (Nass) Cantrell, Merrill, WI.  Katy (Joe) Miner, Elko, NV.  Morgan Kaisershot, Elko, NV. And six great-grandchildren:  Drake and Ayden Cantrell, both of Merrill, WI.  Eliza and Leon Miner, both of Elko, NV.  Charlotte and Cameron Fosterling, both of Eagan, MN. Ed has two deceased brothers:  Tony (Violet, survives) Kaisershot, Cleveland, MN, and George (Maureen, deceased) Kaisershot, Milwaukee, WI.  And one deceased brother-in-law LaVern (Audrey, deceased) Podevels, Tomahawk, WI.  He is also survived by two other sisters-in-law:  Marie (Bernard, deceased) Dahlke, Reeves, LA, and Marjorie (Orville, deceased) Manecke, Edgar, WI.    He also has many nieces, nephews, and cousins. There will be no funeral service.  Now that Ed and Erma have both passed away, they will be buried together at Greenwood Cemetery, Tomahawk, WI.  A private graveside service will be held in spring or summer.  Their beloved traveling companion and fondly missed Shih Tzu dog, "Pebbles", will be buried with them.  "And finally, I wish to make mention of one family who gave us a nice, warm welcome upon our arrival in Marathon, WI in 1956.  They welcomed us into their home, helped us in many, many different ways, and we became good friends, having many good times together.  That family was the Emanuel (known to most as Monie) and Edna Langenhahn family.  And with my final words, I wish to say, 'Thank You Monie and Edna.'" If you are willing, please join our family in prayer:  Thank you so much, Heavenly Father, for the parents You gave to us. You knew the plans You had for them.  And You know the plans You have for us.  Help us grow in a closer walk with You in Your Will, in Your Word.  In the name of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.