On December 23, 1998, a little furry puppy with bright eyes, and full of excitement came into our lives. We decided to call him Duke, short for SIR WELLINGTON DUKE VON SCHLARB. ON THE WAY TO HIS NEW HOME THAT VERY FIRST DAY WITH HIS NEW MOM SUSAN AND HIS NEW DAD MAC, THE SONG “SMOOTH OPERATOR CAME ON THE RADIO AND WE STARTED SINGING “DUKE OPERATOR” IN WHICH BECAME HIS NICK NAME FROM THAN ON. DUKE WAS A BUNDLE OF JOY. WE WATCHED HIM GROW FROM THAT LITTLE PUPPY FALLING INTO OUR FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW TO A RUNNING BEAUTIFUL EARTH MOVING GENTLE GIANT ROTTWEILLER. HE ALWAYS LOVED TO PLAY WITH HIS DOGGIE TOYS IN WHICH HE IS THE ONLY DOG I KNOW WHO HAD 3 TOY BOXES. DUKE BECAME A GREAT TRAVELING COMPANION, BUT WATCH OUT HE WAS VERY PROTECTIVE OVER OUR VEHICLES FROM HOME TO MAINE TO TENNESSEE WHERE OUR JOURNEY WOULD TAKE US. WE TOOK HIM FOR PUPPY RIDES ALL THE TIME. DUKE WAS A DIVORCED (DOG) SO TO SPEAK WHEN HIS DAD AND I ENDED OUR RELATIONSHIP. BUT HE ALWAYS WENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS AT A TIME FOR VISITING WITH HIS DAD MAC, HE LOVED HIS DAD THEY WOULD GO ON LONG WALKS AND RIDES TOGETHER, HE WOULD ALWAYS COME OUT OF THE CREEK WITH AT LEAST A 6 FT. LOG. MAC LOVED DUKE, AND DUKE LIVED WITH ME, SUSAN HIS MOM WHERE HE WAS AN EXCELLANT PROTECTOR AND BEST FRIEND. I BECOME AWARE OF WHAT A BEST FRIEND TRULEY IS, DUKE WENT EVERYWHERE WITH ME. WE PLAYED IN THE SNOW, IN THE LEAVES EVERYWHERE WE WENT WE HAD SO MUCH FUN. AND ON JULY 15, 2004 DUKE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BONE CANCER. IT IS THE MOST PAINFUL CANCER THERE IS FOR A HUMAN OR ANIMAL. HE WENT THRU SEVERAL SURGERIES BUT I COULD NOT SAVE HIM. I TRIED EVERYTHING TO SAVE MY DUKIE, HE WAS ALL I HAD IN THIS LIFE. HE WILL BE SADLY MISSED AND ALOT OF BROKEN HEARTS LEFT TO MEND. EVERYONE WHO MET DUKE WAS INTIMIDATED AT HIS SIZE AND HIS BARK AND OH THOSE LARGE TEETH, BUT ONCE THEY GOT TO KNOW HIM, EVERYONE FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS FRIENDLINESS, HIS GENTLENESS, AND HIS PLAYFULNESS. DUKE WAS ONE OF A KIND IN MY BOOK, IF I WAS SAD HE WOULD LICK MY FACE AND LOOK UP AT ME WITH THOSE PUPPY EYES AS IF TO LET ME KNOW IT WOULD BE ALRIGHT. IF I WAS AFRAID HE WOULD SIT OR LAY BESIDE ME TILL MY FEAR HAD PASSED. ALTHOUGH AT HIS HIGHEST WEIGHT OF 211 LBS., HE STILL THOUGHT HE WAS A LAP DOG.
ON OCTOBER 3, 2004 MY BELOVED BEST FRIEND PASSED AWAY LAYING BESIDE ME AND ALL I COULD DO WAS GENTLY PET HIS HEAD AND PUT MY ARMS AROUND HIM AND TELL HIM IT WAS ALRIGHT. MOMMY WILL BE OK. IT KILLED ME INSIDE AND I AM HAVING TROUBLE COPING THRU EACH DAY. THERE IS NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT I DO NOT SHED A TEAR FOR DUKIE. FOR I LOST MY BABY, MY BEST FRIEND. DUKIE WAS THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYS NUMBER ONE FAN. HE LOVED FOOTBALL PARTIES CAUSE HE KNEW IT MEANT HE WAS GONNA GET A ROYAL DINNER OF HAMBURGERS OR BRATS. HIS EARS WOULD PERK UP AND TONGUE HANGING OUT AS IF HE WERE SAYING HURRY UP WITH THE CHOW MOM.
DEAR DUKIE,
IT IS FALL THE TIME OF YEAR YOU COME INTO THIS WORLD, AND NOW THE TIME OF YEAR YOU EXIT THIS WORLD TO GO TO A BETTER PLACE BEYOND. WITH THE HARVEST MOON BEHIND US, AND THE WEATHER STARTING TO TURN, THERES A SENSE OF ENDINGS NOW. IT IS ALSO A TIME OF NEW BEGINNINGS. A BEGINNING I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE. I WILL MISS YOU BY MY SIDE AND BEING THERE TO BRIGHTEN MY DAY UPON AWAKENING 1ST THING IN THE MORNINGS OR BEING THERE BESIDE ME EVERYNIGHT WERE YOU SLEPT FAITHFULLY WITH A WATCHFUL EYE OVER YOUR MOM. I WILL MISS COMMING HOME FROM WORK AND SEEING THE EXCITEMENT IN YOUR EYES AS IF YOUR WERE TELLING ME “HEY MOM, I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU I HAVE MISSED YOU ALL DAY”
MY TEARS ARE FLOWING AS I WRITE THIS, MY DUKE “OPERATOR” I DO NOT THINK THEY WILL EVER STOP. FOR YOU SHOWED ME SO MUCH LOVE IN YOUR SHORT YEARS HERE ON EARTH WITH ME, I AM NOT READY TO LET YOU GO AS OF YET. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU AND NEVER FORGET YOU MY BEAUTIFUL BABY. I LOVE YOU DUKIE, FOREVER AND ALWAYS AND I CANNOT WAIT TO REUINIT WITH YOU SOME DAY IN THAT GLORIOUS PLACE BEYOND, WHERE I KNOW YOU WILL HEAR ME CALL OUT YOUR NAME AND YOU WILL COME RUNNING TO ME IN EXCITMENT KNOWING THAT WE WILL NEVER BE PARTED AGAIN. WHERE WE WILL LIVE FREELY WITHOUT PAIN AND SUFFERING FOREVER AND EVER. DUKIE, YOUR DADDY IS SADDENED BY OUR LOSS, YOU THOUGHT HIM THAT ROTTWEILLERS WERE GENTLE. HE ALWAYS SAID BECAUSE OF YOU HE FELL IN LOVE WITH ROTTWEILLERS, AND HE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU COULD MAKE IT TO THE FENCE IN 2.3 SECONDS AND ALL OF THOSE FACE SOAKING KISSES. YOU WILL BE MISSED BY YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS KATIE, JUNIOR AND SAMMY. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND YOU WILL BE REUNITED WITH GOLDIE YOUR BIG BROTHER AND KAYLA YOUR BIG SISTER UP THERE WHERE THE THREE OF YOU WILL BE PLAYING AND HAVING A GRAND OLE’ TIME. OF COURSE I CAN SEE IT NOW, GOLDIE WILL BE ASKING YOU “HEY WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG”. YOU WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS, ALWAYS LOVED AND MISSED.
WE LOVE YOU
| DUKE 'OPERATOR' |
| Susan Schlarb/Mac Mc Cauley |