I knew Erman for over 21 years through my marriage to his daughter, Faye. During the course of these years and because of distance, I would see Erman and Bessie in blocks of time such as a week or two at a time, separated by one or two years apart. During this time I observed three characteristics of Erman that to me , can give us a sense of the man.
Erman had very clear beliefs of what is right and what is wrong, and he stuck to those beliefs all of his life. He was not one to question or re-examine his beliefs, they were simple and straight forward and guided his behavior throughout his life. For example, he believed in making marriage work and sticking to a partner for life. At their 60th anniversary celebration, when he got up to say a few words, he admonished the young married people to stay married, even though it was tough, to keep marriage a life long commitment as he and Bessie had determined to do when they took their vows.
Erman and Bessie were constantly helping people. They were constantly visiting and doing errands for those friends and relatives who were sick or unable to get out for themselves. That was one of their main activities during their retirement years. Erman believed that was his Christian duty.
Erman did not fear death, he realized that it happened to everyone and was a part of God's Plan. About 20 years ago he had heart bypass surgery. The doctors put him on a diet and exercise regime, which he followed. I remember going out for a walk with him after his recovery, and him telling me that he was not afraid to die, that everyone has to die. It was not that he wanted to die, for he took good care of himself and did his part to stay healthy. In the last year of his life, he could feel himself declining and he told Bessie that he would not be around much longer, he prepared her and himself. Erman did not fear death because he had the knowledge of God's Plan and His promise of Eternal Life and he had great faith that he would be resurrected in due time.
Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 says some things that are contrary to conventional wisdom. It says the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth. Although Erman had a good life, it was not without trials and struggles and heartache. That is all behind him now. He is peacefully resting until he is awakened by the Trumpet to eternal life. It is also better for us, the living, to go to the house of mourning rather than the house of feasting. It gives us time to take it to heart that we will also reach the end of our lives and to put everything into proper prospective. Let's look at Erman's life and realize that we can take some valuable lessons from his good example of living and strive to be better in our remaining years.
