Re: Missing the Silver Creek Walker, Letters (Aug. 31)
My heart swells with pride and my eyes with tears when I read Mr. & Mrs. Wainwright's sincere letter about my late grandfather (my Opa) Franz Zinner. My name is Melissa Berger and I am the oldest of the grandchildren. I wanted to tell you both how touched I was, how touched I am by your kind words.
Both my grandparents meant the world to me and I would visit with them as often as I could and call them all the time to tell them how much I loved them. When the tragic news about the passing of my grandmother (my Oma) came, my Opa tried really hard to regain himself but I don’t think we’ll ever really know how hard it was for him. He was the bravest man I’ve ever known, but the loss of my Oma took its toll.
My Opa has always been a lover of animals and they sure loved him back. He needed to know that those animals he loved and took care of were going to continue being taken care of after his passing. This was the true testament of his devotion to these loving creatures. His neighbour, the lady walker, helped to take care of my Opa in his final days, and has always looked out for my grandparents - she loved them as they loved her, as I love her.
My Opa was a kind soul and he was loved by all and to know that his absence was missed and that you both were touched by my Opa means the world to me. He will forever be missed, and now I have both my Oma and Opa together again, looking down on me, on us, and smiling.
Thank you for allowing his memory to live on.
Melissa Berger