To All The Dads In My Life On Your Day

Father's Day 2009 is a special day to reflect on the men in our lives who have provided the father figure each of us needs. For my brother and sister and I we drew aces and rolled a seven when it came to the mother and father we were given. Who could have asked for a better Mom and Dad?

I have tried my best to be as good of a father to my own children and foster children as my father was to me, Kelli and Cody. I know I have failed from time to time, and I can only ask for my children's forgiveness for those shortcomings, hoping that each of them will accept my apology and realize that my love for them is sincere and unconditional, and my only desire is that each of them live a long, productive and happy life (and give me some grandchildren). And maybe, at some point in the future, all of them will say complimentary things about my wife and I when we are gone and applaud our intentions with as much gusto as I now compliment and thank my Mom and Dad for what they did for me.

A boy and his Daddy. I was extremely lucky to have been born the son of a wonderful father, being a part of a tremendous family -- the Guptons and Gieslers. And my wife Peggy has blessed me with three healthy, beautiful sons of my own. My Dad worked 35 years at Marathon Oil Company in Markham, Texas, and co-owned Gupton Feed and Ranch Supply with my mother Verna Giesler Gupton for 26 years. My siblings and I never went without anything we really needed. We were blessed in that we always had plenty to eat, a roof over our heads, nice clothes to wear and, like the photo above indicates, we always had plenty of great toys to play with. On this particular Christmas morning I awoke to find that Santa Claus had brought me the football uniform and helmet that I had asked him for. And I should also mention that all three of us behaved at all times and did exactly like we were told. My Dad kept his pistol on the foot stool within reaching distance, just in case we ever bucked him! I'm kidding, it wasn't even loaded! Actually, that was a toy gun either I or my brother received for Christmas that year.

A Father's Day would be meaningless without a father and a child. Among those celebrating Father's Day at the Gupton household today were my two oldest sons, Kirk and Brian, spending the day with me. I am shown with my son Brian in the photo above. He is slumping down and I am on my tiptoes in this photo to make it appear we are closer to the same height. Actually Brian is 6'3" while I am only 5'8". As I recall we had a tall milkman about 27 years ago. But Peggy swears to me he is my son. There is never any doubt when it comes to my older son Kirk, pictured below adjusting the shoulderpads for his son Koby. We look exactly alike!!!

On a day when fathers all over the world are recognized by their children, I must also point out that Rex Gupton and Omer Hall (my children's grandfathers) were also very special in the eyes of their grandkids. My Dad is surrounded in the photo at left by his grandchildren Brian Gupton, shown holding the youngest of the grandkids, Tommy Kuban, Bret Gupton and Natalie Kuban. And in the photo above my sister Kelli snuggles up to Daddy as he opens his Christmas presents.

No man has ever been more proud of his sons than this ol' boy. I love them all dearly. I am pictured above with my son Brian on the left and my son Bret on the right. In the photo below I am shown with my arms draped proudly around my two little All Stars, Blake on the left and Bret on the right. I served as an assistant coach for Blake's All Star team that year, and was the head coach for Bret's baseball team when he was nine. In the two photos below the All Stars shot, my big brother Cody Gupton is shown with his son Rex Layne Gupton in my parents' front yard, while my niece Wendy's husband Ryan Tull is pictured showing off their baby boy, Ronan Edward Tull.

My father, Rex Gupton, who departed this life in January of 2001, was an excellent Daddy to my brother Cody, sister Kelli and myself. And as great as he was as a father, I think he even topped that performance when he became a grandfather. Daddy is pictured above with his little namesake, Rex Layne Gupton, in a Christmas Eve photograph of three generations of Guptons: my brother Cody, Little Rex and Big Rex. And in the photo below Daddy is surrounded by my three boys, from left to right: Brian Leslie Gupton, Devon Blake Gupton and Stephen Bret Gupton. My kids always loved to go over to Paw and Berndi's house in West Columbia, as one can tell by taking a look at the big smiles on their faces while in the grasp of their grandfather.

My wife Peggy's brother Ronnie was born in 1946. He is pictured being held and displayed for the camera by his proud Papa Omer Hall in the photo above, standing alongside Dorothy, who had a little something to do with Ronnie's birth too. The adult Ron Hall is pictured at right with his wife Marilyn and daughter Wendy, more than a few years ago. Wendy is now married to Ryan Tull and they are the parents of little Ronan Edward Tull.

I wish you were here with us Omer to celebrate yet another Father's Day on your birthday. Omer Hall, pictured at right in the photo above with his son Ron and daughter Peggyjo, my dear wife, would have been 88 years old today if he were still with us. But in his absence I would like to say "Happy Father's Day" to his son, my brother-in-law Ron, who is the father of Wendy Tull and the grandfather of Ronan Tull. And I'd also like to extend a Father's Day blessing to my future in-law Joe Hatley, pictured below with his nephews. Joe and Tina Hatley's daughter Tiffanie is engaged to marry my wife Peggyjo's and my son Brian in October of this year. Welcome to the family, Joe and Tina . . . and, oh yea, Tiffanie too!!!

I find it difficult to believe that the two young men pictured above and below are now the fathers of a pair of lovely young ladies, because it seems like only yesterday that they were my little kids. Kirk, shown above with his daughter Asia (who will turn 13 next month), and Jamie, shown below with his daughter Amaya, are two of my foster children who became a part of my own family when they were both children. Now both grown and living out on their own, Kirk and Jamie have families of their own. Jamie married Vicky Becerra last year and has become the stepfather of Vicky's daughter Brittany; while my son Kirk will marry later this year and become the stepfather of Tanya Spears' three sons, Koy, Koby and DeMarcus.

To David Mosteit and Chris Kuban I extend a very special Happy Father's Day! My brothers-in-law were both important people in my life as my sister Kelli's husbands. My nephew Dustin Mosteit is pictured above with his Dad David. While David and Chris have been uncles to my children, my Dad's youngest brother S.D. Gupton was my beloved uncle. S.D. is pictured at left with his wife Nina Dean and their children Kirby and Denise. That little baby Denise, who is now Denise Ingram, recently became a grandmother for the first time.

My Uncle Hank Gupton is sincerely missed by me and other family members. Happy Father's Day, Uncle Hank! You were the greatest uncle a boy could possibly have. My father's younger brother, Marvin Aubrey "Hank" Gupton is pictured above with his son, Raybourne Ricks "Hank" Gupton, and in the photo below with his daughter Angie Middleton and her grandson Hayden.

I could not let a Father's Day pass without including my cousin Steve, the best man in my wedding 29 years ago and my best friend from early childhood, among those I send along best wishes to. He and his wife Rhonda are pictured at left with their newborn daughter Sara. Sara now has a baby daughter of her own and Steve and Rhonda are expecting a second grandchild later this year. Above is my cousin Melanie Brandt Adame with her husband Cosme and son Eric (playing the guitar). Happy Father's Day Cosme and Steve!

In the photos above and below my mother's sister's family is shown. My Uncle Jack Broadway is seated at the dinner table at the left in the top photo. Seated across the table from Jack is my mother's brother Howard Giesler who was like a second father to me when I was a kid. Although Uncle Jack is no longer around, my Uncle Howard still lives in East Columbia and is a healthy 81 years old. I wish them both a Happy Father's Day, as I do to my cousin Randy Broadway, pictured at the end of the table between his Dad and Uncle and in the photo below with his beautiful wife Sandra and their two handsome sons Wesley (left) and Little Randy. Pictured clockwise in the dining photo next to my Uncle Howard are Danny Louis Broadway, my grandmother Pauline Giesler, Gary Broadway and Lynn Broadway. Happy Father's Day to Lynn and Gary too. My Aunt Yvonne, my mother's sister, must have taken the picture since she is not in it.

I wish a very happy Father's Day to John "Stormy" Gloor and David Carl Toney, as well as to David's father, David Elmer Toney of West Columbia, my former boss at The Brazoria County News. Stormy and his wife Sherry are pictured at left with their daughters Brandy, right, and Mandy, in a photo I took in my parents' front yard. The Gloors are just like family, as are the Toneys. My cousin Cindy Saville is pictured above with her newborn baby Jake Toney (who has already graduated from Texas A&M University) and her former husband David Toney.

Gone but not forgotten are two men who were so very special to me. Both were excellent fathers whose grown children serve as living proof of that statement. Above is the late Paul Bright, pictured with his wife Tommie at the wedding of their granddaughter Wendy Hall (my niece) and her husband Ryan Tull in Houston. And shown below is my cousin John Walter Gupton of Richmond, Texas, with his son Ronnie Gupton at J.W.'s 80th birthday party.

In the photograph below, taken (many years ago) by me at the wedding of a longtime best friend of mine, I snapped this family portrait of Melvin Leslie Johnson with his new bride Sheena and their children Nyquisha (left) and Leslie (right). Nyquisha and Leslie are all grown up now too, Leslie being a graduate of Texas A&M University. Melvin is now the Reverend M.L. Johnson, pastor of his own church in Brazoria, Texas, and he and Sheena have adopted several children since their own two moved out of the house. A very special Father's Day blessing is sent out to my buddy Chip. Pictured above, at left, is my former workout partner Bobby Williams of West Columbia, shown with his son Chris and the trophy he won in the Mister Brazoria County bodybuilding contest. Admit it Beebo, I made you the champion you became. Little Chris is now 28 years old and, yes, Bobby is still swole. Above, at right, is my high school classmate and longtime good friend Charles "Boogie" Kapalski with his wife Patty and their lovely daughter Ashley, who is now married to Steven Horak.

Two great Dads I know in West Columbia are Jerome Sparks, pictured with his beautiful little girl Javion in the photo at left, and Danny Lara, shown at right with his younger son Joel who played soccer with my son Blake when they were kids. Danny was a great soccer coach and excellent role model as a father. Jerome was my son Kirk's running buddy when they were younger and has often asked me to take snapshots of his children.

A special Happy Father's Day is extended to my ol' running buddy H.T. and two very lucky men who married into my family. Pictured above is Harold Tolbert with his son De'Shaad in a photo taken in my driveway in West Columbia more years ago than I would like to admit. H.T. is now a proud grandpa and little De'Shaad is all grown up, as are his brothers Brandon and Nick. In the photo below (taken by me in 1999 at a San Jacinto Day parade on main street outside my cousin Cindy Saville's dress shop are Cindy's husband Earl Saville, at left, and my cousin Kim Clinch's husband Tim and their son Sam.

Pictured above and below are two men I have worked with at ConocoPhillips for nearly 20 years. I wish them both a Happy Father's Day along with all of the other men I have worked with over the years who have children and grandchildren, but I am unable to produce photos of them. Above is my shift leader Ron Richmond with his lovely wife Teresa and two of their granddaughters. Pictured with me below is Adam Troy Davidson with his daughters Natroya and Naqui and family friend Davon Taylor in a picture taken in 1994. Ron and Adam and I haven't changed a bit in the past 15 years, have we? Lies will be appreciated!

Above, one of my closest friends from my high school days, Gilbert Jones, with his wife Doris and their daughter Jessica, and below, another close friend and classmate of both Peggy's and mine, Terry Brittain Hundl , with her son Jacob and husband Jerry Hundl in a family portrait taken in 1985. Jacob Hundl recently graduated from college and Jessica Jones is now grown and has made my old buddy Gilbert a grandfather.