Diane and I are very sad today. Yesterday afternoon we had to say “Goodbye” to Ferdie.
Ferdie was a rescue dog. He had been abandoned as a puppy, left on the street. Dogs live in the moment but they remember trauma, and so Ferdie treasured us. We never had to worry about Ferdie running away. He needed no fence. He was devoted to his people.
Ferdie was a major presence on campus. Four times a day Diane took him for a walk, and they’d always meet people. Sometimes little children saw him and called out, “Ferdie!” He went to them to be petted. Other times there would be a tour group on campus. Several thousand come to visit us every year, and when Ferdie saw them, he’d go right to them, get right in the middle, and in his own way welcome them. He knew his campus, knew which offices had yummies for him, and knew which workers carried yummies with them, just in case they’d happen to see the Ferd.
Fifteen years ago when I became president, people from the neighborhood asked if they could walk on our campus. “Yes, of course,” we said, but it was Ferdie who really let people know they were welcome. On those daily walks Diane and Ferdie met other dog owners, and conversations always happened. Over the years Ferdie had his neighborhood friends, Lola, Booj, Max, Bogie, Charlie, Gus, Mimi, Grindel, and many others. We like to attribute human qualities to dogs, but Ferdie really did help make Concordia Seminary a welcoming place. And when he wasn’t outside, he was at the front door, watching his neighborhood, and people walking by always looked.
He was in his home. Golden Retrievers are a gentle breed. There were two hunting dogs that made him mad, but the rest of the time he was a 120-pound gentle giant. He was smart, but in a way different from humans. He sensed things. Sunday’s he knew he was going to be left while we went to church. When I had a suitcase, he knew I was leaving, but when I came home from the trip, he smiled and wagged his tail. The explanation to the creed says, “I believe that God has made me and all creatures.” The Creator blessed Diane and me with Ferdie. With Ferdie gone, the house is emptier but the love he brought is greater than ever. We miss you.
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