Breaking News
Local News

Lessons taught by dad

Passing on knowledge takes a lot of heart

By Janelle Patterson 6 min read

At 18 and as a student, Dante Sherman, was "adopted" into the Miller family at the close of his freshman year at Marietta College.

"I say we adopted him, though it's not on paper," said Wade Miller, 45, of Marietta.

Miller took Sherman, now 28, of Cleveland, into his home almost 10 years ago after meeting at church.

"There's a picture of Dante holding my youngest daughter's hand, and it's black and white but all we see is love," said Miller.

The father explained why Sherman is his son, though the two don't share the same DNA or skin tone.

"I've taught my kids that this," Miller said, tapping his chest three times where his heart is, "not this," touching Sherman's dark skin, "is what really matters."

Sherman said Miller has set the example of what fatherhood should be.

"He's old school," said Sherman. "He puts everybody before himself and I thank God he's my dad."

But the family did more than just host an occasional dinner with Sherman. They're the reason he graduated from college, he said.

"It was November of my last year when my grandma--she had raised me and was the only family I

had--passed away," he explained. "I was done, I'd made up my mind that I couldn't stay…I just had to leave. I couldn't do college anymore."

Crying, Sherman had called the Millers, telling them his bags were packed. He was leaving.

"My dad just showed up at my doorstep minutes after I called, trying to talk me down, telling me I had to stick it out, I had to graduate," he said, choking up as he recalled that night. "But I said 'I'm done, I'm not coming back.'"

Miller explained how he and his wife Lisa couldn't let Sherman leave.

"We told him our family doesn't quit when things get hard, his grandmother wouldn't want him to quit," Miller explained.

"I'm bawling and my mom just stopped. Then she just held me, and my dad hugged me too," Sherman said.

The Millers were the parents Sherman never had.

Six months later Sherman crossed the stage at the college, celebrating his graduation with his adopted family.

"To have real parents calm that storm is what every student should have, I'm blessed to have them in my corner," Sherman said.

Every Christmas since his freshman year, most Thanksgiving meals and multiple family vacations for the Millers have included Sherman.

"I practically lived with them whenever school wasn't in session," he explained. "During the summers when I would have internships or be working in Marietta, my dad would get up every morning and make us all breakfast and send me to work with a packed lunch."

The Millers' daughters, ages 18 and 12, see Sherman as their big brother, pulling him into graduation photos at Marietta High School this year, begging for story time when they were younger and always introducing him as part of the family.

"I still remember the first Christmas he spent at our house," said Miller. "He woke up at the crack of dawn, before my kids, so excited for our traditions."

With a glimmer of a tear blinked back, Miller continued.

"The girls made a stocking and put his name on it," Miller said. "That was his first stocking with his name on it, and that Christmas when we went out to cut a live tree, that was his first Christmas tree."

Now Sherman has his own child on the way and said he is filled with gratitude for the example Wade Miller set for him.

"Now it's my opportunity to give this child what has been given to me, putting her needs before my own, being patient and the one she can turn to for anything, the way he has been there for me," said Sherman. "The value of hard work and being a protector is what he's shown me."

To sum up all of the lessons he's learned from his dad?

"Be a man of your word," Sherman said. "Be the one your family, friends, coworkers and community can rely on."

Daddy's girl

For Katie Plas, 22, of Hannibal, her father Greg Plas, 59, has been a guide throughout her life.

"My GPS had me almost lost when I took someone to the airport after graduation (from college)," said Plas. "He was the person I called and he talked me all the way home."

The pair have spent extra time together these past few weeks before Plas heads to Oklahoma for a job with Chesapeake Energy.

"He's been so helpful with getting everything set up (and) we've done everything from working in the yard together to playing video games," she explained. "He's so kind and selfless and always puts everyone else first."

They even have special traditions between them.

"Daddy and I have a special handshake," said Plas. "The handshake has gone on for at least the last 15 years."

And the two have collected loose change throughout each year for as long as Plas can remember, then annually count the coins together.

The biggest lesson she's learned from her father?

"He's taught me to work hard and always be kind to people," she said.

Building a family

Jeffrey Wolfe, 35, of Marietta, hopes that his 23-month-old son Nolan and soon-to-arrive daughter will learn from him kindness and daring.

"We have a little girl due four days from now," Wolfe said Friday. "I think above all else I hope to teach them to be loving and kind to everyone regardless of their background, to just always be there for others who need help."

But the young father also hopes to impress upon his children a fearless approach to life.

"Try everything once and if you like it keep doing it," he explained.

The nervous excitement he felt when he first found out Nolan was on the way is back now that Wolfe is expecting a daughter.

"You think, 'holy crap I'm going to have to grow up a little bit,' but at the same time he keeps me young," he said, laughing. "There's so much you want for them but also you have no idea what you're getting into."

But is it worth it?

"Oh absolutely, I wouldn't give my son up for the world," said Wolfe. "It's not easy being a dad day by day but there's a joy that I can't describe when at the end of the day you put them to bed and you just know it wouldn't be there without them."

Father's Day

¯ Father's Day this year is the 107th celebration of dads in the U.S. since the holiday was created in 1910.

Planned spending

¯ Greeting cards: 64.3 %.

¯ Special outing: 48 %.

¯ Clothing: 46.1 %.

¯ Gift certificates/gift cards: 42.6 %.

¯ Books or CDs: 23.9 %

¯ Electronics: 21.2 %.

¯ Personal care: 20.9 %.

¯ Other: 17.1 %.

¯ Sporting goods/leisure items: 16.7 %.

¯ Tools/appliances: 16.3 %.

¯ Home improvement/gardening: 16.2 %.

¯ Automotive accessories: 16.1 %.

Source: National Retail Federation.

Starting at /week.