"I'll really miss Uncle Ernie."

My wife, Patti's great uncle was laid to rest today. He was 90 years old. He was a very kind and considerate man. His wife, Aunt Marie, who was Patti's great aunt on her mother's side, was loved with a such a fervent love by her husband, Ernest William Gruber.

Uncle Ernie was a soldier in World War II. I would love to sit and listen to him relate all the incredible things that happened in this greatest of all wars.
He would always say, "I went to Normandy on D-Day plus 1", which means he landed a day after the main invasion, which was on June 6th, 1944. He had many, many stories of the war, and he always had a reverence about him when he shared the good and bad of this particular war. And with humility he once shared with me how his friends were killed in this war against the evil tyrant,Adolf Hitler, and his regime.

He would also love to talk about his wife, and how they met, and how much she meant to him. And he loved to talk about the Baltimore Orioles: And all sports really. But especially the Orioles.


He was one of the kindest men I have known in my life. He rarely spoke down to others, or criticized other people. I'm sure he had his moments, and his sins were there. Ernie was one of those rare men that was a pleasure to see, and sit with, and be around.
I consider myself honored to have been able to know this wonderful man. He was very much loved by all his nephews and nieces; and he had quite a number of them. He knew all of them by name, (for the most part), and even knew about them, and asked about them, how they were doing, and so forth.

He never had any children himself, but I like to think he was blessed to have a family nonetheless.
I will miss him. I hope he made his peace with the Lord. He was never offended in Christ, and he was raised in a Protestant church, I believe. He told me not a few times that he remembered walking home from church as a young lad, and as he walked he would always sing, "Jesus loves me this I know, For the Bible tells me so".
He converted to Catholicism later in his life, where his wife was a very devout Catholic. I really feel I am a little bit better a person because of knowing Uncle Ernie. And I thank the Lord for him.



[Uncle Ernie chatting with Matthew, my grandson, about how old he is]

"He disarmed all His enemies"

"Satan came against Christ; he had in his hand a sharp sword called the Law, dipped in the poison of sin, so that every wound which the law inflicted was deadly. Christ dashed this sword out of Satan's hand, and there stood the prince of darkness unarmed. His helmet was cleft in twain, and his head was crusched as with a rod of iron. Death also rose against Christ, but the Saviour snatched his quiver from him, emptied out all his darts, cut them in two, and gave him back the feather end, but kept the poisoned barbs from him, that he might never destroy the ransomed. Sin came against Christ! But sin was utterly cut in pieces. It had been Satan's armour-bearer, but its shield was cast away, and it lay dead upon the plain. Satan has nothing left him now wherewith he may mortally wound us, for his sword is broken to shivers. In battles of old, especially among the Romans, after the enemy had been overcome, it was the custom to take away all their weapons and ammunition: afterwards they were stripped of their armour and their garments, their hands were tied behind their backs, and they were made to pass under the yoke.Even so has Christ done with sin, death and hell; he has taken their armour, spoiled them of their weapons, and made them pass under the yoke; captivity is led captive.

Christ has gotten back to us our lost inheritance. Paradise is ours, and more. O robber of our race, how art thou spoiled! Didst thou deprive Adam of his riches? The second Adam hath rent them from thee! How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken, and the waster is become desolate. Now shall the needy be remembered, and again shall the meek inherit the earth. 'Then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.'" -Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon

[The Fall of the Rebel Angels, 1562]