I found this post from a Blog of a friend of brother Farley. This man was not a member and was pretty anti-mormon, but from this post you can see what a great effect brother farley had on him. ( This man also was the last man to see brother Farley alive, Bro FArley died while leaving this man's house after working on their motocycles together)
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A final wrap-up....
Mike's funeral was yesterday at 5:00 p.m. Mrs. Sahagan and I attended (the crowd was over 100). It was our first time in a Mormon church function, and I must say the service was dignified, in a beautiful sanctuary, and yet, at the same time, very mournful, for Mike was an integral and very appreciated member of the congregation.
I spoke to the assembled group and conveyed the sincerest condolences, prayers and well-wishes from this forum and everyone who replied to this thread.
Mike is now on his way to Wisconsin, his home, to be laid to rest. Were he aware of it, I'm sure he'd hate the ride in the hearse, preferring to make such a trip on two wheels.
As to the disposition of his wrecked '09 Vulcan (it is expected the insurance company will return the bike to the family, and I've been asked to retrieve it and store it), and the Connie sitting in my shop, the family has asked me to hold on for a couple of weeks, when they will call and talk to me about them.
A couple of things really hit home for me. At 72, Mike had lived a long and amazingly productive life. His accomplishments read like those of many more famous men, and yet, he never once reeled them off to me, preferring to be just himself, a motorcycle nut, plain and simple.
But that was just the tiniest part of his life. His family was large and extended, and the impact he had upon many people was great and lasting. As it was for me.
Mike and I had theological incompabilities, and yet, when we mutually realized neither of us was about to make a new convert, we decided instead, to make a new friend. And a true friend he was. I never saw Mike exhibit anything but a laid-back attitude, never losing his temper, even when his Leatherman tool closed up on his finger....we agreed wholeheartedly on the conservative political stance, and between us, we had corporately seen not one single episode of Saturday Night Live. And while that probably means nothing to anyone reading this, it meant something to us.We shared a total disinterest in modern humor, the lack of morality and the loss of consideration for others that is so rampant today.
So Mike will be missed. Here are two direct quotes from my short address to the group, that sum up for me, the way I feel...."If Mike Farley excelled in being a family man, a father, husband, son, grandfather and great grandfather, if Mike Farley excelled in being a member of the church, and a servant of God. Then know this....Mike Farley excelled in being a friend as well."
And, to close out I said, "If Mike Farley is the greatest man the Mormans have ever produced, they have no reason whatsoever to feel anything but a justified sense of satisfaction and well-being".
The family and the church congregation asked me to convey their appreciation for your kind words and condolences. You already know how I feel about your outpouring of support and concern.
Thank you. After all, can it really be Heaven without motorcycles? And maybe we'll join Mike riding along the dappled roads of Southern Heaven one of these days. After all, he loved the South.
Sahagan
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Happy and Sad news!
It has been a while since i'm "blogged" it's been crazy! I have been working in SLC now at the U of U hosp for 3 weeks. My "training" is done and i go into shift tomorrow! I only trained for 15 days which is a new record! It went by so fast, there are alot of new people at work and i am starting to feel more comfortable around them, BUT there are alot of my old friends there too, adn i lvoe seeing them again! It's been a blast. I've been commuting back and forth and its been a pain in my behind! I am gone from 7:50 am to 10:30 pm mon-fri. BUT i have finals this week then I am done with school...untill August!!
More good news I have an Apt in SLC.... We found it 2 weeks ago and we are moving in May 9th.. so 2 weeks!! It is on 6th south and 12th east, its two blocks form teh U of U, the aprtments are nice, and the area is safe! It'll be so nice to live in SLC, but I will miss my family I have loved living with them as crazy as its been these last 9 months! Micheel,Andrea and I are way excited, we haev almost all the things we need, couches, microwave, New flat screen T.V, dishes, silverware, beds!! It's a working progress! Michelle, Andrea adn I have hung out a bunch lately and i just lvoe those two! We have alot in common and we are gonna have so much fun in SLC, and it turns out that we will be inteh same ward as some of my good pals from work..yay!
Ok now for my sad news.. I'm syill emotional, i don't know what my deal is....I just cry alot!! Today i was in Sacrament meeting when ilooked down at my phone to check the time, i saw that i and two texts, so i read them and a former companion informed me that TWO people from my mission dies this past week.I just started bawling, and i cried so hard that i had to leave. Of course evryone started at me. but it was such a shock. Both members from the Paris Branch ( my frist area i served in for 6 1/2 months) i was really close to both of them. One of them was Sister Mcfarland, she was a lessa active that i worked with, When ileft she was active adn happy, and her haelth was better! she also helped us baptize a friend of her living with her. She was in her 80's and had bad health, luckily I got to see her when I left TN and my parents got to meet her. She was amazing and had such a strong testimony. I felt prompted to call her adn her daughter Donna about 2 weeks ago, and i left htem a message adn told them i loved them, She called back and left a message but I never called her back. I feel so bad that I never got to talk to her, but I can't dwell on that, I know she knows that i lvoe her!!
The second person was Brother Mike Farley. He was so Christlike and Service oriented! I could go on and on with examples of this! He helped us out so much, he drove us everywhere, we taught investigators in his home more than a dozen times, he came on dozens of exchanges and he was amzing with new converts, less actives and investigators. He and his wife fed us often and i just loved visiting with them, they were SOOO happy, such a cute couple! He held up our little branch, he was in charge of geneology and members of many differant faiths came to seek his help weeklly. He was alos a writer in the local newspaper adn was well kown by many people. He home-taught over 10 people and took such good care of them!! I got to say goodbye to him with my parents and I am so glad they got to meet him. He loved fixing cars and motorcycles and he died last week in motorcycle vs. Van accident while he was driving to the church on a wednesday night to help with geneology. I feel so bad for his family, and for the paris branch, he was such a light. He will be deeply missed. But i know that He and Sis Mcfarland are in a better place and God must need them to help with missionary work cause their both amazing member missionaries!
Four peple that I was really close to on my mission have died since i've been home
( 9 months) It's been super hard for me, but i am so lucky to have met such amazing people who taught me so much!
More good news I have an Apt in SLC.... We found it 2 weeks ago and we are moving in May 9th.. so 2 weeks!! It is on 6th south and 12th east, its two blocks form teh U of U, the aprtments are nice, and the area is safe! It'll be so nice to live in SLC, but I will miss my family I have loved living with them as crazy as its been these last 9 months! Micheel,Andrea and I are way excited, we haev almost all the things we need, couches, microwave, New flat screen T.V, dishes, silverware, beds!! It's a working progress! Michelle, Andrea adn I have hung out a bunch lately and i just lvoe those two! We have alot in common and we are gonna have so much fun in SLC, and it turns out that we will be inteh same ward as some of my good pals from work..yay!
Ok now for my sad news.. I'm syill emotional, i don't know what my deal is....I just cry alot!! Today i was in Sacrament meeting when ilooked down at my phone to check the time, i saw that i and two texts, so i read them and a former companion informed me that TWO people from my mission dies this past week.I just started bawling, and i cried so hard that i had to leave. Of course evryone started at me. but it was such a shock. Both members from the Paris Branch ( my frist area i served in for 6 1/2 months) i was really close to both of them. One of them was Sister Mcfarland, she was a lessa active that i worked with, When ileft she was active adn happy, and her haelth was better! she also helped us baptize a friend of her living with her. She was in her 80's and had bad health, luckily I got to see her when I left TN and my parents got to meet her. She was amazing and had such a strong testimony. I felt prompted to call her adn her daughter Donna about 2 weeks ago, and i left htem a message adn told them i loved them, She called back and left a message but I never called her back. I feel so bad that I never got to talk to her, but I can't dwell on that, I know she knows that i lvoe her!!
The second person was Brother Mike Farley. He was so Christlike and Service oriented! I could go on and on with examples of this! He helped us out so much, he drove us everywhere, we taught investigators in his home more than a dozen times, he came on dozens of exchanges and he was amzing with new converts, less actives and investigators. He and his wife fed us often and i just loved visiting with them, they were SOOO happy, such a cute couple! He held up our little branch, he was in charge of geneology and members of many differant faiths came to seek his help weeklly. He was alos a writer in the local newspaper adn was well kown by many people. He home-taught over 10 people and took such good care of them!! I got to say goodbye to him with my parents and I am so glad they got to meet him. He loved fixing cars and motorcycles and he died last week in motorcycle vs. Van accident while he was driving to the church on a wednesday night to help with geneology. I feel so bad for his family, and for the paris branch, he was such a light. He will be deeply missed. But i know that He and Sis Mcfarland are in a better place and God must need them to help with missionary work cause their both amazing member missionaries!
Four peple that I was really close to on my mission have died since i've been home
( 9 months) It's been super hard for me, but i am so lucky to have met such amazing people who taught me so much!
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