HE WAS A MOUNTAIN OF A MAN
A tribute to Chalmers L. Battenberg-from a grateful sister Betty J. Helser
He was a “Mountain of a Man” my brother,
I was as proud as anyone can be of another.
You’ve heard this phrase, “Live each day as your last.”
He lived them all in full, the present and the past.
He loved all people, young and old,
And oh what stories he has told.
His yarns for kids you wouldn’t believe,
But none were meant to deceive.
His tales of the Yukon and the Halls of Fame
All were stretched to include his name.
The kids knew he made them up and told him so,
But he’d just laugh and his tales would grow.
He loved all women from nine to ninety
And made them all feel like they were twenty.
The men he knew looked up to him
Cause in any venture he’d usually win.
And he loved them all, man, woman and child,
And treated them all in a manner mild.
If they needed help, he was always there
To do what he could and to show he cared.
But he was an Engineer, and the railroad was his life.
Next, of course, to his family and his wife.
We took him to the Roundhouse on his last run,
It wasn’t work to him, he was having fun.
We didn’t know it was to be our last good-bye.
He looked so happy and eager – he was such a great guy.
He died on that trip, at the end of the line,
But he’ll always be with us in our heart and our mind.
I guess that’s about all I have to say except
He was a “Mountain of a Man” in every way.
- Little River Wetlands Names New Executive Director - May 10, 2024
- Local Writer Irons Out Devotional Inspired By Mother’s Day Gift - May 10, 2024
- Sharing Plants & Local Food - May 10, 2024