Memories

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Wife and I went to one of my least favorite events tonight, a funeral visitation.
It was for a friend who we both knew before we got married.
Looking back on the years we spent camping and shooting muzzleloaders together. The hours spent traveling to hunting spots hours away. The first turkey I shot called in by him. Outside of my father I spent more time with him hunting than anyone else.
Little things come back like the time he got some buckskin leggings with "spirits" on them. He got razzed because they looked like sperm.
You are not forgotten Ron.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Sorry to hear that Brad, good friends are too few. Quite sad when you lose them.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Older you get, the more we face this. Cherish the good memories, try and forget the bad ones.
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
Ron was a good friend to both Brad and I. We shot black powder, hunted deer, turkey, and antelope together. He called in the first turkey I shot with black powder, and I called in his first turkey the next season. He will always be a most cherished friend. It was tough saying good by to him last evening.

Paul
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
Ron was 75! He was a very heavy smoker all of his life,
and had one lung removed a few years back, which
hampered his mobility, but he carried on for a few years
with oxygen. I taught him to load, and he was still shooting
cowboy action shoots. Brad said he did same with a small
portable tank on his back.

Paul
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
What my wife and I realized looking at the photos in the video running at the visitation is that all our memories were of light hearted moments. They brought smiles to our faces.
One of the last times I spoke to him was when he called with questions about buyin an AR15. He didn’t really need one but Obama said he shouldn’t be able to buy one so he felt a need to do it anyway.
Brought back some great memories. Things like the three man gate.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
I was always around older people growing up . Many of them old enough or very nearly old enough to be grandparents instead of adopted Aunt's and Uncle's .
Uncle Bingo I always thought of as a young guy like my Dad , he passed in 79' , but he couldn't have been having been a Marine at Iwo Jima with Lee Marvin . Making him 13-16 when my Dad was born . Another was was a crew chief for the DC4 that came before Columbine the forerunner to AF1 . Since I spent so much time around those folks and became close by the time I was 25 I had been to a number of services for old friends , which lead into family and a few "more age appropriate" friends . I have run out of those older friends now I'm down to my folks , 2 each blood aunt's and uncle's and just three first cousins , buried the oldest last winter .
I'm only 51 . I have about 3-4 really close friends , half a dozen causual friends left . Nope I just don't think I care to have any more new friends so I'll stick to the kids and steps and the grands . The greats ought to be strong enough to pack my pine box out back and hopefully they will know someone that can run the backhoe .

Saying goodbye the last time really bites . But as noted above remember the better and best most often . But also remember that some of the best times were most likely had retelling about that time you were mucking around in the mud up to your knees in a freezing rain because you only had one shovel or a foot not enough chain or you got that way getting the other truck out on that trip that was just one monkey on a football after another .
Good thing my phone is water resistant .
Now go have a metamusil or a bourbon laugh at that one time , cuss him for not quitting when they were only $1.25 in the machine and remember that in 1900 the median male life expectancy was 40 .

Seriously take momma and the dog for a ride nowhere in particular maybe that greasy spoon you kicked off the knee mud in if it's still around and take a day for you to not be the strong type .
 

Ian

Notorious member
I was always around older people growing up . Many of them old enough or very nearly old enough to be grandparents instead of adopted Aunt's and Uncle's .

I grew up much the same, and have very fond memories, plus some mementos and a lot of very useful life knowledge. The only one left is a 94-y.o. B-17 pilot who taught me how to cast my first bullet, I visit him every chance I get and dread having the day Brad and Paul had yesterday. "All good things...."
 

gman

Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear of the loss of a good friend. Times like that are hard. Cherish the good times.
 

Rcmaveric

Active Member
Its not what we do while alive but what we leave behind. Forever immortal in memories and lasting impressions. Sorry to hear of your loss.
 
F

freebullet

Guest
Sorry about your buddy. It sucks. I just lost a pal named Ron too. He was mid 60's though, brain tumor, lymph nodes, everywhere...sad
He & his wife started a company 47 years ago. They made it pretty well. Looks like the wife will do well with their business worth nearly 2mil, but to think the fella worked his whole life, hard, real hard, & never got a retirement at all. Really makes a guy think.
The hardest recently has to be my cousin's only son. He passed just a week ago in a foggy hiway crash at only 22years old. Brutal...