The Day:

Saturday, July 5th started out just like any other day.
I started my day off by going to the bank in Vienna and then into Rolla to just leisurely shop.
J. C. Penney's had a good sale.  It seems like we've had several funerals to go to this year.  I saw a nice black print top and thought it would look good with my black capris and would also make a nice outfit to wear to a funeral.  Little did I know I would soon be wearing it.
After shopping, I stopped by the hospital to visit our neighbor, Charles Jurgensmeyer.  He had a visitor that kept talking and just wouldn't quit.  I didn't think he would ever leave.  I visited with Charles for awhile and then headed to Mom and Dad's.  I was thinking; I sure didn't plan to stay that long at the hospital.  It was later than I planned on.  But maybe I wasn't meant to get to Mom and Dad's that early. 
While visiting at Mom and Dad's, I heard a siren.  It was coming from Rolla and I stepped out on the porch to see where it was going.  The deputy stopped at Mom and Dad's driveway and I ran out to talk to him, figuring he was lost.  He was looking for a certain address and as I don't know the 911 addresses, could he give me a name.  He said a Roberta Feeler called it in.  I said that's my sister-in-law, I will have to show you how to get there.  Bobbie sometimes goes into a diabetic coma so I thought it was her.  After I got in, he then told me it was called in that a young male had went under water and never surfaced.  It was in a farm pond. I was thinking it was probably the people that rent my nephew's double-wide as they have young children.  My brother's road is very rough and you go down a steep hill to get there.  We ran to the pond close to Wayne's house and saw nothing.  We then ran on over to the Spring pond but people were there fishing and hadn't heard anything.  I struggled to keep up with the deputy.  When we got to the car, another couple deputies were there and the Vichy Volunteer Fire Department.  I was so thirsty (plus couldn't hardly breathe) and asked if they had any water.  He said there was a half empty bottle in the floor board.  I didn't care whose it was, I needed water and drank all of it. 
We start off again and he asks me if there is any other ponds on my dad's farm.  I told him yes but it was a few miles away.  They then get a call and I could hear the deputy saying M. G.  He then asked me if the initials M. G. meant anything to me.  I said, "Oh, my goodness, that's my Dad's other farm," which I had already thought about but hearing about it out loud made it seem worse.  All the way there, I kept saying out loud, "Oh, God, please don't let it be Chad or Todd."  We went VERY fast down to the farm, which is out in the middle of no where and the road barely passable.  There is a long steep hill and then a creek bed and field to cross to get to the ponds.  As soon as we got in the clearing and saw my sister-in-law, Bobbie standing there frantically, I knew it was my brother, Wayne.  The deputy ran super fast to the first pond and searched and didn't see anything.  As I came struggling up the bank, I told him there was two other ponds right above it.  I went on to the second pond bank and started walking around it and then I heard the deputy shout that he saw him in the middle of the pond.  I decided I didn't want to look so walked back around the two ponds to the other side.  By this time, Dwayne was there and he was terrified it was Desmon that had drowned.  I went to stand by Bobbie as she was on the verge of hysteria.  She kept saying, "I let Wayne down, I couldn't save him" over and over.  She can't swim but had gone in the pond searching for Wayne.  Even their dog, Whiskey, who had been tied to a tree while they were fishing got loose and kept going under the water looking for Wayne.  The dog was barking frantically.  He loved his master and went with him everywhere. 
Dwayne wouldn't let me look when they brought Wayne's body to the bank.  I kept saying I wanted to see him and they all kept saying no.  My good friend, Shelley works with the fire department and said she would let me see him.  Dwayne was concerned for me, but I had to see Wayne.  My despair was so great but I had to stay strong for Bobbie.  I kissed Wayne's cheek and then went back over to Bobbie as she is trying to explain to the deputies and highway patrolmen what happened.  They had had a great day of fishing and relaxing.  Wayne was out in the boat and Bobbie was fishing from the bank.  She had caught a fish and couldn't get it off the hook.  Wayne rowed to the bank to help her.  The boat started floating away and Wayne said he would swim out and get it.  Bobbie told him to just let it go, but Wayne wanted the boat back to the bank and to tie it up as they were going home.  He was swimming just fine and went under once.  He came back up and looked at Bobbie and said, "Bobbie, Honey I don't think I'm going to make it" and then just disappeared, no struggling or anything.  We think he had a heart attack as Wayne was a strong swimmer.  That helped some rather than thinking he drowned.  We were all in a state of shock.  The hardest thing I ever did was to make that phone call to Mom and Dad. 
Do you now how hard it is to see your brother in a body bag!  They loaded the stretcher into the back of our truck as you could only get out from the ponds in a four wheel drive.  We hauled him out and to the top of the hill from Chad's to wait for the coroner.  I felt like I needed to stay with Wayne until the coroner came.  I just stood there, holding on to his right socked foot until they came.  Wayne and I were always close and I wanted to be there for him.  The coroner said it looked like a heart attack instead of a drowning.
Wayne, Jr. then got there.  He had been in St. Louis when he got the call. Wayne, Jr., Bobbie and I all kissed Wayne on the cheek before he left.  He looked so calm and peaceful, but our hearts were breaking.
It was time to leave and we all just stood there as if we didn't know what to do. God was with us as we all stayed strong during this difficult time.  I still can't believe we weren't hysterical through this terrible nightmare.
We then went to Mom and Dad's where everyone had gathered.  Family is so important and we were all there for each other.  Some started gathering pictures for the funeral and the memories with each picture.  Others just sat around in a state of shock.  I worried about Dad as he hadn't broke down but was keeping everything inside.  As devastated as Mom was, she said, thank goodness Wayne wasn't driving when he had his heart attack and could have hurt someone else.   What a wonderful way to look at it.  Ironically, Wayne had just been to see his cardiologist two days before.  We don't know the outcome of that visit.  Wayne had just had heart surgery last year.
After a couple hours, we went home to rest.  Surprisingly, we were able to sleep okay.

I am grateful for family and friends and all who helped us through this very hard day.