My dad frequently talked about what he called his "Rockstar status", he frequently appeared in the local paper, on the local radio station and was interviewed several times on various Minnesota news networks.  His "Rockstar status" also stemmed from the fact that his children could go pretty much nowhere without getting "hey your TJ's kid".  At one point after hearing about his Rockstar status, I asked him if every time he entered a room you could hear TADA!

Although my dad and I loved to give each other a hard time, he is the person I strive to be, hardworking, honest, generous, thoughtful, and ambitious (I could keep going but we would be here a while).  One of my biggest life goals is to make my parents proud of the person they have raised.  I am currently working on my bachelor’s degree in nursing and yesterday I received a piece of mail notifying me that I had made the Dean’s List, my first reaction was to send a picture to my dad and as I reached for my phone it hit me like a ton of bricks.  I know these moments will continue to come and they will continue to be hard, however I also know how my dad would want my family and I to live our lives.  He would want us to LIVE and I mean really LIVE cause that is how he lived his life always full of energy and life and always in search of his next big adventure but never without his trademark grin.  TJ’s girls will continue to strive to make him proud and to find all the adventure our lives have to offer while always keeping his memory close. 

My family and I would like to thank all those people who have helped us navigate through this difficult time.  Andy Langehough and all the staff at Benson and Langehough, it takes a special soul to do what you do.  Chad Johnson for generously sharing your music, Julie Fox for creating such a beautiful way for us all to remember TJ.  We would also like to thank all those people who sent such beautiful flowers, plants and cards filled with beautiful sentiments to the man TJ was.  Our thanks also go out to those people who have just been there for us, with messages, phone calls, the bringing of food and the offering of assistance for anything we may need from cleaning the chicken coop to sanding the driveway to partaking in the search for a Mickey Mouse balloon we are thankful for all of you!

May the Force Be with You!

All our Love and Thanks

TJ’s Girls