‘You can’t find a better dad than mine’
BUCYRUS — Father’s Day is a celebration to honor fathers everywhere and to celebrate the paternal bonds of fatherhood and the influence of fathers in society.
For Don Caskey of Bucyrus, his role of father changed drastically six years ago when his marriage ended.
“I remember when my ex-wife first moved to Texas six years ago, I really had a hard time. The boys wanted to live with me and stay here in Bucyrus. I remember my biggest challenge was when I would come home from work and they had major problems coping with their mother being 1,250 miles away. I would find that they were hiding and crying for her all the time,” said Caskey, father of 11-year-old Caleb, 15-year-old Cory and 17-year-old Ryan.
Caskey’s biggest challenge currently is juggling work, school and fatherhood.
“It’s challenging to try to work the right shifts at my job and scheduling my college courses around that along with getting the kids to school and picking them up. When I am at school or work, my mother comes and helps me out a lot. Without her, I would never be able to handle everything that goes on,” Caskey said.
Caskey said that no matter how stressful life can be, his sons are his biggest joy.
“The joy is that they are in my life and they aren’t living elsewhere. They make me smile even when I am having the worst day possible. There is no enjoyment in life more than when they look at me and say there is no father on earth that could be better and that they are happy they are living with me,” Caskey said.
Martin Leslie is a single father of two daughters, 11-year-old Elyssa and 9-year-old Erin.
Erin Leslie, who was born four months prematurely, has a mild case of cerebral palsy.
“I love being a father. We are super close. I love nothing more than being a dad,” Leslie said.
Leslie said while his daughters’ mother is involved in their life, the girls are in his care the majority of the time.
“There is nothing more rewarding than being a dad.”
Anthony Conchel of Caledonia wanted to be a father more than anything.
“We adopted Amber almost 11 years ago, and it’s made every day truly Father’s Day for me,” said Conchel. “Being involved in her life is a real blessing.”
Conchel, who is the former editor and general manager of the Telegraph-Forum, lives in Caledonia with his wife and daughter. He lost his own father when he was 23.
“I was just at that post-college age where I was no longer rebellious and actually wanted to spend more time with my dad, and then he was gone,” he said.
Conchel, who now works in public affairs in Ohio and West Virginia, treasures the quality time he gets to spend with his daughter.
“My dad and I liked to go fishing when I was a kid. That’s something Amber and I also enjoy now,” Conchel said.
Like Conchel, former Bucyrus resident Sandra L. Latimer also lost her father at a young age.
“I lost my father when I was 16. He gave me so much advice and guidance in those 16 years to last a lifetime. I only wish he were around today to see what I’ve done with my life. I know he would be proud,” Latimer said.
Toma Harigle said from her Bucyrus home that her father, Tom Sheehan, is her hero.
“He has never failed to show me and to tell me that he loves me and he is always there for advice or a shoulder when I need it most. He wears big shoes, and no one could ever fill them,” Harigle said.
Laina Vanbuskirk, who works in Crestline, feels the same as Harigle about her own father.
“I playfully call my dad Walter Matthau because he’s a grumpy, old man. It’s a joke because he is the most awesome man I ever met. He’s a real man who took care of his family by working every day of his life until retirement. You just can’t find a better dad than mine,” Vanbuskirk said.
Both Alicia Russell and 13-year-old Megan Ditmars say it is their stepfathers who have guided them in.
“My stepfather, he’s the closest I’ve ever had to a dad. I don’t like to call him stepdad because he’s my real dad. I’m really happy and thank God my mom married him. I love him very much. He is the dad I look up to,” Ditmars said.
Russell’s stepdad raised her for 16 years.
“We don’t always get along, but he was always there for me more than my real dad,” Russell said.
Bob Rahm misses his father.
“Most of my values in life come from my father. I always tell myself, “If I can be half the man my father was, then I can look back and say I’ve had a good life,” Rahm said.
“My father was and always will be my hero. I only wish he was still around so I could remind him of that fact,” Rahm said.
