We would love it if you would share your stories or memories about our dad.
Eddie Walner...just hearing his name brings a smile. Eddie was my oldest cousin on the Walner side. His dad and my mother were siblings. As others have said, Eddie was the life of the party. Everyone enjoyed his company. I always admired him so much-his happy demeanor was contagious! A lot of my time with him was in the summer when we spent time at his dad’s place on Lake Texoma. He would arrive, smiling and hugging, and greet each and everyone of the family members. He would sit and chat with our grandparents who clearly loved him dearly, spend time telling stories, jokes (with lots of laughing!) with all of our aunts and uncles, go inside and keep his mom company in the kitchen for awhile, go help his dad with anything that needed fixing, and then the thing we loved the most—he spent time with us- his cousins who were a good 10-15 years younger! We absolutely adored him! He taught us to ride the Honda, he skied with us or drove the boat for us to ski, played horseshoes, and just seemed to enjoy us! He made the whole family feel special! I remember when he was serving our country and how proud I was to say my cousin was on the Enterprise. When he brought Joan to the lake for the first time, we thought he would probably just spend all his time with her, but boy were we wrong!! It was even better! She liked us too! The whole family loved her! And what an honor it was to be asked to be in their wedding! My first of many was always special to me. As we all know, his family was his heart. He loved his girls and was so proud of them as kids and as women. And the grandkids were the light of his life. He was a real family guy from way back! Even though we haven’t been able to spend a lot of time together in more recent years, I’m going to miss his presence my life. Just knowing he was in the world made it a better place. Thanks for the memories, Eddie! And thanks for introducing me to Salty Dogs. (When I was almost legal!) I’ll love you forever.