Hello everyone,
I come to inform you of the wonderful story of Max, my Golden Retriever. Max passed away 4 days ago from old age. He lived to the ripe age of 22 years old. However, Max was not your ordinary Golden Retriever. He came from a long line of Goldens that was with my family since 1892.
[IMG]http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7/crosstn.jpg[/IMG]
In 1892, my great great grandfather brough a new dog breed home, one that came from Europe only a few years before. Living in the middle of North Dakota, they needed a dog that could fetch fowl and duck very well.
[IMG]http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/6222/field.jpg[/IMG]
Time passed by, and as my family continued to breed our Goldens with other Goldens in the nearest town, the Golden Retrievers lived through many events like the Sinking of the Titanic, World War I, and even the Great Depression. During the Depression, the Caleb family who lived down the dirt road moved on to Grand Forks in an effort to have a better life.
[IMG]http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8234/calebs.jpg[/IMG]
(The Caleb Household)
And eventually, the entire area was abandoned except for my family, who no longer went to the church seeing as how it was abandoned.
[IMG]http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/9048/3449970033e6cf2b8c29o.jpg[/IMG]
(County Chapel)
The Golden Retriever family was even there when my grandfather was shipped off to Europe to fight the Nazi's.
[IMG]http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/2620/legv.jpg[/IMG]
And they were there when my grandfather returned as a legless cripple. He eventually trained Max's great great great great grandfather to be a guide dog.
When I was born, Max was already over a year old. We always played together and would take walks to the old abandoned church or chase the geese from the wheat fields. Max wouldnt even need a leesh because he was always at my side, even as a kid. He was a guardian to me. When I was a child, he killed a Prairie Rattler when I fell into a ditch and sprained my ankle.
[IMG]http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/9255/grownup.jpg[/IMG]
Sadly, Max was also born sterile, due to unknown circumstances. His only other brother died at 4 months due to illness.
So, Max was the last Golden Retriever in my family. A dog family that has served along my family for almost 120 years has died out. With it, is all the memories I had at the abandoned church, farming the wheat, and fishing.(Below is from 1991)
[IMG]http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/682/goldenretrieverf.jpg[/IMG]
Max, I love you and I will miss you. Our family will always consider you and your ancestors and members of us.
have this cookie, son.
[editline]02:12AM[/editline]
it's the shape of a heart
colored pink
:crying:
:frown:
I couldn't imagine losing my retriever puppy. A heart for you, sir.
:smith:
I feel for you. I've lost important members of the family too.
Great, now I'm all teary and stuff.
OP I wish internet hugs were possible because I would so give you one.
rip max. :(
i'm going to become rich and famous after i invent a device that allows you to hug people over the internet
Max should have used hacks.
Hey, i live like 45 minutes from Grand Forks!
I nearly shed a tear, have a heart.
Have a heart. D:
That's fucking sad. :frown:
[editline]12:43AM[/editline]
And my name is Max, too.
While I may not be able to convey my feelings over this medium,
I think they should be self-explanatory. :smith:
Blezzy no just no.
However Cobra Unit it was a good read, sorry that Max died. Also for the good read on the story of Max. Something about dogs makes me very happy to be around them, to pet and hug them as well.
[QUOTE=LightCybrid;21418212]Hey, i live like 45 minutes from Grand Forks![/QUOTE]
Me too. Where you at?
I feel for you, I was so sad when my black lab died.
Im glad that the last time I saw my black lab I gave it a hug.
That's incredible, such a long line of golden retrievers in your family.
At least he lived to a ripe, old age. Sorry for your loss, all the same.
I know what it feels like dude. I lost my Golden retriever due to Leukemia when I was 11. Have a heart.
1892? what the fuck hes 108 years old
I teared up
[QUOTE=Stupideye;21419167]Me too. Where you at?[/QUOTE]
...Me too....
[QUOTE]BioArts International, the Northern California biotech company that offered the world's first commercial dog cloning service, announced today that it had completed delivery of healthy cloned dogs to all five clients from its "Best Friends Again" program, but would discontinue cloning dogs commercially as a result of several problems.[/QUOTE]
God damn you economics!
In all seriousness though, I can't come back to this thread without reading the OP's post, which means I can't stop tearing. [B]GOD I LOVE DOGS SO MUCH[/B] :smith:
Our dog died because he was old and a fat fuck.
Now we keep him in the decorative tin on top of the bookshelf in the living room! :buddy:
Sad to see a line of loyal dogs come to an end.
[QUOTE=LightCybrid;21418212]Hey, i live like 45 minutes from Grand Forks![/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Stupideye;21419167]Me too. Where you at?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=JolKally;21419429]...Me too....[/QUOTE]
North Dakotans coming out of the woodwork ITT.
Me too, east of Bismarck.
Well I'm in Canada actually. Close to the ND border, in Manitoba.
:(
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