Daytripping Spring 2024

Lake Huron
The
Daytripper
Much more daytripping to do in and around CHATHAM & BLENHEIM
MI
SHOP
NY
LOCAL
ONTARIO
Redneck Country Returns to
The Blenheim Cherry Festival
in the Face of Tragedy
The date was Friday July 7, 2023, just
one week before the six of us as part of
Redneck Country, planned to attend the
Blenheim Cherry Festival on Friday July
14, 2023, for the second time. I found
in the mailbox a copy of the Summer
2023 Issue of Daytripping along with a
letter explaining that the article that I
had written about our first trip in 2022
was published, and that it was in the
Blenheim section alongside this year’s
Cherry Festival advertisement.
After lunch I took the paper over to
my son and daughter-in-law’s to let
them read it. My son Todd was away
fishing but my daughter-in-law Jennifer
and 16-year-old granddaughter Megan
and 10-year-old granddaughter Avery
were home. Megan read it out loud and
we all enjoyed the girl’s excitement of
the article about them and the pictures.
Megan said, “We are famous!”
Later that evening I had my 23 T
Bucket Hot Rod at a show in Port Stanley
and my wife and some friends were
meeting me at Mackie’s in Port Stanley
for supper at 6 p.m. We were just getting
ready to sit when my granddaughter
Megan called us to say that her mother
had passed out while saying, “Megan,
something is wrong, I see a white light,
I am going to pass out, call Grandma!”
We called 9-1-1 and my wife and
her sister and a friend rushed for
home. Megan also called 9-1-1 and
a neighbour. We called my daughter
Carrie to go over as she was in St.
Thomas. Two other friends took my
chair and sign, and I raced home in the
hot rod. It was devastating to find that
Jennifer had apparently had a blood clot
hit her heart and they had to restart her
heart eight times between 6 p.m. and 8
p.m. Todd made it home, but Jennifer
passed with all of us by her side without
ever-regaining consciousness.
Over the next few days, facing this
tragedy we cried, talked, grieved, and
prayed. Many family and friends told
us what we already knew, that Jennifer
loved being a mom and she lived for her
family. This led Megan to announce that
the funeral could not be on Friday and
had to be Thursday as we were going
to do all the things we had planned for
this summer as a family and take Mom
with us. The funeral director complied
and the day after the funeral on Friday
morning we headed out to Blenheim to
relive last year’s experience and think
of Jennifer enjoying it all with us. Per
our decision made last year, we bought
a cherry pie immediately before they
sold out and enjoyed it as a family.
Again, we shopped in Lasting Memories
and Antiquated Treasures. Megan was
wearing the wide brimmed hat that she
had purchased the year before, and we
Story and photo by
Don Millard, St. Thomas
found a giant picture of a sunflower,
(that is their mother Jennifer’s favourite
flower) and it is now hanging in their
kitchen in memory of
their mother. We also
found a mug that said,
“Sometimes when
I speak my mother
comes out.” It is now
on Megan’s new
bookshelves in her
bedroom.
Other items that
the girls pointed out
as admiring were
secretly purchased for
their birthdays and as
Megan opened each
gift days later at her
birthday gathering,
she asked, “Where was I when you
made these purchases?”
We did the midway with the daily
passes and Avery got her face painted.
The girls wanted a picture with
Grandpa at the Cherry festival sign to
commemorate the day.
Every store that we went to, including
the restaurant that we ate in, had a
stack of the current summer Daytripper
by the door. The girls pointed out that
we were indeed mentioned in that very
issue, and I joked that they should stand
by a pile and handout autographed
copies! My wife just rolled her eyes.
A few days later we were back in St.
Thomas and had gone to the New Sarum
Diner for supper and were waited on by
one of our favourite waitresses, Cindy.
Cindy discovered that my article was in
the issue that was stacked by their door
and had me autograph one. There you
go Glenda, roll your eyes at that!
As a family, we completed every
adventure that we planned for that
summer and are convinced that
Jennifer is indeed with us. The girls are
now back at school,
and I will not say that
it is not tough at times
and every one of us still
have our moments of
grief and breakdown,
repeatedly thinking of
our much-loved Jennifer
and all she means to us.
We have not lost faith in
the fact that Jennifer is
indeed looking out for us
and have experienced
so many signs that she
is with us.
Jennifer taught the
girls so much and we
faced an unbelievable tragedy and yet
have survived with Jennifer intact in
our hearts forever. We are determined
to keep our faith and continue to read
Daytripping to find new traditions like
the Blenheim Cherry Festival to attend
and take the Best Mother in the World
along with us.
Written on behalf of: Glenda Millard,
Todd Millard, Megan Millard, and Avery
Millard.
Publisher’s Note: We’re so sorry for
your loss and thank you for sharing your
words with our readers.
Page 10
If you want to be respected, you must respect yourself. -Spanish Proverb
Spring 2024