Fathers Day | Word Collage | Customize It Giant Co Giant Coffee Mug

Did you know? The man who inspired father’s day was a single dad and a civil war vet? William Jackson Smart was a twice-married, twice-widowed Civil War veteran and father of 14 children, one of these, Sonora Dodd, dedicated her life to find a way to honor her devoted and selfless dad the same way. While attending one of the first official Mother’s Day services in 1909 she became inspired to develop Father’s Day, her thoughts were that fathers deserved the same praise for their services. At the age of 16, Sonora’s mother Ellen died, leaving William as a single parent to her and five younger siblings. According to Sonora: “I remember everything about him,” “He was both father and mother to me and my brothers and sisters.” “In 1910, Sonora brought a petition before the Spokane Ministerial Alliance to recognize the courage and devotion of all fathers like William on June 5, her dad’s birthday. The local clergy liked the idea of a special Father’s Day service, but couldn’t pull something together so quickly, so they settled for June 19, the third Sunday in June. On that first Father’s Day in 1910, church sermons across Spokane were dedicated to dear old dad, red and white roses were passed out in honor of living and deceased fathers, the mayor of Spokane and governor of Washington issued proclamations, and Sonora found her calling. She would spend much of the next 60 years pushing for the official recognition of Father’s Day as a national holiday.” - Dave Roos Whether it’s Dad, pops, or papa, either way, he probably knows how to make you laugh like no one else, and can also drop the smartest advice at just the right time. If you are a parent now yourself, you know just how much Dad put up with over the years, and now it’s your turn to thank him for all he’s done with a unique Father's Day gift.