Fathers are rich with advice

In celebration of Father’s Day, the American News asked people for the best advice their father gave them and what context it was in.

Connie Cutler

Age: 66

A. Cutler’s father kept the words simple: “I guess ‘Be true to yourself,’ ” she said.

The advice was given to her when she was 15, and Cutler interprets the words as such: “Just that if you believe in something, you should stand up for what you believe.”

Kody Ebach

Age: 20

A. “Always be five minutes early,” Ebach said. “I think it was when I was starting my first job freshman year of high school.”

The advice has stuck with Ebach, who arrives early to meetings with advisers, job interviewers and teachers.

Harold Hoffman

Age: 85

A. “Well, he gave me advice not to borrow more money than you think you can pay back,” said Hoffman, who heard the words from his father after he came back from World War II.

“I followed it pretty good. Back in those days, you couldn’t borrow money with zero percent interest and buy a car,” he said.

He remembered trying to get a loan for half the cost of a hay baler and couldn’t get a loan from the bank.

“So that was pretty tough,” he said.

Jerome Ketelhut

Age: 74

A. “Not to borrow money,” said Ketelhut, who received the advice when he was a kid.

He found the advice useful.

“I guess you’re more careful with how much you borrow and don’t borrow (money) unless you have to.”

Roger Monichen

Age: 70

A. ” ‘Stay in school,’ he would say,” Monichen said.

The advice didn’t strike Monichen as useful at the time. The words sank in years later when he decided to return to college at age 27 to become an engineer.

Terry Dosch

Age: 54

A. “You might not think it, but sometimes it’s better to not open your mouth and say it,” he said.

Dosch got the advice when he was 15 and had an answer for everything his father would tell him, Dosch said.

Through his life, Dosch said he’s used the advice to keep problems from escalating.