Mark A. Miracle

Wendy I’m very sorry to hear of the passing of Mark, my heart is with you and your family

Mark was a big brother in every sense of the word. He was always very protective of me and even though he never said it directly I knew that he was always looking out for me. We were typical siblings, laughing, playing, fighting, conspiring against our parents, did I say fighting?

Mark was all about his family. He had a wonderful life of fishing, hunting, snowmobiles, and everything outdoors. He loved his life in Gaylord with Wendy and his kids and grandkids. He loved to share his love of the outdoors with everyone who cared to spend time with him. He taught his kids, sons, daughters and son-in-laws his love of the outdoors. He was a lucky man to be surrounded by so many people who loved him.

The memories of our childhood together come flooding back:

– Our house on Arkona road and all the critters you collected. You were always knee deep in the creek by the house catching everything, crayfish, fish, snakes, the enormous snapping turtles George and Fred that you kept in a box. Coffee cans full of garter snakes that you made me hold.
– Running around our yard and climbing to the top of our rope swing.
– Tramping through the fields hunting with dad and the dogs.
– Backyard football and baseball with Todd and Tracy Ammerman. The games we made up like Mahooey.
– The time you pushed Keith Brooks through the kitchen wall and we had to hide it from Mom until we could explain it.
– Shoveling sidewalks to make pocket change in winter and when all the houses were done, our evil plan to make a snow block across the road so we would have to shovel people out. That backfired pretty badly!
– Being in the same grade at school which I loved, not sure you felt the same.
– I could go on ..

He always wanted to share his love of fishing with us. I am really bad at fishing probably because of my lack of patience but he insisted that we could learn to appreciate it and even catch some fish. He took me out in his boat, lined up like six fishing poles and started trawling. Then he would say, “Sue take that one.” and low and behold there was a fish on that line, we took photos of it and I shamefully posted on facebook as if I really did something to catch it. That was the way he was. He always wanted to share what he loved with us.

My best memory was fairly recent. Sebastien and I went camping on a lake with Mark, Wendy and family a few years ago. He asked me to ride back home with him because he forgot something. It was a wonderful ride, just the two of us. He took me to all of his favorite places on back roads and showed me the best fishing spots, places where deer sleep, some fresh little steams that he liked to follow that lead to other secret places, he showed me where a bear waited for him at the bottom of a tree when he was hunting and many others. I felt really privileged that he cared so much about me to share all of his best kept secrets.

When we had picked up whatever it was that he forgot at the house and headed back to the campsite, a deer ran across the road in front of the car followed by a young bear that he said was a yearling, probably one of the first times on its own. I will always cherish that ride.

We did have a special bond. It’s hard to explain that sibling love. Its profound and discrete and below the surface but its ever present.

He is gone much too soon. It all went much too fast.

Thank you Wendy for taking such good care of him. I will love you forever for that. Thank you to Craig, Theresa, Terry, Amber, Erika and families for loving him so much.

Goodbye my beloved brother. I’ll catch you on the other side. I’m sure you’ll take me to your outdoor paradise in the sky.

Susan

I am heartbroken to hear of Mark’s passing. My thoughts and prayers to Wendy and the family! May he rest in paradise! Hugs!

Mark was one of my customers at Waters EZ Mart for many years, he was a great man with a big heart, he will be truley missed. My condolences to the family.