Eulogy for a Truly Good Man

All week long I’ve felt like I’ve been a day late and a dollar short, and this article conclusively proves it.

They buried Vern Henriksen in Illinois yesterday and I’m only now getting around to remarking on his passing. That’s very much my fault and not at all his, but I rest content that he being in heaven (as I am certain that he is) is not bothered any longer by transitory concerns.

For more years than I know, Vern served as the treasurer of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park. He did his work joyfully and with enormous integrity. Every Monday he came in and entered the numbers for the offerings from the various services. As the church grew, that became a large undertaking. When the church computerized the process in the early 90s, he mastered the arcane software program and for a long time was the only person who knew how it worked. 

He smiled a lot. Every since I heard that he died, Vern’s smile has been on my mind. During the difficult days of Pat’s long illness, he managed to keep on smiling even though it was often not easy. I remember being at the golf retreat years ago when we all realized that Pat’s mental faculties were slipping away. That began a long decline that lasted for years. To the very end he managed to take care of her, never complaining, but somehow managing to care for Pat even when she no longer recognized him. He loved her as Christ loved the church. He would be a bit embarrassed for me to say that because he didn’t like being the center of attention.

Mostly he taught me to play golf, sort of. He and Stan Utigard played occasionally at Columbus Park. When I hit the ball off the tee, it generally went in every direction except toward the green. Vern would smile and say, “Nice shot, Pastor.” And he meant it. Stan would shake his head and chuckle. I told Vern once that I had stopped practicing because my game had reached such a point that practice could neither help it nor hurt it. He just smiled.

He died last weekend. I never heard anyone say a negative word about Vern and I wouldn’t believe it if they did. 

He was a good man, a husband, father and grandfather, a veteran of World War II, and he was a Christian in every sense of the term. He is reunited with his beloved Pat in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rest in peace, my good friend.